LOGO    Exhibit 2.s.9

The information in this prospectus supplement is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus supplement is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Filed Pursuant to Rule 497

Registration Statement No.            

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To Prospectus dated            , 201    )

Shares of Common Stock

We are offering for sale        shares of our common stock. Our common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “GAIN.” The last reported sale price for our common stock on            ,         was $        per share. The net asset value per share of our common stock at the close of business on            , 201    was $        per share.

 

     Per
Share
     Total (1)  

Public offering price

   $                    $                

Underwriting discounts and commissions

   $                    $                

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $                    $                

 

(1) The aggregate expenses of the offering are estimated to be $            , which represents approximately $        per share.

The underwriters may also purchase up to an additional shares of common stock from us at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions, to cover over-allotments, if any, within 30 days after the date of this prospectus supplement. If the over-allotment option is exercised in full, our total proceeds, before expenses, would be $ and the total underwriting discounts and commissions would be $            . The common shares will be ready for delivery on or about                    ,                    .

You should read this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before deciding whether to invest in our common stock and you should retain them for future reference. Additional information about us, including our annual, quarterly and current reports, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This information is available free of charge on our corporate website at http://www.gladstoneinvestment.com.

An investment in our common stock involves certain risks, including, among other things, risks relating to investments in securities of small, private and developing businesses. We describe some of these risks in the section entitled “Risk Factors,” which begins on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and page 9 of the accompanying prospectus. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value and this may increase the risk of loss of purchasers of our common stock. You should carefully consider these risks together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before making a decision to purchase our common stock.

The common stock being offered has not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

            , 201    

 

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We have not authorized any dealer, salesman or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus as if we had authorized it. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any security other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do they constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. The information contained in this prospectus supplement and any accompanying prospectus is accurate as of the dates on their respective covers only. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since such dates.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Supplement

 

     Page  

Table of Fees and Expenses

     S-3   

Risk Factors

     S-5   

Use of Proceeds

     S-5   

Financial Highlights

     S-5   

Price Range of Common Stock

     S-5   

Plan of Distribution

     S-6   

Legal Matters

     S-6   

Prospectus

 

     Page  

Prospectus Summary

     1   

Fees and Expenses

     6   

Additional Information

     8   

Risk Factors

     9   

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

     26   

Use of Proceeds

     26   

Price Range of Common Stock and Distributions

     26   

Ratios of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges to Preferred Dividends

     28   

Consolidated Selected Financial and Other Data

     29   

Selected Quarterly Financial Data

     30   

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

     31   

Sales of Common Stock Below Net Asset Value

     56   

Senior Securities

     61   

Business

     63   

Portfolio Companies

     74   

Management

     83   

Control Persons and Principal Stockholders

     96   

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

     98   

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

     99   

Regulation as a Business Development Company

     101   

Description of Our Securities

     104   

Certain Provisions of Delaware Law and of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

     108   

Share Repurchases

     110   

Plan of Distribution

     111   

Custodian, Transfer and Dividend Paying Agent and Registrar

     112   

Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices

     113   

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

     113   

Legal Matters

     114   

Experts

     114   

Financial Statements

     F-1   

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

All statements contained in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, other than historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements.” These statements may relate to, among other things, future events or our future performance or financial condition. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “might,” “believe,” “will,” “provided,” “anticipate,” “future,” “could,” “growth,” “plan,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “if,” “seek,” “possible,” “potential,” “likely” or the negative of such terms or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: (1) further adverse changes in the economy and the capital markets; (2) risks associated with negotiation and consummation of pending and future transactions; (3) the loss of one or more of our executive officers, in particular David Gladstone, Terry Lee Brubaker or David Dullum; (4) changes in our business strategy; (5) availability, terms and deployment of capital; (6) changes in our industry, interest rates, exchange rates or the general economy; (7) the degree and nature of our competition; and (8) those factors described in the “Risk Factors” sections of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this prospectus supplement. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 27A of the Securities Act.

FEES AND EXPENSES

The following table is intended to assist you in understanding the costs and expenses that an investor in this offering will bear directly or indirectly. We caution you that some of the percentages indicated in the table below are estimates and may vary. Except where the context suggests otherwise, whenever this prospectus contains a reference to fees or expenses paid by “us” or “Gladstone Investment,” or that “we” will pay fees or expenses, stockholders will indirectly bear such fees or expenses as investors in Gladstone Investment. The following percentages were calculated based on actual expenses incurred in the year ended                     ,         and average net assets for the quarter ended                     ,         .

 

Stockholder Transaction Expenses:

Sales load (as a percentage of offering price)

  [     ]% 

Offering expenses (as a percentage of offering price)

  [     ]% 

Dividend reinvestment plan expenses(1)

  [    

Total stockholder transaction expenses

  [     ]% 

Annual expenses (as a percentage of net assets attributable to common stock):

Management fees(2)

  [     ]% 

Incentive fees payable under investment advisory and management agreement (20% of realized capital gains and 20% of pre-incentive fee net investment income)(3)

  [     ]% 

Interest payments on borrowed funds(4)

  [     ]% 

Other expenses(5)

  [     ]% 

Total annual expenses (2)(5)

  [     ]% 

 

(1) The expenses of the reinvestment plan are included in stock record expenses, a component of “Other expenses.” We do not have a cash purchase plan. The participants in the dividend reinvestment plan will bear a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred with respect to open market purchases, if any. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” in the accompanying prospectus for information on the dividend reinvestment plan.
(2) Our annual base management fee is 2% (0.5% quarterly) of our average gross assets, which are defined as total assets of Gladstone Investment, including investments made with proceeds of borrowings, less any uninvested cash or cash equivalents resulting from borrowings. For the fiscal year ended                     ,         , our Adviser voluntarily agreed to waive the annual base management fee of 2% to [    ]% for those senior syndicated loans that we purchase using borrowings from our credit facility. However, because we held no senior syndicated loans purchased using borrowings under our credit facility during the quarter ended                     ,         , the waiver did not impact our expenses for that period, as reflected in the table above. See “Management — Certain Transactions — Investment Advisory and Management Agreement” in the accompanying prospectus and footnote 3 below.

 

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(3) The incentive fee consists of two parts: an income-based fee and a capital gains-based fee. The income-based fee is payable quarterly in arrears, and equals 20% of the excess, if any, of our pre-incentive fee net investment income that exceeds a 1.75% quarterly ([    ]% annualized) hurdle rate of our net assets, subject to a “catch-up” provision measured as of the end of each calendar quarter. The “catch-up” provision requires us to pay 100% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income with respect to that portion of such income, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 125% of the quarterly hurdle rate (or 2.1875%) in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized). The catch-up provision is meant to provide our Adviser with 20% of our pre-incentive fee net investment income as if a hurdle rate did not apply when our pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds 125% of the quarterly hurdle rate in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized). The income-based incentive fee is computed and paid on income that may include interest that is accrued but not yet received in cash. Our pre-incentive fee net investment income used to calculate this part of the income-based incentive fee is also included in the amount of our gross assets used to calculate the 2% base management fee (see footnote 2 above). The capital gains-based incentive fee equals 20% of our net realized capital gains since our inception, if any, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation since our inception, less any prior payments, and is payable at the end of each fiscal year.

Examples of how the incentive fee would be calculated are as follows:

 

    Assuming pre-incentive fee net investment income of 0.55%, there would be no income-based incentive fee because such income would not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.75%.

 

    Assuming pre-incentive fee net investment income of 2.00%, the income-based incentive fee would be as follows:

= 100% × (2.00% — 1.75%)

= 0.25%

 

    Assuming pre-incentive fee net investment income of 2.30%, the income-based incentive fee would be as follows:

= (100% × (“catch-up”: 2.1875% — 1.75%)) + (20% × (2.30% — 2.1875%))

= (100% × 0.4375%) + (20% × 0.1125%)

= 0.4375% + 0.0225%

= 0.46%

 

    Assuming net realized capital gains of 6% and realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation of 1%, the capital gains-based incentive fee would be as follows:

= 20% × (6% — 1%)

= 20% × 5%

= 1%

For a more detailed discussion of the calculation of the two-part incentive fee, see “Management — Certain Transactions — Investment Advisory and Management Agreement” in the accompanying prospectus.

 

(4) Includes deferred financing costs. We entered into a revolving credit facility, effective                     ,         , under which our borrowing capacity is $[        ] million. We have drawn down on this credit facility and we expect to borrow additional funds in the future up to an amount so that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least 200% after each issuance of our senior securities. Assuming that we borrowed $[        ] million at an interest rate of [    ]% plus an additional fee related to borrowings of [    ]%, for an aggregate rate of [    ]%, interest payments and amortization of deferred financing costs on borrowed funds would have been [    ]% of our average net assets for the quarter ended                     ,         .
(5) Includes our overhead expenses, including payments under the administration agreement based on our projected allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by our Administrator in performing its obligations under the administration agreement. See “Management — Certain Transactions — Administration Agreement” in the accompanying prospectus.

 

S-4


Example

The following examples demonstrate the projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses that would be incurred over various periods with respect to a hypothetical investment in our common stock. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have assumed that our annual operating expenses would remain at the levels set forth in the table above. The examples below and the expenses in the table above should not be considered a representation of our future expenses, and actual expenses (including the cost of debt, incentive fees, if any, and other expenses) may be greater or less than those shown.

 

     1 Year      3 Years      5 Years      10 Years  

You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment:

           

assuming a 5% annual return consisting entirely of ordinary income(1)(2)

   $  [        ]       $  [        ]       $  [        ]       $  [        ]   

assuming a 5% annual return consisting entirely of capital gains(2)(3)

   $  [        ]       $      [        ]       $  [        ]       $  [        ]   

 

(1) While the example assumes, as required by the SEC, a 5% annual return, our performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5%. For purposes of this example, we have assumed that the entire amount of such 5% annual return would constitute ordinary income as we have not historically realized positive capital gains (computed net of all realized capital losses) on our investments. Because the assumed 5% annual return is significantly below the hurdle rate of 7% (annualized) that we must achieve under the investment advisory and management agreement to trigger the payment of an income-based incentive fee, we have assumed, for purposes of the this example, that no income-based incentive fee would be payable if we realized a 5% annual return on our investments.
(2) While the example assumes reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at NAV, participants in our dividend reinvestment plan will receive a number of shares of our common stock, determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to a participant by the market price per share of our common stock at the close of trading on the valuation date for the dividend. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” in the accompanying prospectus for additional information regarding our dividend reinvestment plan.
(3) While the example assumes, as required by the SEC, a 5% annual return, our performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5%. For purposes of this example, we have assumed that the entire amount of such 5% annual return would constitute capital gains.

RISK FACTORS

[To be provided.]

USE OF PROCEEDS

[To be provided.]

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

[To be provided.]

PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DISTRIBUTIONS

We currently intend to distribute in the form of cash dividends, a minimum of 90% of our net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains, if any, on a quarterly basis to our stockholders in the form of monthly dividends. We intend to retain long-term capital gains and treat them as deemed distributions for tax purposes. We report the estimated tax characteristics of each distribution when declared while the actual tax characteristics of distributions are reported annually to each stockholder on IRS Form 1099 — DIV. There is no assurance that we will achieve investment results or maintain a tax status that will permit any specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. At the option of a holder of record of common stock, all cash distributions can be reinvested automatically under our dividend reinvestment plan in additional whole and fractional shares. A stockholder whose shares are held in the name of a broker or other nominee should contact the broker or nominee regarding participation in our dividend reinvestment plan on the stockholder’s behalf. See [“Risk Factors — We will be subject to corporate-level tax if we are unable to satisfy Code requirements for RIC qualification;”] “Dividend Reinvestment Plan;” and “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus.

 

S-5


Our common stock is quoted on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “GAIN.” Our common stock has historically traded at prices both above and below its net asset value. There can be no assurance, however, that any premium to net asset value will be attained or maintained. As of                     ,         , we had [        ] stockholders of record.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

[To be provided.]

LEGAL MATTERS

The legality of securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Bass, Berry & Sims PLC, Nashville, Tennessee. [Certain legal matters will be passed upon for the underwriters by                     .]

 

S-6


LOGO

Gladstone Investment Corporation

        Shares of Common Stock

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

            , 201    

 

S-7