Item 1. Business

Apollo Investment Corporation

Apollo Investment Corporation (“Apollo Investment,” “Company,” “AIC,” “we,” “us,” and “our”), a Maryland corporation organized on February 2, 2004, is a closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). In addition, for tax purposes we have elected to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”), under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

Our investment objective is to generate current income and capital appreciation. We invest primarily in various forms of debt investments including secured and unsecured debt, loan investments and/or equity in private middle-market companies. We may also invest in the securities of public companies and structured products such as collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs") and credit-linked notes ("CLNs").

Our portfolio is comprised primarily of investments in debt, including secured, and unsecured debt of private U.S. middle-market companies that, in the case of senior secured loans, generally are not broadly syndicated and whose aggregate tranche size is less than $250 million . Our portfolio also includes equity interests such as common stock, preferred stock, warrants or options. In this Form 10-K, we use the term “middle-market” to refer to companies with annual revenues between $50 million and $2 billion . While our investment objective is to generate current income and capital appreciation through investments in U.S. secured and unsecured loans, other debt securities and equity, we may also invest a portion of the portfolio in other investment opportunities, including foreign securities and structured products. Most of the debt instruments we invest in are unrated or rated below investment grade, which is often an indication of size, credit worthiness and speculative nature relative to the capacity of the borrower to pay interest and principal.

Apollo Investment Management, L.P. (“AIM”) is our investment adviser and an affiliate of Apollo Global Management, LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries (“AGM”). AGM and other affiliates manage other funds that may have investment mandates that are similar, in whole or in part, with ours. AIM and its affiliates may determine that an investment is appropriate both for us and for one or more of those other funds. In such event, depending on the availability of such investment and other appropriate factors, AIM may determine that we should invest on a side-by-side basis with one or more other funds. We make all such investments subject to compliance with applicable regulations and interpretations, and our allocation procedures. In certain circumstances negotiated co-investments may be made only if we receive an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. There can be no assurance that any such order will be obtained.

During our fiscal year ended March 31, 2015 , we invested $2.2 billion across 60 new and 47 existing portfolio companies through a combination of primary and secondary debt investments. This compares to $2.8 billion across 81 new and 50 existing portfolio companies for the previous fiscal year ended March 31, 2014 . Investments sold or repaid during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015 totaled $2.3 billion versus $2.3 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014 . The weighted average yields on our secured debt portfolio, unsecured debt portfolio and total debt portfolio as of March 31, 2015 at our current cost basis were 11.2% , 10.9% and 11.2% , respectively. At March 31, 2014 , the yields were 10.8% , 11.5% and 11.1% , respectively.

At March 31, 2015 , our portfolio consisted of 105 portfolio companies and was invested 60% in secured debt, 14% in unsecured debt, 11% in structured products and other, 5% in preferred equity and 10% in common equity and warrants measured at fair value versus 111 portfolio companies invested 56% in secured debt, 27% in unsecured debt, 6% in structured products and other, 3% in preferred equity and 8% in common equity and warrants at March 31, 2014 .

Since the initial public offering of Apollo Investment in April 2004 and through March 31, 2015 , invested capital totaled $15.4 billion in 350 portfolio companies. Over the same period, Apollo Investment completed transactions with more than 100 different financial sponsors.

At March 31, 2015 , 48% or $1.3 billion of our income-bearing investment portfolio is fixed rate debt and 52% or $1.4 billion is floating rate debt, measured at fair value. On a cost basis, 50% or $1.4 billion of our income-bearing investment portfolio is fixed rate debt and 50% or $1.4 billion is floating rate debt. At March 31, 2014 , 58% or $1.7 billion of our income-bearing investment portfolio was fixed rate debt and 42% or $1.3 billion was floating rate debt, measured at fair value. On a cost basis, 58% or $1.7 billion of our income-bearing investment portfolio was fixed rate debt and 42% or $1.2 billion was floating rate debt.

Apollo Investment Management, L.P.

AIM, our investment adviser, is led by John Hannan, James Zelter and Edward Goldthorpe. Potential investment opportunities are generally approved by an investment committee composed of senior personnel across AGM including Mr. Zelter and Mr.

Goldthorpe. The composition of the investment committee and its approval process for the Company’s investments may change from time to time. AIM draws upon AGM’s more than 20 year history and benefits from the broader firm’s significant capital markets, trading and research expertise developed through investments in over 150 companies since inception.

Apollo Investment Administration

In addition to furnishing us with office facilities, equipment, and clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services, Apollo Investment Administration, LLC (“AIA” or “Apollo Administration”), an affiliate of AGM, also oversees our financial records as well as prepares our reports to stockholders and reports filed with the SEC. AIA also performs the calculation and publication of our net asset value, the payment of our expenses and oversees the performance of various third-party service providers and the preparation and filing of our tax returns. Furthermore, AIA provides on our behalf managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which we are required to provide such assistance.

Operating and Regulatory Structure

Our investment activities are managed by AIM and supervised by our board of directors, a majority of whom are independent of AGM and its affiliates. AIM is an investment adviser that is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Under our investment advisory and management agreement, we pay AIM an annual base management fee based on our average gross assets as well as an incentive fee.

As a business development company, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. Also, while we are permitted to finance investments using debt, our ability to use debt is limited in certain significant respects (see Item 1A Risk Factors). We have elected to be treated for federal income tax purposes as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.

Investments

Apollo Investment seeks to create a portfolio that includes primarily debt investments including secured loans, unsecured and mezzanine loans and, to a lesser extent, equity investments by investing, on an individual portfolio company basis, approximately $20 million to $250 million of capital in the securities of U.S. middle-market companies, as well as structured products such as CLOs. The average investment size may vary as the size of our capital base varies. Our target portfolio consists primarily of long-term secured debt, as well as unsecured and mezzanine positions of private middle-market companies. Structurally, unsecured and mezzanine debt usually ranks subordinate in priority of payment to senior debt, such as bank debt, and is characterized as unsecured. As such, other creditors may rank senior to us in the event of an insolvency.

However, unsecured and mezzanine debt ranks senior to common and preferred equity in a borrowers’ capital structure. Unsecured and mezzanine debt may have a fixed or floating interest rate. Additional income can be generated from upfront fees, call protections including call premiums, equity co-investments or warrants. We may also generate revenue in the form of commitment, origination, structuring fees, fees for providing managerial assistance and, if applicable, consulting fees, etc. We may also invest in debt and equity positions of structured products, such as CLOs and CLNs. CLOs and CLNs are a form of securitization in which generally the cash flows of a portfolio of loans are pooled and passed on to different classes of owners in various tranches.

Our principal focus is to provide capital to middle-market companies in a variety of industries. We generally seek to target companies that generate positive free cash flows or that may support debt investments with strong asset coverage, and we may provide debtor-in-possession or reserve financing. Additionally, we may acquire investments in the secondary market if we believe the risk-adjusted returns are attractive.

The following is a representative list of the industries in which we have invested as of March 31, 2015 :

We may also invest in other industries if we are presented with attractive opportunities. In an effort to increase our returns and the number of investments that we can make, we may in the future seek to securitize our debt investments. To securitize debt investments, we may create a wholly owned subsidiary and contribute a pool of loans to the subsidiary. We may sell debt of or interests in the subsidiary on a non-recourse basis to purchasers whom we would expect to be willing to accept a lower interest rate to invest in investment-grade securities. We may use the proceeds of such sales to reduce indebtedness or to fund additional investments. We may also invest through special purpose entities or other arrangements, including total return swaps and repurchase agreements, in order to obtain non-recourse financing or for other purposes.

We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies and in private funds. We may also co-invest on a concurrent basis with affiliates of ours, subject to compliance with applicable regulations and our allocation procedures. Certain types of negotiated co-investments may be made only if we receive an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. There can be no assurance that any such order will be obtained.

Listed below are our top ten portfolio companies and industries based on their fair value and represented as a percentage of the portfolio as of March 31, 2015 and 2014 , measured at fair value:

Listed below is the geographic breakdown of the portfolio based on fair value as of March 31, 2015 and 2014 :

Investment selection & due diligence

We are committed to a value oriented philosophy of, among other things, capital preservation and commit resources to managing risks associated with our investment portfolio. Our investment adviser conducts due diligence on prospective portfolio companies. In conducting its due diligence, our investment adviser uses information provided by the company and its management team, publicly available information, as well as information from their extensive relationships with former and current management teams, consultants, competitors and investment bankers and the direct experience of the senior partners of our affiliates.

Our investment adviser’s due diligence will typically include:

Upon the completion of due diligence and a decision to seek approval for an investment in a company, the professionals leading the proposed investment generally present the investment opportunity to and seek approval from the investment committee, which determines whether to pursue the potential investment. Additional due diligence with respect to any investment may be conducted on our behalf by attorneys and accountants prior to the closing of the investment, as well as other outside advisers, as appropriate.

Investment structure

Once we have determined that a prospective portfolio company is suitable for investment, we work with the management of that company and its other capital providers, including senior, junior and equity capital providers, to structure an investment.

We generally seek to structure our investments as secured loans with a direct lien on the assets or cash flows of the company that provide for increased downside protection in the event of insolvency while maintaining attractive risk-adjusted returns and current

interest income. We generally seek for these secured loans to obtain security interests in the assets of our portfolio companies that serve as collateral in support of the repayment of these loans. This collateral may take the form of first or second priority liens on the assets of a portfolio company. In some cases, we may enter into debt investments that, by their terms, convert into equity or additional debt securities or defer payments (payment-in-kind ("PIK")) of interest after our investment. Also, in some cases our debt investments may be collateralized by a subordinated lien on some or all of the assets of the borrower. Typically, our loans have maturities of three to ten years.

We seek to tailor the terms of our investments to the facts and circumstances of the transaction and the prospective portfolio company, negotiating a structure that protects our rights and manages our risk while creating incentives for the portfolio company to achieve its business plan and improve its profitability. For example, in addition to seeking a senior position in the capital structure of our portfolio companies, we seek to limit the downside potential of our investments by:

We expect to hold most of our investments to maturity or repayment, but we may sell certain of our investments sooner if a liquidity event takes place such as a sale or recapitalization or worsening of credit quality of a portfolio company, among other reasons.

Ongoing relationships with portfolio companies

Monitoring

AIM monitors our portfolio companies on an ongoing basis and also monitors the financial trends of each portfolio company to determine if each is meeting its respective business plans and to assess the appropriate course of action for each company. In addition, senior investment professionals of AIM may take board seats or obtain board observation rights for our portfolio companies.

AIM has several methods of evaluating and monitoring the performance and fair value of our investments, which can include, but are not limited to, the assessment of success of the portfolio company in adhering to its business plan and compliance with covenants; periodic and regular contact with portfolio company management and, if appropriate, the financial or strategic sponsor, to discuss financial position, requirements and accomplishments; comparisons to other portfolio companies in the industry; attendance at and participation in board meetings; and review of monthly and quarterly financial statements and financial projections for portfolio companies.

AIM also uses an investment rating system to characterize and monitor our expected level of returns on each investment in our portfolio. These ratings are just one of several factors that AIM uses to monitor our portfolio, but they are not in and of themselves a determinative of fair value. AIM grades the credit risk of all investments on a scale of 1 to 5 no less frequently than quarterly. This system is intended primarily to reflect the underlying risk of a portfolio investment relative to our initial cost basis in respect of such portfolio investment (i.e., at the time of acquisition), although it may also take into account under certain circumstances the performance of the portfolio company’s business, the collateral coverage of the investment and other relevant factors.

Under this system, investments with a grade of 1 involve the least amount of risk to our initial cost basis. The trends and risk factors for this investment since origination or acquisition are generally favorable, which may include the performance of the portfolio company or a potential exit. Investments graded 2 involve a level of risk to our initial cost basis that is similar to the level of risk underwritten at the time of origination or acquisition. This portfolio company is generally performing in accordance with our analysis of its business and the full return of principal and interest or dividend is expected. Investments graded 3 indicate that the risk to our ability to recoup the cost of such investment has increased since origination or acquisition, but full return of principal and interest or dividend is expected. A portfolio company with an investment grade of 3 requires closer monitoring. Investments graded 4 indicate that the risk to our ability to recoup the cost of such investment has increased significantly since

origination or acquisition, including as a result of factors such as declining performance and noncompliance with debt covenants, and we expect some loss of interest, dividend or capital appreciation, but still expect an overall positive internal rate of return on the investment. Investments graded 5 indicate that the risk to our ability to recoup the cost of such investment has increased materially since origination or acquisition and the portfolio company likely has materially declining performance. Loss of interest or dividend and some loss of principal investment is expected, which would result in an overall negative internal rate of return on the investment. For investments graded 4 or 5, AIM enhances its level of scrutiny over the monitoring of such portfolio company.

AIM monitors and, when appropriate, changes the investment ratings assigned to each investment in our portfolio. In connection with our valuation process, AIM reviews these investment ratings on a quarterly basis, and our audit committee monitors such ratings. It is possible that the grade of certain of these portfolio investments may be reduced or increased over time.

Managerial assistance

As a BDC, we must offer, and must provide upon request, significant managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies. This assistance could involve, among other things, monitoring the operations of our portfolio companies, participating in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising officers of portfolio companies and providing other organizational and financial guidance. We may receive fees for these services.

Valuation Process

The following is a description of the steps we take each quarter to determine the value of our portfolio. Our portfolio of investments is recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors pursuant to a written valuation policy and a consistently applied valuation process utilizing the input of our investment adviser, independent valuation firms, third party pricing services and the audit committee. Since this process necessarily involves the use of judgment and the engagement of independent valuation firms, there is no certainty as to the value of our portfolio investments. Investments for which market quotations are readily available are recorded in our financial statements at such market quotations if they are deemed to represent fair value. Market quotations may be deemed not to represent fair value where AIM believes that facts and circumstances applicable to an issuer, a seller or purchaser or the market for a particular security causes current market quotes not to reflect the fair value of the security, among other reasons. Examples of these events could include cases in which material events are announced after the close of the market on which a security is primarily traded, when a security trades infrequently causing a quoted purchase or sale price to become stale or in the event of a “fire sale” by a distressed seller.

With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available or when such market quotations are deemed not to represent fair value, our board of directors has approved a multi-step valuation process each quarter, as described below:

(1) our quarterly valuation process begins with each portfolio company or investment being initially valued by the investment professionals of our investment adviser responsible for the portfolio investment;

(2) preliminary valuation conclusions are then documented and discussed with senior management of our investment adviser;

(3) independent valuation firms are engaged by our board of directors to conduct independent appraisals by reviewing our investment adviser’s preliminary valuations and then making their own independent assessment;

(4) the audit committee of the board of directors reviews the preliminary valuation of our investment adviser and the valuation prepared by the independent valuation firm and responds to the valuation recommendation of the independent valuation firm to reflect any comments; and

(5) the board of directors discusses valuations and determines in good faith the fair value of each investment in our portfolio based on the input of our investment adviser, the applicable independent valuation firm, third party pricing services and the audit committee.

In addition, some of our investments provide for PIK interest or dividends. Such amounts of accrued PIK interest or dividends are added to the cost of the investment on the respective capitalization dates and generally become due at maturity of the investment or upon the investment being called by the issuer. Upon capitalization, PIK is subject to the fair value estimates associated with their related investments.

Competition

Our primary competitors in providing financing to middle-market companies include public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, other BDCs or hedge funds, and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Some of our existing and potential competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances

or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC or the restrictions that the Code imposes on us as a RIC. We also expect to use the industry information of AGM’s investment professionals to which we have access to assess investment risks and determine appropriate pricing for our investments in portfolio companies. In addition, we believe that the relationships of the senior managers of AIM and those of our affiliates enable us to learn about, and compete effectively for, financing opportunities with attractive middle-market companies in the industries in which we seek to invest.

Staffing

The Company has no employees. All of the services we utilize are provided by third parties. Our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and additional personnel assisting them in such functions are employees of AIA and perform their respective functions under the terms of the administration agreement with AIA. Certain of our other executive officers are managing partners of our investment adviser. Our day-to-day investment operations are managed by our investment adviser, which draws on the broader capabilities of the Opportunistic Credit segment of AGM’s credit business. We generally reimburse AIA for our allocable portion of expenses incurred by it in performing its obligations under the administration agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the cost of our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary and their respective staffs, valuation services, middle office and internal audit.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 imposes a wide variety of regulatory requirements on publicly-held companies and their insiders. Many of these requirements affect us. For example:

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires us to review our current policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We will continue to monitor our compliance with all regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and will take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.

You may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549, on official business days during the hours of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that site is http://www.sec.gov .

Our internet address is www.apolloic.com . We make available free of charge on our website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this annual report on Form 10-K, and you should not consider information contained on our website to be part of this annual report on Form 10-K.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Investing in Apollo Investment involves a number of significant risks related to our business, structure, investments and investment in our common stock. As a result, there can be no assurance that we will achieve our investment objective. You should carefully consider the risks described below, together with all of the other information included in this report, before you decide whether to invest in Apollo Investment. The risks set forth below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and/or operating results.

CERTAIN RISKS IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

Capital markets may experience periods of disruption and instability. Such market conditions may materially and adversely affect debt and equity capital markets in the United States and abroad, which may have a negative impact on our business and operations.

From time to time, capital markets may experience periods of disruption and instability. For example, between 2007 and 2009, the global capital markets experienced an extended period of disruption as evidenced by a lack of liquidity in the debt capital markets, write-offs in the financial services sector, the re-pricing of credit risk and the failure of certain major financial institutions. Despite actions of the United States, federal government and foreign governments, these events contributed to worsening general economic conditions that materially and adversely impacted the broader financial and credit markets and reduced the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole and financial services firms in particular. While the adverse effects of these conditions have abated to a degree, global financial markets experienced significant volatility following the downgrade by Standard & Poor’s on August 5, 2011 of the long-term credit rating of U.S. Treasury debt from AAA to AA+. During such market disruptions, we may have difficulty raising debt or equity capital especially as a result of regulatory constraints. There can be no assurance that adverse market conditions will not repeat themselves or worsen in the future.

Market conditions may in the future make it difficult to extend the maturity of or refinance our existing indebtedness, including the final maturity of our senior secured credit facility in April 2020, and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if required. As a result, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we have recorded our investments.

Given the extreme volatility and dislocation that the capital markets have historically experienced, many BDCs have faced, and may in the future face, a challenging environment in which to raise capital. We may in the future have difficulty accessing debt and equity capital, and a severe disruption in the global financial markets or deterioration in credit and financing conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, significant changes in the capital markets, including the extreme volatility and disruption, have had, and may in the future have, a negative effect on the valuations of our investments and on the potential for liquidity events involving our investments. An inability to raise capital, and any required sale of our investments for liquidity purposes, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations. AIM does not know how long the financial markets will continue to be affected by these events and cannot predict the effects of these or similar events in the future on the United States economy and securities markets or on our investments. AIM monitors developments and seeks to manage our investments in a manner consistent with achieving our investment objective, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful in doing so; and AIM may not timely anticipate or manage existing, new or additional risks, contingencies or developments, including regulatory developments in the current or future market environment.

Price declines and illiquidity in the corporate debt markets have adversely affected, and may in the future adversely affect, the fair value of our portfolio investments, reducing our net asset value through increased net unrealized depreciation .

As a business development company, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors. Decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments are recorded as unrealized depreciation, which reduces our net asset value. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may suffer additional unrealized losses in future periods, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Uncertainty about the financial stability of the United States and of several countries in the European Union (EU) could have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Due to federal budget deficit concerns, S&P downgraded the federal government's credit rating from AAA to AA+ for the first time in history on August 5, 2011. Further, Moody's and Fitch had warned that they may downgrade the federal government's credit rating. Further downgrades or warnings by S&P or other rating agencies, and the United States government's credit and deficit concerns in general, could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact both the perception of credit risk associated with our debt portfolio and our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. In addition, a decreased U.S. government credit rating could create broader financial turmoil and uncertainty, which may weigh heavily on our financial performance and the value of our common stock.

In 2010, a financial crisis emerged in Europe, triggered by high budget deficits and rising direct and contingent sovereign debt in Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, which created concerns about the ability of these nations to continue to service their sovereign debt obligations. While the financial stability of such countries has improved significantly, risks resulting from any future debt crisis in Europe or any similar crisis could have a detrimental impact on the global economic recovery, sovereign and

non-sovereign debt in these countries and the financial condition of European financial institutions. Market and economic disruptions have affected, and may in the future affect, consumer confidence levels and spending, personal bankruptcy rates, levels of incurrence and default on consumer debt and home prices, among other factors. We cannot assure you that market disruptions in Europe, including the increased cost of funding for certain governments and financial institutions, will not impact the global economy, and we cannot assure you that assistance packages will be available, or if available, be sufficient to stabilize countries and markets in Europe or elsewhere affected by a financial crisis. To the extent uncertainty regarding any economic recovery in Europe negatively impacts consumer confidence and consumer credit factors, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be significantly and adversely affected.

In October 2014, the Federal Reserve announced that it was concluding its bond-buying program, or quantitative easing, which was designed to stimulate the economy and expand the Federal Reserve's holdings of long-term securities, suggesting that key economic indicators, such as the unemployment rate, had showed signs of improvement since the inception of the program. It is unclear what effect, if any, the conclusion of the Federal Reserve's bond-buying program will have on the value of our investments. However, it is possible that, without quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve, these developments, along with the United States government's credit and deficit concerns and the European sovereign debt crisis, could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. Additionally, in January 2015, the Federal Reserve reaffirmed its view that the current target range for the federal funds rate was appropriate based on current economic conditions. However, if key economic indicators, such as the unemployment rate or inflation, do not progress at a rate consistent with the Federal Reserve's objectives, the target range for the federal funds rate may increase and cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms.

Rising interest rates may adversely affect the value of our portfolio investments which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our debt investments may be based on floating rates, such as London Interbank Offer Rate (“LIBOR”), EURIBOR, the Federal Funds Rate or the Prime Rate. General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments, the value of our common stock and our rate of return on invested capital. A reduction in the interest rates on new investments relative to interest rates on current investments could also have an adverse impact on our net interest income. An increase in interest rates could decrease the value of any investments we hold which earn fixed interest rates, including subordinated loans, senior and junior secured and unsecured debt securities and loans and high yield bonds, and also could increase our interest expense, thereby decreasing our net income. Also, an increase in interest rates available to investors could make investment in our common stock less attractive if we are not able to increase our dividend rate, which could reduce the value of our common stock.

Because we have borrowed money, and may issue preferred stock to finance investments, our net investment income depends, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay distributions on preferred stock and the rate that our investments yield. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.

You should also be aware that a change in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to a change in the interest rate we receive on many of our debt investments. Accordingly, a change in the interest rate could make it easier for us to meet or exceed the performance threshold and may result in a substantial increase in the amount of incentive fees payable to our investment adviser with respect to the portion of the incentive fee based on income.

Risks Associated with Recent Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") Actions

AIM has claimed relief available under a no-action letter (“Letter 12-40”) issued by the staff of the CFTC. Letter 12-40 relieves AIM from registering with the CFTC as the commodity pool operator (“CPO”) of AIC, provided that AIC (i) continues to be regulated by the SEC as a business development company, (ii) allocates no more than a designated percentage of its liquidation value to futures contracts, certain swap contracts and certain other derivative instruments that are within the jurisdiction of the Commodity Exchange Act (collectively, “CEA-regulated products”), and (iii) is not marketed to the public as a commodity pool or as a vehicle for trading in CEA-regulated products. If AIC can no longer satisfy the conditions of Letter 12-40, AIM could be subject to the CFTC’s CPO registration requirements, and the disclosure and operations of AIC would need to comply with all applicable regulations governing commodity pools and CPOs. If AIM were required to register as a CPO, it would also be required to become a member of the National Futures Association (“NFA”) and be subject to the NFA’s rules and bylaws. Compliance with these additional registration and regulatory requirements may increase AIM’s operating expenses, which, in turn, could result in AIC’s investors being charged additional fees.

The continued uncertainty related to the sustainability and pace of economic recovery in the U.S. and globally could have a negative impact on our business.

Apollo Investment’s business is directly influenced by the economic cycle, and could be negatively impacted by a downturn in economic activity in the US as well as globally. Fiscal and monetary actions taken by U.S. and non-U.S. government and regulatory authorities could have a material adverse impact on our business.

RISKS RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS AND STRUCTURE

We may suffer credit losses.

Investment in small and middle-market companies is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk of credit loss. These risks are likely to increase during volatile economic periods, as the U.S. and many other economies have experienced. See “Risks Related to Our Investments.”

We are dependent upon Apollo Investment Management’s key personnel for our future success and upon their access to AGM’s investment professionals and partners.

We depend on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the senior management of AIM specifically and AGM generally. Members of our senior management may depart at any time. We also depend, to a significant extent, on AIM’s access to the investment professionals and partners of AGM and the information and deal flow generated by the AGM investment professionals in the course of their investment and portfolio management activities. The senior management of AIM evaluates, negotiates, structures, closes and monitors our investments. Our future success depends on the continued service of senior members of AGM’s credit platform, including the senior management team of AIM. The departure of our senior management, any senior managers of AIM, or of a significant number of the investment professionals or partners of AGM, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective. In addition, we can offer no assurance that AIM will remain our investment adviser or that we will continue to have access to AGM’s partners and investment professionals or its information and deal flow.

Our financial condition and results of operations depend on our ability to manage future growth effectively.

Our ability to achieve our investment objective depends, in part, on our ability to grow, which depends, in turn, on AIM’s ability to identify, invest in and monitor companies that meet our investment criteria. Accomplishing this result on a cost-effective basis is largely a function of AIM’s structuring of the investment process, its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient services to us and our access to financing on acceptable terms. The senior management team of AIM has substantial responsibilities under the investment advisory and management agreement, and with respect to certain members, in connection with their roles as officers of other AGM funds.

They may also be called upon to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies. These demands on their time may distract them or slow the rate of investment. In order to grow, we and AIM need to hire, train, supervise and manage new employees. Any failure to manage our future growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities.

A number of entities compete with us to make the types of investments that we make. We compete with public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, other BDCs and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Competition for investment opportunities intensifies from time to time and may intensify further in the future. Some of our existing and potential competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions and valuation requirements that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC and that the Code imposes on us as a RIC. We cannot assure you that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, as a result of this existing and potentially increasing competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time, and we can offer no assurance that we will be able to identify and make investments that are consistent with our investment objective.

We do not seek to compete primarily based on the interest rates we offer, and we believe that some of our competitors make loans with interest rates that are comparable to or lower than the rates we offer.

We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may experience decreased net interest income and increased risk of credit loss.

Any failure on our part to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility.

If we do not remain a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would subject us to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act and correspondingly decrease our operating flexibility.

We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC.

To qualify as a RIC under the Code, we must meet certain source-of-income, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. The annual distribution requirement for a RIC generally is satisfied if we distribute at least 90% of our “investment company taxable income” (generally, our ordinary income and the excess, if any, of our net short-term capital gains over our net long-term capital losses), if any, to our stockholders on an annual basis. To the extent we use debt financing, we are subject to certain asset coverage ratio requirements and other financial covenants under loan and credit agreements, and could in some circumstances also become subject to such requirements under the 1940 Act, that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to qualify as a RIC. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify as a RIC and, thus, may be subject to corporate-level income tax. To qualify as a RIC, we must also meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each calendar quarter. Failure to meet these tests may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments are in private companies, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and may result in substantial losses. If we fail to qualify as a RIC for any reason and become subject to corporate-level income tax, the resulting corporate-level taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on us and our stockholders.

To qualify again to be taxed as a RIC in a subsequent year, we would be required to distribute to our stockholders our earnings and profits attributable to non-RIC years reduced by an interest charge on 50% of such earnings and profits payable by us to the IRS. In addition, if we failed to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, then we would be required to elect to recognize and pay tax on any net built-in gain (the excess of aggregate gain, including items of income, over aggregate loss that would have been realized if we had been liquidated) or, alternatively, be subject to taxation on such built-in gain recognized for a period of ten years, in order to qualify as a RIC in a subsequent year.

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as original issue discount, which may arise if, for example, we receive warrants in connection with the making of a loan or payment-in-kind interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and typically due at the end of the loan term or possibly in other circumstances. Such original issue discount is included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments and could be significant relative to our overall investment activities. Loans structured with these features may represent a higher level of credit risk than loans the interest on which must be paid in cash at regular intervals. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we do not receive in cash.

The incentive fee payable by us that relates to our net investment income is computed and paid on income that may include some interest that has been accrued but not yet received in cash. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan, it is possible that accrued interest previously used in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible. Consequently, while we may make incentive fee payments on income accruals that we may not collect in the future and with respect to which we do not have a formal clawback right against our investment adviser per se, the amount of accrued income written off in any period will reduce the income in the period in which such write-off was taken and thereby reduce such period’s incentive fee payment. For the period between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2015, the portion of the incentive fee that is attributable to deferred interest, such as PIK income, will not be paid to AIM until the Company receives such deferred interest in cash. The accrual of incentive fees shall be reversed if such interest is reversed in connection with any write-off or similar treatment of the investment.

Since in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the tax requirement to distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income to maintain our status as a RIC. Accordingly, we may have to sell some of our investments at times we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investment originations in order to meet distribution and/or leverage requirements.

Regulations governing our operation as a BDC affect our ability to, and the way in which we raise, additional capital.

We may issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we are permitted, as a BDC, to issue senior securities only in amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to maintain asset coverage above the 200% level. If that happens, the contractual arrangements governing these securities may require us to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our leverage, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous.

BDCs may issue and sell common stock at a price below net asset value per share only in limited circumstances, one of which is during the one-year period after stockholder approval. In the past, our stockholders have approved a plan so that during the subsequent 12 month period we could, in one or more public or private offerings of our common stock, sell or otherwise issue shares of our common stock at a price below the then current net asset value per share, subject to certain conditions including parameters on the level of permissible dilution, approval of the sale by a majority of our independent directors and a requirement that the sale price be not less than approximately the market price of the shares of our common stock at specified times, less the expenses of the sale. We may in the future seek to renew such authority on terms and conditions set forth in the corresponding proxy statement. There is no assurance such approvals will be obtained.

In the event we sell, or otherwise issue, shares of our common stock at a price below net asset value per share, existing stockholders will experience net asset value dilution and the investors who acquire shares in such offering may thereafter experience the same type of dilution from subsequent offerings at a discount. For example, if we sell an additional 10% of our common shares at a 5% discount from net asset value, a stockholder who does not participate in that offering for its proportionate interest will suffer net asset value dilution of up to 0.5% or $5 per $1000 of net asset value.

In addition to issuing securities to raise capital as described above, we may in the future securitize our loans to generate cash for funding new investments. To securitize loans, we may create a wholly-owned subsidiary, contribute a pool of loans to the subsidiary and have the subsidiary issue primarily investment grade debt securities to purchasers who we would expect would be willing to accept a substantially lower interest rate than the loans earn. We would retain all or a portion of the equity in the securitized pool of loans. Our retained equity would be exposed to any losses on the portfolio of loans before any of the debt securities would be exposed to such losses. An inability to successfully securitize our loan portfolio could limit our ability to grow our business and fully execute our business strategy and adversely affect our earnings, if any. Moreover, the successful securitization of our loan portfolio might expose us to losses as the residual loans in which we do not sell interests will tend to be those that are riskier and more apt to generate losses.

We currently use borrowed funds to make investments and are exposed to the typical risks associated with leverage.

We are exposed to increased risk of loss due to our use of debt to make investments. A decrease in the value of our investments will have a greater negative impact on the value of our common stock than if we did not use debt. Our ability to pay dividends will be restricted if we fail to satisfy certain of our asset coverage ratios and other financial covenants and any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness are not available for dividends to our common stockholders.

The agreements governing certain of our debt instruments require us to comply with certain financial and operational covenants. These covenants require us to, among other things, maintain certain financial ratios, including asset coverage and minimum stockholders’ equity. As of March 31, 2015 , we were in compliance with these covenants. However, our continued compliance with these covenants depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control. In the event of deterioration in the capital markets and pricing levels subsequent to this period, net unrealized loss in our portfolio may increase in the future. Absent an amendment to our revolving credit facility, continued unrealized loss in our investment portfolio could result in non-compliance with certain covenants.

Accordingly, there are no assurances that we will continue to comply with these covenants. Failure to comply with these covenants would result in a default which, if we were unable to obtain a waiver from the debt holders, could accelerate repayment under the instruments and thereby have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay dividends.

Our current and future debt securities are and may be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. We, and indirectly our stockholders, bear the cost of issuing and servicing such securities. Our currently outstanding convertible securities have, and any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common stock.

We fund a portion of our investments with borrowed money, which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.

Borrowings and other types of financing, also known as leverage, magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and, therefore, increase the risks associated with investing in our securities. Our lenders and debt holders have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders or any preferred stockholders. If the value of our assets increases, then leveraging would cause the net asset value to increase more sharply than it would have had we not leveraged. Conversely, if the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of consolidated interest payable on the borrowed funds would cause our net income to increase more than it would without the leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not borrowed. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make common stock dividend payments. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique.

We may in the future determine to fund a portion of our investments with preferred stock, which would magnify the potential for gain or loss and the risks of investing in us in the same way as our borrowings.

Preferred stock, which is another form of leverage, has the same risks to our common stockholders as borrowings because the dividends on any preferred stock we issue must be cumulative. Payment of such dividends and repayment of the liquidation preference of such preferred stock must take preference over any dividends or other payments to our common stockholders, and preferred stockholders are not subject to any of our expenses or losses and are not entitled to participate in any income or appreciation in excess of their stated preference.

Changes in interest rates may affect our cost of capital and net investment income.

Because we borrow money, and may issue preferred stock to finance investments, our net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay dividends on preferred stock and the rate at which we invest these funds. As a result, we can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds would increase except to the extent we have issued fixed rate debt or preferred stock, which could reduce our net investment income. Our long-term fixed-rate investments are financed primarily with equity and long-term debt. We may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. Such techniques may include various interest rate hedging activities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and applicable commodities laws. Interest rate hedging activities do not protect against credit risk. We have analyzed the potential impact of changes in interest rates on interest income net of interest expense. Assuming no changes to our balance sheet as of March 31, 2015 , a hypothetical one percent increase in London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) on our floating rate assets and liabilities would decrease our earnings by approximately less than 1 cent per average share over the next twelve months. Assuming no changes to our balance sheet as of March 31, 2015 , a hypothetical two percent increase in LIBOR on our floating rate assets and liabilities would increase our earnings by two cents per average share over the next twelve months. Assuming no changes to our balance sheet as of March 31, 2015 , a hypothetical three percent increase in LIBOR on our floating rate assets and liabilities would increase our earnings by approximately six cents per average share over the next twelve months. Assuming no changes to our balance sheet as of March 31, 2015 , a hypothetical four percent increase in LIBOR on our floating rate assets and liabilities would increase our earnings by approximately nine cents per average share over the next twelve months. In addition, we believe that our interest rate matching strategy and our ability to hedge mitigates the effects any changes in interest rates may have on our investment income. Although management believes that this is indicative of our sensitivity to interest rate changes, it does not adjust for potential changes in credit quality, size and composition of the assets on the balance sheet and other business developments that could affect net increase or decrease in net assets resulting from operations, or net income. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that actual results would not differ materially from the potential outcome simulated by this estimate.

A portion of our floating rate investments may include features such as LIBOR floors. To the extent we invest in credit instruments with LIBOR floors, we may lose some of the benefits of incurring leverage. Specifically, if we issue preferred stock or debt (or otherwise borrow money), our costs of leverage will increase as rates increase. However, we may not benefit from the higher coupon payments resulting from increased interest rates if our investments in LIBOR floors and rates do not rise to levels above the LIBOR floors. In this situation, we will experience increased financing costs without the benefit of receiving higher income. This in turn may result in the potential for a decrease in the level of income available for dividends or distributions made by us.

You should also be aware that a change in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to a change in the interest rates we receive on many of our debt investments. Accordingly, a change in interest rates could make it easier for us to meet or exceed the performance threshold and may result in a substantial increase in the amount of incentive fees payable to our investment adviser with respect to pre-incentive fee net investment income.

Our business requires a substantial amount of capital to grow because we must distribute most of our income.

Our business requires a substantial amount of capital. We have issued equity securities and have borrowed from financial institutions. A reduction in the availability of new capital could limit our ability to grow. We must distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income to maintain our regulated investment company status. As a result, any such cash earnings may not be available to fund investment originations. We expect to continue to borrow from financial institutions and issue additional debt and equity securities. If we fail to obtain funds from such sources or from other sources to fund our investments, it could limit our ability to grow, which may have an adverse effect on the value of our securities. In addition, as a BDC, our ability to borrow or issue additional preferred stock may be restricted if our total assets are less than 200% of our total borrowings and preferred stock.

Many of our portfolio investments are recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors and, as a result, there is uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.

A large percentage of our portfolio investments are not publicly traded. The fair value of these investments may not be readily determinable. We value these investments quarterly at fair value (based on ASC 820, its corresponding guidance and the principal markets in which these investments trade) as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors pursuant to a written valuation policy and a consistently applied valuation process utilizing the input of our investment adviser, independent valuation firms, third party pricing services and the audit committee. Our board of directors utilizes the services of independent valuation firms to aid it in determining the fair value of these investments. The types of factors that may be considered in fair value pricing of these investments include the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to more liquid securities, indices and other market-related inputs, discounted cash flow, our principal market and other relevant factors. For these securities for which a quote is either not readily available or deemed not to represent fair value, we utilize independent valuation firms to assist with valuation of these level 3 investments. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a readily available market for these investments existed and may differ materially from the amounts we realize on any disposition of such investments. Our net asset value could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of these investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such investments.

In addition, decreases in the market values or fair values of our investments are recorded as unrealized loss. Unprecedented declines in prices and liquidity in the corporate debt markets have resulted in significant net unrealized loss in our portfolio in the past. The effect of all of these factors on our portfolio has reduced our NAV by increasing net unrealized loss in our portfolio. Depending on market conditions, we could incur substantial realized losses and may continue to suffer additional unrealized losses in future periods, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The lack of liquidity in our investments may adversely affect our business.

We generally make investments in private companies. Substantially all of these securities are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than publicly traded securities. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need arises. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we have previously recorded our investments. In addition, we may face other restrictions on our ability to liquidate an investment in a portfolio company to the extent that we or an affiliated manager of AGM has material non-public information regarding such portfolio company.

We may experience fluctuations in our periodic results.

We could experience fluctuations in our periodic operating results due to a number of factors, including the interest rates payable on the debt securities we acquire, the default rate on such securities, the level of our expenses (including the interest rates payable on our borrowings), the dividend rates on preferred stock we issue, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.

We are prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with certain of our affiliates without the prior approval of our independent directors and, in some cases, of the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities will be our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act and we are generally prohibited from buying or selling any security (other than our securities) from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of our independent directors. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or different times), without prior approval of our independent directors and,

in some cases, of the SEC. We are prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any person who owns more than 25% of our voting securities or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC through an exemptive order (other than in certain limited situations pursuant to current regulatory guidance). The analysis of whether a particular transaction constitutes a joint transaction requires a review of the relevant facts and circumstances then existing. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates.

We have applied for an exemptive order from the SEC that would permit us and certain of our affiliates, including investment funds managed by our affiliates, to co-invest. Any such order will be subject to certain terms and conditions and there can be no assurance that such order will be granted by the SEC. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we or our affiliates, including investment funds managed by our affiliates, will be permitted to co-invest, other than in the limited circumstances currently permitted by regulatory guidance or in the absence of a joint transaction.

There are significant potential conflicts of interest which could adversely affect our investment returns.

Allocation of Personnel

Potential investment opportunities are generally approved by an investment committee composed of senior personnel across AGM including Mr. Zelter and Mr. Goldthorpe. Our executive officers and directors, and the partners of our investment adviser, AIM, serve or may serve as officers, directors or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do or of investment funds managed by our affiliates. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders. Moreover, we note that, notwithstanding the difference in principal investment objectives between us and other AGM funds, such other AGM sponsored funds, including new affiliated potential pooled investment vehicles or managed accounts not yet established (whether managed or sponsored by AGM or AIM itself), have and may from time to time have overlapping investment objectives with us and, accordingly, invest in, whether principally or secondarily, asset classes similar to those targeted by us. To the extent such other investment vehicles have overlapping investment objectives, the scope of opportunities otherwise available to us may be adversely affected and/or reduced. As a result, certain partners of AIM may face conflicts in their time management and commitments as well as in the allocation of investment opportunities to other AGM funds. In addition, in the event such investment opportunities are allocated among us and other investment vehicles managed or sponsored by, or affiliated with, AIM our desired investment portfolio may be adversely affected. Although AIM endeavors to allocate investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in certain investments made by investment funds managed by AIM or investment managers affiliated with AIM.

No Information Barriers

There are no information barriers amongst AGM and certain of its affiliates. If AIM were to receive material non-public information about a particular company, or have an interest in investing in a particular company, AGM or certain of its affiliates may be prevented from investing in such company. Conversely, if AGM or certain of its affiliates were to receive material non-public information about a particular company, or have an interest in investing in a particular company, we may be prevented from investing in such company.

This risk may affect us more than it does other investment vehicles, as AIM generally does not use information barriers that many firms implement to separate persons who make investment decisions from others who might possess material, non-public information that could influence such decisions. AIM’s decision not to implement these barriers could prevent its investment professionals from undertaking certain transactions such as advantageous investments or dispositions that would be permissible for them otherwise. In addition, AIM could in the future decide to establish information barriers, particularly as its business expands and diversifies.

Co-Investment Activity and Allocation of Investment Opportunities

AGM and its affiliated investment managers, including AIM, may determine that an investment is appropriate both for us and for one or more other funds. In such event, depending on the availability of such investment and other appropriate factors, AIM may determine that we should invest on a side-by-side basis with one or more other funds. We may make all such investments subject to compliance with applicable regulations and interpretations, and our allocation procedures. In certain circumstances negotiated co-investments may be made only if we receive an order from the SEC permitting us to do so. There can be no assurance that any such order will be obtained.

AGM has adopted allocation procedures that are intended to ensure that each fund or account managed by AGM or certain of its affiliates (“Apollo-advised funds”) is treated in a manner that, over time, is fair and equitable. Allocations generally are made pro rata based on order size. In certain circumstances, the allocation policy provides for the allocation of investments pursuant to a

predefined arrangement that is other than pro rata. As a result, in situations where a security is appropriate for us but is limited in availability, we may receive a lower allocation than may be desired by our portfolio managers or no allocation if it is determined that the investment is more appropriate for a different Apollo-advised fund because of its investment mandate. Investment opportunities may be allocated on a basis other than pro rata to the extent it is done in good faith and does not, or is not reasonably expected to, result in an improper disadvantage or advantage to one participating Apollo-advised fund as compared to another participating Apollo-advised fund.

In the event investment opportunities are allocated among us and other Apollo-advised funds, we may not be able to structure our investment portfolio in the manner desired. Although AGM endeavors to allocate investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner, it is possible that we may not be given the opportunity to participate in certain investments made by other Apollo-advised funds or portfolio managers affiliated with AIM. Furthermore, we and the other Apollo-advised funds may make investments in securities where the prevailing trading activity may make impossible the receipt of the same price or execution on the entire volume of securities purchased or sold by us and such other Apollo-advised funds. When this occurs, the various prices may be averaged, and we will be charged or credited with the average price. Thus, the effect of the aggregation may operate on some occasions to our disadvantage. In addition, under certain circumstances, we may not be charged the same commission or commission equivalent rates in connection with a bunched or aggregated order.

It is possible that other Apollo-advised funds may make investments in the same or similar securities at different times and on different terms than we do. From time to time, we and the other Apollo-advised funds may make investments at different levels of an issuer’s capital structure or otherwise in different classes of an issuer’s securities. Such investments may inherently give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest between or among the various classes of securities that may be held by such entities. Conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions regarding us may benefit such other Apollo-advised funds. For example, the sale of a long position or establishment of a short position by us may impair the price of the same security sold short by (and therefore benefit) one or more Apollo-advised funds, and the purchase of a security or covering of a short position in a security by us may increase the price of the same security held by (and therefore benefit) one or more Apollo-advised funds. In these circumstances AIM and its affiliates will seek to resolve each conflict in a manner that is fair to the various clients involved in light of the totality of the circumstances. In some cases the resolution may not be in our best interests.

AGM and its clients may pursue or enforce rights with respect to an issuer in which we have invested, and those activities may have an adverse effect on us. As a result, prices, availability, liquidity and terms of our investments may be negatively impacted by the activities of AGM or its clients, and transactions for us may be impaired or effected at prices or terms that may be less favorable than would otherwise have been the case.

Fees and Expenses

In the course of our investing activities, we pay management and incentive fees to AIM, and reimburse AIM for certain expenses it incurs. As a result, investors in our common stock invest on a “gross” basis and receive distributions on a “net” basis after expenses, resulting in, among other things, a lower rate of return than one might achieve through direct investments. As a result of this arrangement, there may be times when the management team of AIM has interests that differ from those of our common stockholders, giving rise to a conflict.

AIM receives a quarterly incentive fee based, in part, on our pre-incentive fee income, if any, for the immediately preceding calendar quarter. This incentive fee will not be payable to AIM unless the pre-incentive net investment income exceeds the performance threshold. To the extent we or AIM are able to exert influence over our portfolio companies, the quarterly pre-incentive fee may provide AIM with an incentive to induce our portfolio companies to prepay interest or other obligations in certain circumstances.

Allocation of Expenses

We have entered into a royalty-free license agreement with AGM, pursuant to which AGM has agreed to grant us a non-exclusive license to use the name “Apollo.” Under the license agreement, we have the right to use the “Apollo” name for so long as AIM or one of its affiliates remains our investment adviser. In addition, we rent office space from AIA, an affiliate of AIM, and pay AIA our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by AIA in performing its obligations under the administration agreement, including our allocable portion of the cost of our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer and their respective staffs, which can create conflicts of interest that our board of directors must monitor.

In the past following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has, from time to time, been brought against that company.

If our stock price fluctuates significantly, we may be the target of securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.

To the extent original issue discount ("OID") and PIK interest constitute a portion of our income, we will be exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash representing such income.

Our investments may include original issue discount, or OID, instruments and payment in kind, or PIK, interest arrangements, which represents contractual interest added to a loan balance and due at the end of such loan’s term. To the extent OID or PIK interest constitute a portion of our income, we are exposed to typical risks associated with such income being required to be included in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:

Changes in the laws or regulations governing our business or the businesses of our portfolio companies and any failure by us or our portfolio companies to comply with these laws or regulations, could negatively affect the profitability of our operations or of our portfolio companies.

We are subject to changing rules and regulations of federal and state governments, as well as the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed. These entities, including the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the SEC and The NASDAQ Global Select Market, have issued a significant number of new and increasingly complex requirements and regulations over the course of the last several years and continue to develop additional regulations. In particular, changes in the laws or regulations or the interpretations of the laws and regulations that govern BDCs, RICs or non-depository commercial lenders could significantly affect our operations and our cost of doing business. We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations and are subject to judicial and administrative decisions that affect our operations, including our loan originations, maximum interest rates, fees and other charges, disclosures to portfolio companies, the terms of secured transactions, collection and foreclosure procedures and other trade practices. If these laws, regulations or decisions change, or if we expand our business into jurisdictions that have adopted more stringent requirements than those in which we currently conduct business, we may have to incur significant expenses in order to comply, or we might have to restrict our operations. In addition, if we do not comply with applicable laws, regulations and decisions, we may lose licenses needed for the conduct of our business and be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties, any of which could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and of our charter and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.

The Maryland General Corporation Law, our charter and our bylaws contain provisions that may discourage, delay or make more difficult a change in control of us or the removal of our directors. We are subject to the Maryland Business Combination Act, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution exempting from the Business Combination Act any business combination between us and any other person, subject to prior approval of such business combination by our board of directors, including approval by a majority of our disinterested directors. If the resolution exempting business combinations is repealed or our board of directors does not approve a business combination, the Business Combination Act may discourage third parties from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such an offer. Our bylaws exempt from the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act acquisitions of our common stock by any person. If we amend our bylaws to repeal the exemption from the Control Share Acquisition Act, the Control Share Acquisition Act also may make it more difficult for a third party to obtain control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such an offer. We intend to give the SEC prior notice should our board of directors elect to amend our bylaws to repeal the exemption from the Control Share Acquisition Act.

We have also adopted other measures that may make it difficult for a third party to obtain control of us, including provisions of our charter classifying our board of directors in three classes serving staggered three-year terms, and provisions of our charter authorizing our board of directors to classify or reclassify shares of our stock in one or more classes or series, to cause the issuance of additional shares of our stock, and to amend our charter, without stockholder approval, to increase or decrease the number of

shares of stock that we have authority to issue. These provisions, as well as other provisions of our charter and bylaws, may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.

We may choose to pay dividends in our own common stock, in which case you may be required to pay federal income taxes in excess of the cash dividends you receive.

We may distribute taxable dividends that are payable in cash and shares of our common stock at the election of each stockholder. The Internal Revenue Service has issued private letter rulings on cash/stock dividends paid by RICs and real estate investment trusts where the cash component is limited to 20% of the total distribution if certain requirements are satisfied. Stockholders receiving such dividends will be required to include the full amount of the dividend (including the portion payable in stock) as ordinary income (or, in certain circumstances, long-term capital gain) to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for federal income tax purposes. As a result, stockholders may be required to pay income taxes with respect to such dividends in excess of the cash dividends received. If a U.S. stockholder sells the common stock that it receives as a dividend in order to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income with respect to the dividend, depending on the market price of our common stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such dividends, including in respect of all or a portion of such dividend that is payable in common stock. In addition, if a significant number of our stockholders determine to sell shares of our common stock in order to pay taxes owed on dividends, it may put downward pressure on the trading price of our common stock. It is unclear whether and to what extent we will be able to pay taxable dividends in cash and common stock (whether pursuant to a private letter ruling or otherwise).

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, stockholders could lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and the trading price of our common stock.

Effective internal controls over financial reporting are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to prevent fraud. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation could cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations. In addition, any testing by us conducted in connection with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or the subsequent testing by our independent registered public accounting firm (when undertaken, as noted below), may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses or that may require prospective or retroactive changes to our consolidated financial statements or identify other areas for further attention or improvement. Inferior internal controls could also cause investors and lenders to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock.

We may experience cyber-security incidents and are subject to cyber-security risks.

Our business operations rely upon secure information technology systems for data processing, storage and reporting. Despite careful security and controls design, implementation and updating, our information technology systems could become subject to cyber-attacks. Cyber attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Network, system, application and data breaches could result in operational disruptions or information misappropriation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Cyber security failures or breaches by our investment adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, accountants, custodians, transfer agents and administrators), and the issuers of securities in which we invest, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with our ability to calculate its net asset value, impediments to trading, the inability of our stockholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While we have established a business continuity plan in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, we cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by our service providers and issuers in which we invest. We and our stockholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

The failure in cyber-security systems, as well as the occurrence of events unanticipated in our disaster recovery systems and management continuity planning could impair our ability to conduct business effectively.

The occurrence of a disaster such as a cyber-attack, a natural catastrophe, an industrial accident, a terrorist attack or war, events unanticipated in our disaster recovery systems, or a support failure from external providers, could have an adverse effect on our ability to conduct business and on our results of operations and financial condition, particularly if those events affect our computer-based data processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval systems or destroy data. If a significant number of our managers were unavailable in the event of a disaster, our ability to effectively conduct our business could be severely compromised.

We depend heavily upon computer systems to perform necessary business functions. Despite our implementation of a variety of security measures, our computer systems could be subject to cyber-attacks and unauthorized access, such as physical and electronic break-ins or unauthorized tampering. Like other companies, we may experience threats to our data and systems, including malware and computer virus attacks, unauthorized access, system failures and disruptions. If one or more of these events occurs, it could potentially jeopardize the confidential, proprietary and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our computer systems and networks, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations, which could result in damage to our reputation, financial losses, litigation, increased costs, and/or regulatory penalties.

We are dependent on information systems and systems failures could significantly disrupt our business, which may, in turn, negatively affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to pay dividends.

Our business is dependent on our and third parties’ communications and information systems. Any failure or interruption of those systems, including as a result of the termination of an agreement with any third-party service providers, could cause delays or other problems in our activities. Our financial, accounting, data processing, backup or other operating systems and facilities may fail to operate properly or become disabled or damaged as a result of a number of factors including events that are wholly or partially beyond our control and adversely affect our business. There could be:

These events, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and negatively affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders.

The effect of global climate change may impact the operations of our portfolio companies.

There is evidence of global climate change. Climate change creates physical and financial risk and some of our portfolio companies may be adversely affected by climate change. For example, the needs of customers of energy companies vary with weather conditions, primarily temperature and humidity. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change, energy use could increase or decrease depending on the duration and magnitude of any changes. Increased energy use due to weather changes may require additional investments by our portfolio companies engaged in the energy business in more pipelines and other infrastructure to serve increased demand. Increases in the cost of energy also could adversely affect the cost of operations of our portfolio companies if the use of energy products or services is material to their business. A decrease in energy use due to weather changes may affect some of our portfolio companies’ financial condition, through decreased revenues. Extreme weather conditions in general require more system backup, adding to costs, and can contribute to increased system stresses, including service interruptions. Energy companies could also be affected by the potential for lawsuits against or taxes or other regulatory costs imposed on greenhouse gas emitters, based on links drawn between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Our investment adviser and administrator have the right to resign on 60 days’ notice, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our investment adviser and administrator have the right, under our investment management agreement and administration agreement, respectively, to resign at any time upon not less than 60 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If our investment adviser or our administrator resigns, we may not be able to find a replacement or hire internal management or administration with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 60 days, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our business, financial condition and results of operations as well as our ability to pay distributions are likely to be adversely affected and the market price of our shares may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment activities or our internal administration activities, as applicable, is likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by our investment adviser and its affiliates or our administrator and its affiliates. Even if we are able to retain comparable management or administration, whether internal or external, the integration of such management or administration and their lack of familiarity with our investment objective may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INVESTMENTS

Our investments in prospective portfolio companies are risky, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Investment in middle-market companies is speculative and involves a number of significant risks including a high degree of risk of credit loss. Middle-market companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that we hold, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of us realizing any guarantees we may have obtained in connection with our investment. In addition, they typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns. Middle-market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on our portfolio company and, in turn, on us. Middle-market companies also generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position. In addition, our executive officers, directors and our investment adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from our investments in the portfolio companies.

We invest primarily in secured, unsecured and mezzanine debt of private middle-market companies. We also may invest in equity and structured products, such as CLOs and CLNs. We may not realize gains from our equity investments.

Secured loans, which we define to include first lien and second lien debt, are the most senior form of indebtedness of an issuer and, due to the ability of the lender to sell the collateral to repay its loan in the event of default, the lender will likely experience more favorable recovery than more junior creditors in the event of the issuer defaults on its indebtedness.

Unsecured debt or loans, also referred to as mezzanine loans or subordinated debt are generally unsecured and junior to other indebtedness of the issuer. As a consequence, the holder of a mezzanine loan may lack adequate protection in the event the issuer becomes distressed or insolvent and will likely experience a lower recovery than more senior debtholders in the event the issuer defaults on its indebtedness. In addition, mezzanine loans of middle-market companies are often highly illiquid and in adverse market conditions may experience steep declines in valuation even if they are fully performing.

We may invest in debt and equity positions of structured products, such as CLOs and CLNs. These structured products are typically a form a securitization in which the cash flows of a portfolio of loans are pooled and passed on to different classes of owners in various tranches.

When we invest in unsecured and secured loans, we have acquired and may continue to acquire warrants or other equity securities as well. In addition, we may invest directly in the equity securities of portfolio companies. Our goal is ultimately to dispose of such equity interests and realize gains upon our disposition of such interests. However, the equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.

Our investments in structured products may be riskier and less transparent to us and our stockholders than direct investments in the underlying companies.

We invest in structured products. Generally, there may be less information available to us regarding the underlying debt investments held by structured products than if we had invested directly in the debt of the underlying companies. As a result, our stockholders will not know the details of the underlying securities of the structured products in which we will invest. Our structured product investments will also be subject to the risk of leverage associated with the debt issued by such structured products and the repayment priority of senior debt holders in such structured products. Our investments in prospective portfolio companies may be risky, and we could lose all or part of our investment.

Structured products typically will have no significant assets other than their underlying loans; payments on structured product investments are and will be payable solely from the cashflows from such loans.

Structured products typically will have no significant assets other than their underlying loans. Accordingly, payments on structured product investments are and will be payable solely from the cashflows from such loans, net of all management fees and other expenses. Payments to us as a holder of structured product investments are and will be met only after payments due on the senior notes (and, where appropriate, the junior secured notes) from time to time have been made in full. This means that relatively small numbers of defaults of loans may adversely impact our returns.

Our structured product investments are exposed to leveraged credit risk.

We may be in a subordinated position with respect to realized losses on loans underlying our investments in structured products. The leveraged nature of structured products, in particular, magnifies the adverse impact of loan defaults. Structured product investments represent a leveraged investment with respect to the underlying loans. Therefore, changes in the market value of the structured product investments could be greater than the change in the market value of the underlying loans, which are subject to credit, liquidity and interest rate risk.

Economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.

Many of our portfolio companies may be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay our loans during these periods. Therefore, our non-performing assets may increase and the value of our portfolio may decrease during these periods if we are required to write down the values of our investments. Adverse economic conditions also may decrease the value of collateral securing some of our loans and the value of our equity investments. Economic slowdowns or recessions could lead to financial losses in our portfolio and a decrease in revenues, net income and assets. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us. These events could prevent us from increasing investments and harm our operating results.

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize the portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that we hold. We may incur additional expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company.

There may be circumstances where our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to, among other things, lender liability or fraudulent conveyance claims.

We could, in certain circumstances, become subject to potential liabilities that may exceed the value of our original investment in a portfolio company that experiences severe financial difficulties. For example, we may be adversely affected by laws related to, among other things, fraudulent conveyances, voidable preferences, lender liability, and the bankruptcy court’s discretionary power to disallow, subordinate or disenfranchise particular claims or re-characterize investments made in the form of debt as equity contributions.

If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could fail to qualify as a BDC or be precluded from investing according to our current business strategy.

As a BDC, we may not acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets. We believe that most of the investments that we may acquire in the future will constitute qualifying assets. However, we may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could be found to be in violation of the 1940 Act provisions applicable to BDCs, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, these rules could prevent us from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of our position) or could require us to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to come into compliance with the 1940 Act. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, and therefore will be relatively illiquid, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and could result in substantial losses.

Our portfolio contains a limited number of portfolio companies, which subjects us to a greater risk of significant loss if any of these companies defaults on its obligations under any of its debt securities.

A consequence of the limited number of investments in our portfolio is that the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if one or more of our significant portfolio company investments perform poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one significant investment. Beyond our income tax diversification requirements, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our portfolio could contain relatively few portfolio companies.

Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio.

Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments, in order to: (1) increase or maintain in whole or in part our equity ownership percentage; (2) exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing or (3) attempt to preserve or enhance the value of our investment.

We may elect not to make follow-on investments, may be constrained in our ability to employ available funds, or otherwise may lack sufficient funds to make those investments. We have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. The failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase our concentration of risk, because we prefer other opportunities, or because we are inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements or the desire to maintain our tax status.

When we do not hold controlling equity interests in our portfolio companies, we may not be in a position to exercise control over our portfolio companies or to prevent decisions by management of our portfolio companies that could decrease the value of our investments.

We do not generally take controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. To the extent that we do not hold a controlling equity interest in a portfolio company, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree, and the stockholders and management of a portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to our interests. Due to the lack of liquidity for the debt and equity investments that we typically hold in our portfolio companies, we may not be able to dispose of our investments in the event we disagree with the actions of a portfolio company, and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of our investments.

An investment strategy focused primarily on privately-held companies presents certain challenges, including the lack of available information about these companies, a dependence on the talents and efforts of only a few key portfolio company personnel and a greater vulnerability to economic downturns.

We have invested and will continue to invest primarily in privately-held companies. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and we are required to rely on the ability of AIM’s investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies.

If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and we may lose money on our investments. Also, privately-held companies frequently have less diverse product lines and smaller market presence than public company competitors, which often are larger. These factors could affect our investment returns.

Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.

We have invested and intend to invest primarily in mezzanine and senior debt securities issued by our portfolio companies. The portfolio companies usually have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt securities in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments in respect of the debt securities in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any distribution in respect of our investment. After repaying such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt securities in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company. In addition, we may not be in a position to control any portfolio company by investing in its debt securities. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as debt investors.

Our incentive fee may induce AIM to make certain investments, including speculative investments.

The incentive fee payable by us to AIM may create an incentive for AIM to make investments on our behalf that are risky or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The way in which the incentive fee payable to AIM is determined, which is calculated separately in two components as a percentage of the net investment income (subject to a performance threshold) and as a percentage of the realized gain on invested capital, may encourage our investment adviser to use leverage to increase the return on our investments. Under certain circumstances, the use of leverage may increase the likelihood of default, which would disfavor the holders of our common stock, including investors in offerings of common stock, securities convertible into our common stock or warrants representing rights to purchase our common stock or securities convertible into our common stock. In addition, AIM receives the incentive fee based, in part, upon net capital gains realized on our investments. Unlike the portion of the incentive fee based on net investment income, there is no performance threshold applicable to the portion of the incentive fee based on net capital gains. As a result, AIM may have a tendency to invest more in investments that are likely

to result in capital gains as compared to income producing securities. Such a practice could result in our investing in more speculative securities than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher investment losses, particularly during economic downturns.

The incentive fee payable by us to AIM also may create an incentive for AIM to invest on our behalf in instruments that have a deferred interest feature such as investments with PIK provisions. Under these investments, we would accrue the interest over the life of the investment but would typically not receive the cash income from the investment until the end of the term or upon the investment being called by the issuer. Our net investment income used to calculate the income portion of our incentive fee, however, includes accrued interest. For the time period between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2015 , the portion of the incentive fee that is attributable to deferred interest, such as PIK, will not be paid to AIM until Apollo Investment receives such interest in cash. The accrual of incentive fees shall be reversed if such interest is reversed in connection with any write-off or similar treatment of the investment. The payment of incentive fees to AIM is made on accruals of expected cash interest. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan, it is possible that accrued interest previously used in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible. Thus, while a portion of this incentive fee would be based on income that we have not yet received in cash and with respect to which we do not have a formal claw-back right against our investment adviser per se, the amount of accrued income to the extent written off in any period will reduce the income in the period in which such write-off was taken and thereby reduce such period’s incentive fee payment.

We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies, including private funds, and, to the extent we so invest, will bear our ratable share of any such investment company’s expenses, including management and performance fees. We will also remain obligated to pay management and incentive fees to AIM with respect to the assets invested in the securities and instruments of other investment companies. With respect to each of these investments, each of our common stockholders will bear his or her share of the management and incentive fee of AIM as well as indirectly bearing the management and performance fees and other expenses of any investment companies in which we invest.

We may be obligated to pay our investment adviser incentive compensation even if we incur a loss.

Our investment adviser is entitled to incentive compensation for each fiscal quarter in an amount equal to a percentage of the excess of our pre-incentive fee net investment income for that quarter (before deducting incentive compensation) above a performance threshold for that quarter. Accordingly, since the performance threshold is based on a percentage of our net asset value, decreases in our net asset value make it easier to achieve the performance threshold. Our pre-incentive fee net investment income for incentive compensation purposes excludes realized and unrealized capital losses or depreciation that we may incur in the fiscal quarter, even if such capital losses or depreciation result in a net loss on our statement of operations for that quarter. Thus, we may be required to pay AIM incentive compensation for a fiscal quarter even if there is a decline in the value of our portfolio or we incur a net loss for that quarter. In addition, increases in interest rates may increase the amount of incentive fees we pay to our investment adviser even though our performance relative the market has not increased.

Our investments in foreign securities may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.

Our investment strategy contemplates that a portion of our investments may be in securities of foreign companies. Investing in foreign companies may expose us to additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. companies. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets and less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. These risks are likely to be more pronounced for investments in companies located in emerging markets and particularly for middle-market companies in these economies.

Although most of our investments are denominated in U.S. dollars, our investments that are denominated in a foreign currency are subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency may change in relation to one or more other currencies. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation, and political developments. We may employ hedging techniques to minimize these risks, but we can offer no assurance that we will, in fact, hedge currency risk or, that if we do, such strategies will be effective.

Hedging transactions may expose us to additional risks.

If we engage in hedging transactions, we may expose ourselves to risks associated with such transactions. We may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of our portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of our portfolio positions does not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of such positions decline. However, such hedging can establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions

may also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions should increase. Moreover, it may not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that is so generally anticipated that we are not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price. Our ability to engage in hedging transactions may also be adversely affected by recent rules adopted by the CFTC.

While we may enter into transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates may result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged may vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss. In addition, it may not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations. Our ability to engage in hedging transactions may also be adversely affected by recent rules adopted by the CFTC.

The effects of various environmental regulations may negatively affect the aviation industry and some of our portfolio companies.

The effects of various environmental regulations may negatively affect the airline industry. This may adversely affect some of our portfolio companies.

Governmental regulations regarding aircraft and engine noise and emissions levels apply based on where the relevant aircraft is registered and operated. For example, jurisdictions throughout the world have adopted noise regulations which require all aircraft to comply with noise level standards. In addition to the current requirements, the United States and the International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”) have adopted a new, more stringent set of standards for noise levels which applies to engines manufactured or certified on or after January 1, 2006. Currently, U.S. regulations would not require any phase-out of aircraft that qualify with the older standards applicable to engines manufactured or certified prior to January 1, 2006, but the European Union has established a framework for the imposition of operating limitations on aircraft that do not comply with the new standards and incorporated aviation-related emissions into the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (“ETS”) beginning in 2012.

In addition to more stringent noise restrictions, the United States and other jurisdictions are beginning to impose more stringent limits on nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions from engines, consistent with current ICAO standards. Concerns over global warming also could result in more stringent limitations on the operation of aircraft.

European countries generally have relatively strict environmental regulations that can restrict operational flexibility and decrease aircraft productivity. The European Parliament has confirmed that all emissions from flights within the European Union are subject to the ETS requirement, even those emissions that are emitted outside of the European Union. The European Union suspended the enforcement of the ETS requirements for international flights outside of the European Union due to a proposal issued by the ICAO in October 2013 to develop a global program to reduce international aviation emissions, which would be enforced by 2020. In response to this, the European Commission has proposed to amend the ETS so that only flights or portions thereof that take place in European regional airspace are subject to the ETS requirements. The potential impact of ETS and the forthcoming ICAO requirements on costs have not been completely identified. Any of these regulations could limit the economic life of the aircraft and engines, reduce their value, limit our portfolio companies' ability to lease or sell the non-compliant aircraft and engines or, if engine modifications are permitted, require our portfolio companies to make significant additional investments in the aircraft and engines to make them compliant.

In addition, compliance with current or future regulations, taxes or duties imposed to deal with environmental concerns could cause our portfolio companies to incur higher costs, thereby generating lower net revenues and resulting in an adverse impact on the financial condition of such portfolio companies.

Investments in the energy sector are subject to many risks.

We have made certain investments in and relating to the energy sector. The operations of energy companies are subject to many risks inherent in the transporting, processing, storing, distributing, mining or marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, coal, refined petroleum products or other hydrocarbons, or in the exploring, managing or producing of such commodities, including, without limitation: damage to pipelines, storage tanks or related equipment and surrounding properties caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and other natural disasters or by acts of terrorism, inadvertent damage from construction and farm equipment, leaks of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined petroleum products or other hydrocarbons, and fires and explosions. These risks could result in substantial losses due to personal injury or loss of life, severe damage to and destruction of property and equipment and pollution or other environmental damage, and may result in the curtailment or suspension of their related operations, any and all of which could adversely affect our portfolio companies in the energy sector. In addition, the energy

sector has experienced significant volatility at times, which may occur in the future, and which could negatively affect the returns on any investment made by the Company in this sector.

Crude oil and natural gas prices are volatile. A substantial and/or extended decline in crude oil and natural gas prices could have a material adverse effect on some of our portfolio companies in the energy sector.

Crude oil and natural gas prices historically have been volatile and likely will continue to be volatile given current geopolitical conditions. The prices for crude oil and natural gas are subject to a variety of factors beyond our control, such as the domestic and foreign supply of crude oil and natural gas; consumer demand for crude oil and natural gas, and market expectations regarding supply and demand. These factors and the volatility of the energy markets make it extremely difficult to predict price movements. Accordingly, our portfolio companies in the energy sector is at risk for the volatility in crude oil and natural gas prices. A prolonged decline in crude oil and/or natural gas prices may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and/or operating results.

RISKS RELATED TO MATURITY OF OUR DEBT INSTRUMENTS

Our senior secured credit facility begins amortizing in April 2019 and any inability to renew, extend or replace the facility could adversely impact our liquidity and ability to find new investments or maintain distributions to our stockholders.

We maintain a senior secured multi-currency revolving credit facility (the "Senior Secured Facility") with a group of lenders, under which we had approximately $385 million of indebtedness outstanding at March 31, 2015 . Our lenders’ obligation to make new loans or other extensions of credit under the Senior Secured Facility ceases on April 24, 2019, and the facility has a final stated maturity date of April 24, 2020. In addition, commencing on April 30, 2019, Apollo Investment is required to repay, in twelve consecutive monthly installments of equal size, the outstanding amount under the Senior Secured Facility as of April 24, 2019. There can be no assurance that we will be able to renew, extend or replace the Senior Secured Facility upon the termination of the lenders’ obligations to make new loans or the Senior Secured Facility’s final maturity on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. Our ability to renew, extend or replace the Senior Secured Facility will be constrained by then-current economic conditions affecting the credit markets. In the event that we are not able to renew, extend or replace the Senior Secured Facility at the time of the termination of the lenders’ obligations to make new loans or the Senior Secured Facility’s final maturity, this could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and ability to fund new investments, our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and our ability to qualify as a RIC.

On April 24, 2015, the Company amended and restated the Senior Secured Facility. The amendment increased the lenders’ commitments to $1,310,000, extended the final maturity date to April 24, 2020, and allows the Company to seek additional commitments from new and existing lenders in the future, up to an aggregate facility size not to exceed $1,965,000. In addition, the stated interest rate on the facility was changed from LIBOR plus 2.00% to a formula-based calculation, based on a minimum borrowing base, resulting in a stated interest rate of either LIBOR plus 1.75%, or LIBOR plus 2.00%. As of May 19, 2015, the stated interest rate on the facility is LIBOR plus 2.00%.

Our senior secured notes, unsecured notes and senior unsecured convertible notes have maturity dates over the course of the next several years, and any inability to replace or repay our senior secured notes, unsecured notes or senior unsecured convertible notes could adversely impact our liquidity and ability to fund new investments or maintain distributions to our stockholders.

On September 30, 2010, we entered into a note purchase agreement, providing for a private placement issuance of $225 million in aggregate principal amount of five-year, senior secured notes with a fixed interest rate of 6.25% and a maturity date of October 4, 2015 (the “Senior Secured Notes”). On January 25, 2011, we closed a private offering of $200 million aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured convertible notes (the “Convertible Notes”). The Convertible Notes bear interest at an annual rate of 5.75% and will mature on January 15, 2016 unless earlier converted or repurchased at the holder’s option. On September 29, 2011, we closed a private offering of $45 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes consisting of two series: (1) 5.875% Senior Secured Notes, Series A, of Apollo Investment due September 29, 2016 in the aggregate principal amount of $29 million (the "Series A Notes"); and (2) 6.250% Senior Secured Notes, Series B, of Apollo Investment due September 29, 2018, in the aggregate principal amount of $16 million (the "Series B Notes").

On October 9, 2012, Apollo Investment issued $150 million in aggregate principal amount of 6.625% senior unsecured notes due October 15, 2042 (the “2042 Notes”). On June 17, 2013, Apollo Investment issued $135 million in aggregate principal amount of 6.875% senior unsecured notes due July 15, 2043 (the "2043 Notes"). An additional $15 million in aggregate principal amount of the 2043 Notes was issued on June 24, 2013 pursuant to the underwriters' exercise of their option to purchase additional notes. On March 3, 2015, Apollo Investment issued $350 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.250% unsecured notes due March 3, 2025 (the "2025 Notes").

There can be no assurance that we will be able to replace the Senior Secured Notes, the Convertible Notes, the Series A Notes, the Series B Notes, the 2025 Notes, the 2042 Notes or the 2043 Notes upon their maturity on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. Our ability to replace the Senior Secured Notes, the Convertible Notes, the Series A Notes, the Series B Notes, the 2025 Notes, the 2042 Notes or the 2043 Notes will be constrained by then-current economic conditions affecting the credit markets. In the event that we are not able to replace or repay the Senior Secured Notes, the Convertible Notes, the Series A Notes, the Series B Notes, the 2025 Notes, the 2042 Notes or the 2043 Notes at the time of their maturity, this could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and ability to fund new investments, our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and our ability to qualify as a RIC.

The trading market or market value of our debt securities may fluctuate.

Our publicly issued debt securities may or may not have an established trading market. We cannot assure you that a trading market for debt securities will ever develop or be maintained if developed. In addition to our creditworthiness, many factors may materially adversely affect the trading market for, and market value of, debt securities we may issue. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

You should also be aware that there may be a limited number of buyers if and when you decide to sell your debt securities. This too may materially adversely affect the market value of the debt securities or the trading market for the debt securities

Terms relating to redemption may materially adversely affect your return on any debt securities that we may issue.

If our noteholders' debt securities are redeemable at our option, we may choose to redeem your debt securities at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on your debt securities. In addition, if our noteholders' debt securities are subject to mandatory redemption, we may be required to redeem such debt securities also at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on such debt securities. In this circumstance, a noteholder may not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an effective interest rate as high as the debt securities being redeemed.

Our credit ratings may not reflect all risks of an investment in our debt securities.

Our credit ratings are an assessment by third parties of our ability to pay our obligations. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings will generally affect the market value of our debt securities. Our credit ratings, however, may not reflect the potential impact of risks related to market conditions generally or other factors discussed above on the market value of or trading market for the publicly issued debt securities.

RISKS RELATED TO ISSUANCE OF OUR PREFERRED STOCK

An investment in our preferred stock should not constitute a complete investment program.

If we issue preferred stock, the net asset value and market value of our common stock may become more volatile.

We cannot assure you that the issuance of preferred stock would result in a higher yield or return to the holders of the common stock. The issuance of preferred stock would likely cause the net asset value and market value of the common stock to become more volatile. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock were to approach the net rate of return on our investment portfolio, the benefit of leverage to the holders of the common stock would be reduced. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock were to exceed the net rate of return on our portfolio, the leverage would result in a lower rate of return to the holders of common stock than if we had not issued preferred stock. Any decline in the net asset value of our investments would be borne entirely by the holders of common stock. Therefore, if the market value of our portfolio were to decline, the leverage would result in a greater decrease in net asset value to the holders of common stock than if we were not leveraged through the issuance of preferred stock. This greater net asset value decrease would also tend to cause a greater decline in the market price for the common stock. We might be in danger of failing to maintain the required asset coverage of the preferred stock or of losing our ratings on the preferred stock

or, in an extreme case, our current investment income might not be sufficient to meet the dividend requirements on the preferred stock. In order to counteract such an event, we might need to liquidate investments in order to fund a redemption of some or all of the preferred stock. In addition, we would pay (and the holders of common stock would bear) all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred stock, including higher advisory fees if our total return exceeds the dividend rate on the preferred stock. Holders of preferred stock may have different interests than holders of common stock and may at times have disproportionate influence over our affairs.

Holders of any preferred stock we might issue would have the right to elect members of the board of directors and class voting rights on certain matters.

Holders of any preferred stock we might issue, voting separately as a single class, would have the right to elect two members of the board of directors at all times and in the event dividends become two full years in arrears would have the right to elect a majority of the directors until such arrearage is completely eliminated. In addition, preferred stockholders have class voting rights on certain matters, including changes in fundamental investment restrictions and conversion to open-end status, and accordingly can veto any such changes. Restrictions imposed on the declarations and payment of dividends or other distributions to the holders of our common stock and preferred stock, both by the 1940 Act and by requirements imposed by rating agencies or the terms of our credit facilities, might impair our ability to maintain our qualification as a RIC for federal income tax purposes. While we would intend to redeem our preferred stock to the extent necessary to enable us to distribute our income as required to maintain our qualification as a RIC, there can be no assurance that such actions could be effected in time to meet the tax requirements.

RISKS RELATING TO AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMON STOCK

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative.

The investments we make in accordance with our investment objective may result in a higher amount of risk than alternative investment options and volatility or loss of principal. Our investments in portfolio companies may be highly speculative and aggressive, therefore, an investment in our securities may not be suitable for someone with a low risk tolerance.

There is a risk that investors in our equity securities may not receive dividends or that our dividends may not grow over time and that investors in our debt securities may not receive all of the interest income to which they are entitled.

We intend to make distributions on a quarterly basis to our stockholders out of assets legally available for distribution. We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a business development company, we may in the future be limited in our ability to make distributions. Also, our revolving credit facility may limit our ability to declare dividends if we default under certain provisions or fail to satisfy certain other conditions. If we do not distribute a certain percentage of our income annually, we will suffer adverse tax consequences, including possible loss of the tax benefits available to us as a RIC. In addition, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and tax regulations, we include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as contractual payment-in-kind interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance that becomes due at the end of the loan term, or the accrual of original issue or market discount. Since we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income in cash to obtain tax benefits as a RIC.

We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on certain undistributed income of RICs unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years. We will not be subject to excise taxes on amounts on which we are required to pay corporate income taxes (such as retained net capital gains).

Finally, if more stockholders opt to receive cash dividends rather than participate in our dividend reinvestment plan, we may be forced to liquidate some of our investments and raise cash in order to make cash dividend payments.

Our shares may trade at discounts from net asset value or at premiums that are unsustainable over the long term.

Shares of business development companies may trade at a market price that is less than the net asset value that is attributable to those shares. The possibility that our shares of common stock will trade at a discount from net asset value or at a premium that is unsustainable over the long term are separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value will decrease. It is not possible to predict whether shares will trade at, above, or below net asset value.

Investigations and reviews of Apollo affiliates’ use of placement agents could harm Apollo Investment’s reputation, depress its stock price or have other negative consequences.

While Apollo Investment has not, to date, raised any funds through the use of placement agents (other than through the ordinary course engagement of underwriters, from time to time, in connection with the public offering of Apollo Investment's securities), affiliates of AIM sometimes use placement agents to assist in marketing certain of the investment funds that they manage. Various state attorneys general and federal and state agencies have initiated industry-wide investigations into the use of placement agents in connection with the solicitation of investments, particularly with respect to investments by public pension funds. Certain affiliates of AGM have received subpoenas and other requests for information from various government regulatory agencies and investors in AGM’s funds, seeking information regarding the use of placement agents. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (“CalPERS”), one of AGM’s strategic investors, announced on October 14, 2009, that it had initiated a special review of placement agents and related issues. The report of the CalPERS special review was issued on March 14, 2011. That report does not allege any wrongdoing on the part of AGM or its affiliates. AGM is continuing to cooperate with all such investigations and other revisions. In addition, on May 6, 2010, the California Attorney General filed a civil complaint against Alfred Villalobos and his company, Arvco Capital Research, LLC (a placement agent that AGM has used) and Federico Buenrostro Jr., the former CEO of CalPERS, alleging conduct in violation of certain California laws in connection with CalPERS’ purchase of securities in various funds managed by AGM and another asset manager. No AGM entity is a party to the civil lawsuit, nor does the lawsuit allege any misconduct on the part of Apollo Investment, AIM or AGM. Likewise, on April 23, 2012, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit alleging securities fraud on the part of Arvco, as well as Messrs. Buenrostro and Villalobos, in connection with their activities concerning certain CalPERS investments in funds managed by AGM. This lawsuit also does not allege wrongdoing on the part of AGM, and in fact alleges that AGM was defrauded by Arvco, Villalobos, and Buenrostro. On March 14, 2013, the United States Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against Messrs. Villalobos and Buenrostro alleging, among other crimes, fraud in connection with those same activities; again, AGM is not accused of any wrongdoing and in fact is alleged to have been defrauded by the defendants. The criminal action was set for trial in a San Francisco federal court in July 2014, but was put on hold after Mr. Buenrostro pleaded guilty on July 11, 2014. As part of Mr. Buenrostro’s plea agreement, he admitted to taking cash and other bribes from Mr. Villalobos in exchange for several improprieties, including attempting to influence CalPERS’ investing decisions and improperly preparing disclosure letters to satisfy AGM’s requirements. There is no suggestion that AGM was aware that Mr. Buenrostro had signed the letters with a corrupt motive. The government has indicated that they will file new charges against Mr. Villalobos incorporating Mr. Buenrostro’s admissions. On August 7, 2014, the government filed a superseding indictment against Mr. Villalobos asserting additional charges. Trial had been scheduled for February 23, 2015, but Mr. Villalobos passed away on January 13, 2015.  Additionally, on April 15, 2013, Mr. Villalobos, Arvco and related entities (the “Arvco Debtors”) brought a civil action in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada (the “Bankruptcy Court”) against AGM. The action is related to the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings of the Arvco Debtors. This action alleges that Arvco served as a placement agent for AGM in connection with several funds associated with AGM, and seeks to recover purported fees the Arvco Debtors claim AGM has not paid them for a portion of Arvco’s placement agent services. In addition, the Arvco Debtors allege that AGM has interfered with the Arvco Debtors’ commercial relationships with third parties, purportedly causing the Arvco Debtors to lose business and to incur fees and expenses in the defense of various investigations and litigations. The Arvco Debtors also seek compensation from AGM for these alleged lost profits and fees and expenses. The Arvco Debtors’ complaint asserts various theories of recovery under the Bankruptcy Code and common law. AGM denies the merit of all of the Arvco Debtors’ claims and will vigorously contest them. The Bankruptcy Court has stayed this action pending the result in the criminal case against Mr. Villalobos. For these reasons, no estimate of possible loss, if any, can be made at this time.

The market price of our securities may fluctuate significantly.

The market price and liquidity of the market for our securities may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include:

We may be unable to invest the net proceeds raised from offerings on acceptable terms, which would harm our financial condition and operating results.

Until we identify new investment opportunities, we intend to either invest the net proceeds of future offerings in interest-bearing deposits or other short-term instruments or use the net proceeds from such offerings to reduce then-outstanding obligations under our credit facility. We cannot assure you that we will be able to find enough appropriate investments that meet our investment criteria or that any investment we complete using the proceeds from an offering will produce a sufficient return.

Sales of substantial amounts of our securities may have an adverse effect on the market price of our securities.

Sales of substantial amounts of our securities, or the availability of such securities for sale, could adversely affect the prevailing market prices for our securities. If this occurs and continues, it could impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of securities should we desire to do so.

If you do not fully exercise your subscription rights in any rights offering of our common stock, your interest in us may be diluted and, if the subscription price is less than our net asset value per share, you may experience an immediate dilution of the aggregate net asset value of your shares.

In the event we issue subscription rights to acquire shares of our common stock, stockholders who do not fully exercise their subscription rights should expect that they will, at the completion of the rights offering, own a smaller proportional interest in us than would be the case if they fully exercised their rights.

In addition, if the subscription price is less than the net asset value per share of our common stock, a stockholder who does not fully exercise its subscription rights may experience an immediate dilution of the aggregate net asset value of its shares as a result of the offering.

We would not be able to state the amount of any such dilution prior to knowing the results of the offering. Such dilution could be substantial.

Stockholders may experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they do not participate in our dividend reinvestment plan.

All dividends declared in cash payable to stockholders that are participants in our dividend reinvestment plan are generally automatically reinvested in shares of our common stock. As a result, stockholders that do not participate in the dividend reinvestment plan may experience dilution over time. Stockholders who do not elect to receive dividends in shares of common stock may experience accretion to the net asset value of their shares if our shares are trading at a premium and dilution if our shares are trading at a discount. The level of accretion or discount would depend on various factors, including the proportion of our stockholders who participate in the plan, the level of premium or discount at which our shares are trading and the amount of the dividend payable to a stockholder.

If we issue preferred stock, the net asset value and market value of our common stock may become more volatile.

We cannot assure you that the issuance of preferred stock would result in a higher yield or return to the holders of our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock would likely cause the net asset value and market value of our common stock to become more volatile. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock were to approach the net rate of return on our investment portfolio, the benefit of leverage to the holders of our common stock would be reduced. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock were to exceed the net rate of return on our portfolio, the leverage would result in a lower rate of return to the holders of our common stock than if we had not issued preferred stock. Any decline in the net asset value of our investment would be borne entirely by the holders of our common stock. Therefore, if the market value of our portfolio were to decline, the leverage would result in a greater decrease in net asset value to the holders of our common stock than if we were not leveraged through the issuance of preferred stock. This greater net asset value decrease would also tend to cause a greater decline in the market price of our common stock. We might be in danger of failing to maintain the required asset coverage of the preferred stock or of losing our ratings on the preferred stock or, in an extreme case, our current investment income might not be sufficient to meet the dividend requirements on the preferred stock. In order to counteract such an event, we might need to liquidate investments in order to fund a redemption of some or all of the preferred stock. In addition, we would pay (and the holders of our common stock would bear) all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred stock, including higher incentive fees if our total return exceeds the

dividend rate on the preferred stock. Holders of preferred stock may have different interests than holders of common stock and may at times have disproportionate influence over our affairs.

The issuance of shares of preferred stock with dividend or conversion rights, liquidation preferences or other economic terms favorable to the holders of preferred stock could adversely affect the market price for our common stock by making an investment in the common stock less attractive. In addition, the dividends on any preferred stock we issue must be cumulative. Payment of dividends and repayment of the liquidation preference of preferred stock must take preference over any dividends or other payments to our common stockholders, and holders of preferred stock are not subject to any of our expenses or losses and are not entitled to participate in any income or appreciation in excess of their stated preference (other than convertible preferred stock that converts into common stock). In addition, under the 1940 Act, preferred stock constitutes a "senior security" for purposes of the 200% asset coverage test.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

As of March 31, 2015 , we did not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation. Our administrative and principal executive offices are located at 730 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019 and 9 West 57 ^th Street, New York, NY 10019, respectively. We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as it is contemplated to be conducted.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may become involved in various investigations, claims and legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. Furthermore, third parties may try to seek to impose liability on us in connection with the activities of our portfolio companies. While we do not expect that the resolution of these matters if they arise would materially affect our business, financial condition or results of operations, resolution will be subject to various uncertainties and could result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources.

On May 20, 2013, the Company was named as a defendant in a complaint by the bankruptcy trustee of DSI Renal Holdings and related companies (“DSI”). The complaint alleges, among other things, that the Company participated in a “fraudulent conveyance” involving a restructuring and subsequent sale of DSI in 2010 and 2011. The complaint seeks, jointly and severally from all defendants, (1) damages of approximately $425 million, of which the Company’s share would be approximately $41 million, and the return of 9,000 shares of common stock of DSI obtained by the Company in the restructuring and sale and (2) punitive damages. At this point in time, the Company is unable to assess whether it may have any liability in this action. The Company has not made any determination that this action is or may be material to the Company and intends to vigorously defend itself. The Company has filed a motion to dismiss this litigation.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not Applicable.