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Cira Centre 2929 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-2808 +1 215 994 4000 Main +1 215 994 2222 Fax www.dechert.com
JAMES A. LEBOVITZ
james.lebovitz@dechert.com +1 215 994 2510 Direct +1 215 655 2510 Fax |
August 6, 2014
VIA EDGAR
James OConnor, Esquire
Senior Counsel
Christina DiAngelo Fettig
Senior Staff Accountant
Division of Investment Management, Disclosure Review Office
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20549
Re: | FS Global Credit Opportunities FundA (File Nos. 333-186414 and 811-22798) |
FS Global Credit Opportunities FundD (File Nos. 333-186413 and 811-22797) |
FS Global Credit Opportunities Fund (File No. 811-22802) |
Dear Mr. OConnor and Ms. Fettig:
On behalf of FS Global Credit Opportunities FundA, FS Global Credit Opportunities FundD (with FS Global Credit Opportunities FundA, each a Company and collectively, the Companies) and FS Global Credit Opportunities Fund (the Fund), set forth below are the Companies and the Funds responses to the comments provided by the staff of the Division of Investment Management (the Staff) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) to the Companies and the Fund in a telephone conversation on August 4, 2014 regarding various filings by the Companies and the Fund, including those on Form N-CSR, Form N-SAR and Form N-Q, as well as regarding Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to FS Global Credit Opportunities FundAs Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-186414 and 811-22798) and Post-Effective Amendment No. 2 to FS Global Credit Opportunities FundDs Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File Nos. 333-186413 and 811-22797) (each a Registration Statement and collectively, the Registration Statements) and the prospectuses (together, the Prospectuses) and statements of additional information included therein and related matters. For your convenience, a summary of the Staffs comments are numbered and presented in bold, italicized text below, and each comment is followed by the Companies and/or the Funds response, as applicable.
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James OConnor, Esq. | |
Christina DiAngelo Fettig | ||
August 6, 2014 | ||
Page 2 |
General Comments
1. In the Companies and the Funds annual reports on Form N-SAR for the annual period ended December 31, 2013, the reports on internal control from the Companies and the Funds independent registered public accounting firm filed as exhibits thereto include the incorrect date. Please refile these exhibits to include the correct date.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies and the Fund will file amendments to their annual reports on Form N-SAR for the annual period ended December 31, 2013 to include the correct date in the reports on internal control from the Companies and the Funds independent registered public accounting firm.
2. Item 4(e)(2) of the Companies and the Funds certified shareholder reports on Form N-CSR for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2013 state that all of the services described in Items 4(b) through (d) of Form N-CSR were approved by the Companies and the Funds audit committees pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. In future filings, please provide the percentage of such services that were approved by the audit committees in this fashion or confirm that no such services were approved by the audit committees in this fashion.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies and the Fund will in future filings provide a percentage of the services described in Items 4(b) through (d) of Form N-CSR that were approved by the audit committees pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X or disclose that no such services were approved by the audit committees in this fashion.
3. The Staff believes that the Fund should have filed a Form N-PX for the period ended June 30, 2013.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Fund will file a Form N-PX for the period ended June 30, 2013 noting that the Fund did not vote any proxies during such period because the Fund had not yet commenced investment operations.
4. Please include the Funds schedule of investments in the Companies future filings on Form N-Q.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies will include in future Form N-Q filings the Funds schedule of investments for the applicable quarterly period.
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James OConnor, Esq. | |
Christina DiAngelo Fettig | ||
August 6, 2014 | ||
Page 3 |
Financial Statements for the Fiscal Period Ended December 31, 2013 and Quarterly Holdings Report for the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2014
5. The Staff notes that the Funds quarterly schedule of portfolio holdings on Form N-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2014 discloses that the Fund sold credit protection under certain credit default swap agreements. Please provide the Funds policy with respect to asset segregation for credit default swaps when selling credit protection.
The Fund segregates cash, cash equivalents or highly-liquid securities with a value equal to the notional amount of protection sold under credit default swap agreements. Such segregation is monitored daily by both the Funds accounting and administrative service provider, State Street Bank and Trust Company (State Street), and personnel of the Funds investment adviser, FS Global Advisor, LLC (FS Global Advisor).
6. The shareholder letters in the Companies annual reports filed as part of their certified shareholder reports on Form N-CSR for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2013 include substantially identical language and portfolio composition information as the shareholder letter in the Funds annual report. In future filings, please consider noting in the Companies shareholder letters that the Companies invest substantially all of their assets in the Fund and that the portfolio composition information is specific to the Fund.
In response to the Staffs comment, each Company will in future filings include clarifying language in its shareholder letter noting that the Company invests substantially all of its assets in the Fund and that the portfolio composition information is specific to the Fund.
7. With respect to the Companies and the Funds statements of operations for the period from January 28, 2013 (Inception) to December 31, 2013, please confirm supplementally whether any individual expenses included in other general and administrative expenses represented five percent or more of gross expenses.
The Companies and the Fund hereby confirm that there were no individual expenses included in other general and administrative expenses that represented five percent or more of gross expenses. The Companies and the Fund also confirm that that they will in future filings include any individual expenses representing five percent or more of gross expenses as a separate line item in their respective statements of operations.
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James OConnor, Esq. | |
Christina DiAngelo Fettig | ||
August 6, 2014 | ||
Page 4 |
8. Please confirm supplementally why the Funds financial statements include additional support payment disclosure separate from the expense reimbursement agreement disclosure. Please also confirm supplementally whether these additional support payments are subject to recoupment by Franklin Square Holdings, L.P. (Franklin Square Holdings).
The Fund respectfully submits that this disclosure was intended to clarify the fact that, due to the limited operations and revenue of the Fund as of December 31, 2013, Franklin Square Holdings was required to provide additional support payments beyond expense reimbursements necessary to ensure that no portion of any ordinary cash distributions made by the Fund was paid from offering proceeds or borrowings. The Fund also confirms that these additional support payments are subject to recoupment by Franklin Square Holdings pursuant to the terms of the expense support and conditional reimbursement agreement, dated as of August 20, 2013, by and between the Fund and Franklin Square Holdings, as the intention of the agreement is to ensure that no portion of the Funds distributions are paid from offering proceeds or borrowings.
9. With respect to footnote 5 to the Companies financial highlights for the period from January 28, 2013 (Inception) to December 31, 2013, the Staff notes that certain other registrants include footnote disclosure regarding how the ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets would be impacted if the Companies proportionate share of the Funds income and expenses were reflected. Please consider including similar disclosure in future filings.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies will consider including similar disclosure in future filings.
10. Section 30(e)(6) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, requires that each annual and semi-annual report to shareholders include a statement of the aggregate dollar amounts of purchases and sales of investment securities, other than government securities, made during the period covered by the report. Please consider including such a statement in the notes to the Funds financial statements in future filings.
The Fund respectfully submits that this information is included in the Funds statement of cash flows; however, the Fund will in future filings include additional language in the notes to its financial statements providing this information.
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James OConnor, Esq. | |
Christina DiAngelo Fettig | ||
August 6, 2014 | ||
Page 5 |
11. Please clarify in future filings that the references to commencement of operations in the notes to the Companies and the Funds financial statements refer to the Companies and the Funds commencement of investment operations.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies and the Fund will clarify in future filings, including Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to each Companys Registration Statement, that commencement of operations refers to commencement of the Companies and the Funds investment operations.
12. Note 4 to the Companies and the Funds financial statements for the period from January 28, 2013 (Inception) to December 31, 2013 discloses that FS Global Advisor agreed to waive reimbursement of 1.5% of the net offering proceeds raised through December 31, 2013. Please confirm supplementally whether FS Global Advisor intends to seek to recoup all offering expenses paid by FS Global Advisor or its affiliates (including those paid as of December 31, 2013 ) and, if so, consider including in future filings an aging schedule of reimbursements subject to recoupment.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies and the Fund confirm that FS Global Advisor will seek to recoup all offering expenses paid by FS Global Advisor or its affiliates since the inception of the Companies and the Fund. However, FS Global Advisor will not seek such recoupment from any net offering proceeds raised prior to December 31, 2013 and will only be entitled to recoup 1.5% of net offering proceeds received after the initial waiver period. Although FS Global Advisor intends to seek recoupment from net offering proceeds received after the initial waiver period, by waiving the recoupment of offering costs from net offering proceeds received during the initial waiver period, FS Global Advisor and its affiliates are potentially foregoing the ability to recoup all of the offering costs they have incurred, as they will only be entitled to recoup a percentage of the marginal offering proceeds received after the initial waiver period. Because the reimbursement of offering costs is based on a percentage of net offering proceeds and the Companies cannot at this time determine when their public offerings will close, the Companies and the Fund respectfully submit that an aging schedule would not be feasible.
In future filings the Companies and the Fund will include on their balance sheets a line item for commitments and contingencies and will parenthetically disclose the amount of offering costs subject to reimbursement.
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James OConnor, Esq. | |
Christina DiAngelo Fettig | ||
August 6, 2014 | ||
Page 6 |
13. To the extent that the Companies or the Fund have any known purchase commitments, please disclose such commitments and book an accrual of the related costs.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies and the Fund confirm that they will disclose any known purchase commitments and book an accrual of the related costs in future filings. As of December 31, 2013, neither the Companies nor the Fund had any known purchase commitments.
14. As the Fund is now operational, please include more detailed disclosure in future filings regarding the factors considered by the Board of Trustees of the Fund in approving the Funds investment advisory agreement and investment sub-advisory agreement.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies and the Fund confirm that they will in future filings include more detailed disclosure regarding the factors considered by the Board of Trustees of the Fund in approving the Funds investment advisory agreement and investment sub-advisory agreement.
Prospectus Cover Pages
15. In the eighth bulleted risk factor on the cover page to each Companys prospectus, please include language stating that future distributions to the Companies and the Funds shareholders may be funded from the reimbursement of certain expenses, including through the waiver of certain investment advisory fees.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies will revise the relevant disclosure as follows:
The Companys and the Funds previous distributions to shareholders were funded in significant part from the reimbursement of certain expenses, including through the waiver of certain investment advisory fees, that are subject to repayment to the Companys and the Funds affiliate, Franklin Square Holdings, L.P. (Franklin Square Holdings), and the Companys and the Funds future distributions may be funded from such waivers or reimbursements. Significant portions of these distributions were not based on the Funds investment performance and such waivers and reimbursements by Franklin Square Holdings may not continue in the future. If Franklin Square Holdings had not agreed to reimburse certain of the Companys or the Funds expenses, including through the waiver of certain advisory fees payable by the Fund, significant portions of the Companys and the Funds distributions would have come from offering proceeds or borrowings. The repayment of any amounts owed to Franklin Square Holdings will reduce the future distributions to which Shareholders would otherwise be entitled.
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James OConnor, Esq. | |
Christina DiAngelo Fettig | ||
August 6, 2014 | ||
Page 7 |
Registration Statements
16. Please include in each Prospectus tables reflecting the expense support payments and additional support payments due from Franklin Square Holdings to the Company and the Fund as of December 31, 2013 that may become subject to reimbursement by the Company or the Fund to Franklin Square Holdings, as are found in Note 4 to the Companies and the Funds financial statements for the period from January 28, 2013 (Inception) to December 31, 2013.
In response to the Staffs comment, each Company will include the relevant tables in its Prospectus.
17. Please include in the Distributions section of each Prospectus a table reflecting the sources of the cash distributions on a tax basis that the Company paid on its common shares during the period from January 28, 2013 (Inception) to December 31, 2013, as is found in Note 5 to the Companies financial statements for the period from January 28, 2013 (Inception) to December 31, 2013.
In response to the Staffs comment, each Company will include the relevant table in the Distributions section of its Prospectus.
18. The Staff notes that as of December 31, 2013, 28% of the Funds total assets were invested in the energy industry. Please confirm supplementally whether the current disclosure for each Company is appropriate given these investments.
In response to the Staffs comment, the Companies and the Fund respectfully note that as of December 31, 2013, the Fund had been in operation for a limited period of time and had a limited amount of assets. As of March 31, 2014, investments in the energy industry represented only 10% of the Funds total assets. While this percentage may decrease as the size of the Funds portfolio grows, the Companies and the Fund respectfully submit that each Prospectus discloses the fact that the Funds portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of portfolio companies and industries. Therefore, the Companies and the Fund respectfully submit that the current disclosure for each Company is appropriate under the circumstances.
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James OConnor, Esq. | |
Christina DiAngelo Fettig | ||
August 6, 2014 | ||
Page 8 |
The Companies and the Fund hereby acknowledge that: (i) should the Commission or the Staff, acting pursuant to delegated authority, declare a filing effective, it does not foreclose the Commission from taking action with the respect to the filing; (ii) the action of the Commission or the Staff, acting pursuant to delegated authority, in declaring a filing effective, does not relieve the Companies and the Fund from their full responsibility for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the respective filing; and (iii) the Companies and the Fund may not assert the action of the Commission or the Staff, acting pursuant to delegated authority, in declaring a filing effective, as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.
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If you have any questions or if you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (215) 994-2510.
Sincerely, |
/s/ James A. Lebovitz |
James A. Lebovitz |
Cc: | Gerald F. Stahlecker | |
Stephen S. Sypherd | ||
FS Global Credit Opportunities FundA | ||
FS Global Credit Opportunities FundD | ||
FS Global Credit Opportunities Fund | ||
David J. Harris | ||
Dechert LLP |
19765281.1.BUSINESS