As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 22, 2011.

Securities Act Registration No. 333-172524

Investment Company Act of 1940 File No. 814-00736

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM N-2

Registration Statement under the Securities Act Of 1933

Post-Effective Amendment     ¨

Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3     x  

PennantPark Investment Corporation

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

590 Madison Avenue

15th Floor

New York, NY 10022

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(212) 905-1000

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Arthur H. Penn

c/o PennantPark Investment Corporation

590 Madison Avenue

15th Floor

New York, NY 10022

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

Thomas Friedmann

David Harris

Dechert LLP

1775 I Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20006-2401

APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING:

As may be practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.  

If any securities being registered on this form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan, check the following box.     ý

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

ý  when declared effective pursuant to section 8(c).

If appropriate, check the following box:

¨  This amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed registration statement.

¨  This form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that the Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such dates as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

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

  Subject to Completion

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

$1,000,000,000

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

Warrants

Subscription Rights

Debt Securities

Units  

PennantPark Investment Corporation is a closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company, or BDC, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

Our investment objectives are to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments primarily in U.S. middle-market private companies in the form of senior secured loans, mezzanine debt, and equity investments. We can offer no assurances that we will achieve our investment objectives.

We are managed by PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC. PennantPark Investment Administration, LLC provides the administrative services necessary for us to operate.

We may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings or series, together or separately, up to $1,000,000,000 of our common stock, preferred stock, warrants representing rights to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, subscription rights, debt securities, or units, which we refer to, collectively, as the “securities.” We may sell our common stock through underwriters or dealers, “at-the-market” to or through a market maker into an existing trading market or otherwise directly to one or more purchasers or through agents or through a combination of methods of sale. The identities of such underwriters, dealers, market makers or agents, as the case may be, will be described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. The securities may be offered at prices and on terms to be described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. In the event we offer common stock, the offering price per share of our common stock exclusive of any underwriting commissions or discounts will not be less than the net asset value per share of our common stock at the time we make the offering except (1) in connection with a rights offering to our existing stockholders, (2) with the consent of the majority of our common stockholders and approval of our board of directors, or (3) under such circumstances as the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) may permit. See “Risk Factors” on page 6 and “Sales of Common Stock Below Net Asset Value” on page 40 of this prospectus for more information.

Our common stock has been approved for quotation on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “PNNT.” The last reported closing price for our common stock on August 19, 2011 was $9.20 per share, and our net asset value on June 30, 2011 was $11.08 per share.

This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement contain important information you should know before investing in our securities. Please read them before you invest in our securities and keep them for future reference. We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This information is available free of charge by contacting us in writing at 590 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, by calling us collect at (212) 905-1000 or on our website at www.pennantpark.com . The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains such information free of charge.

 

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk, including the risk of the use of leverage. Before buying any shares of our common stock, you should read the discussion of the material risks of investing in us in “ Risk Factors ” beginning on page 6 of this prospectus.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

 

Prospectus dated

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement when considering whether to purchase any securities offered by this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with additional information, or information different from that contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplements. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it. We are offering to sell and seeking offers to buy, securities only in jurisdictions where offers are permitted. The information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus or such prospectus supplement. We will update these documents to reflect material changes only as required by law. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since then.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC using the “shelf” registration process. Under the shelf registration process, we may offer from time to time up to $1,000,000,000 of our common stock, preferred stock, warrants representing rights to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, subscription rights, debt securities, or units on the terms to be determined at the time of the offering. We may sell our common stock through underwriters or dealers, “at-the-market” to or through a market maker, into an existing trading market or otherwise directly to one or more purchasers or through agents or through a combination of methods of sale. The identities of such underwriters, dealers, market makers or agents, as the case may be, will be described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. The securities may be offered at prices and on terms described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front of this prospectus and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospectus may have changed since that date. Each time we use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Please carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, together with any exhibits, before you make an investment decision.

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights some of the information in this prospectus. It is not complete and may not contain all of the information that you may want to consider. Some of the statements in this prospectus constitute forward-looking statements, which apply to both us and our consolidated Small Business Investment Company “SBIC” subsidiary and relate to future events, future performance or financial condition. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties on a consolidated basis and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements for many reasons, including those factors discussed in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. You should read carefully the more detailed information set forth under “Risk Factors” and the other information included in this prospectus. In this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement if any except where the context suggests otherwise: the terms “we,” “us,” “our” , and “Company” refer to PennantPark Investment Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries; “PennantPark Investment” refers to only PennantPark Investment Corporation; “SBIC LP”, “subsidiaries” or “our SBIC” refers to our consolidated subsidiary, PennantPark SBIC LP and its general partner PennantPark SBIC GP, LLC; “PennantPark Investment Advisers” or the “Investment Adviser” refers to PennantPark Investment Advisers, LLC; and “PennantPark Investment Administration” or the “Administrator” refers to PennantPark Investment Administration, LLC.

General Business of PennantPark Investment Corporation

PennantPark Investment Corporation is a business development company whose objectives are to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments primarily in U.S. middle-market companies in the form of senior secured loans, mezzanine debt and equity investments.

We believe the middle-market offers attractive risk-reward to investors due to the limited amount of capital available for such companies. PennantPark Investment seeks to create a diversified portfolio that includes senior secured loans, mezzanine debt and equity investments by investing approximately $10 million to $50 million of capital, on average, in the securities of middle-market companies. We use the term “middle-market” to refer to companies with annual revenues between $50 million and $1 billion. We expect this investment size to vary proportionately with the size of our capital base. The companies in which we invest are typically highly leveraged, and, in most cases, are not rated by national rating agencies. If such companies were rated, we believe that they would typically receive a rating below investment grade (between BB and CCC under the Standard & Poor's system) from the national rating agencies. In addition, we expect our debt investments to generally range in maturity from three to ten years.

Our investment activity depends on many factors, including the amount of debt and equity capital available to middle-market companies, the level of merger and acquisition activity for such companies, the general economic environment and the competitive environment for the types of investments we make. The turmoil in the credit markets in recent years has adversely affected each of these factors and has resulted in a broad-based reduction in the demand for middle-market debt instruments. These conditions may present us with attractive investment opportunities, as we believe that there are many middle-market companies that need senior secured and mezzanine debt financing. We have used, and expect to continue to use, our credit facility, the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) debentures, proceeds from the rotation of our portfolio and proceeds from public and private offerings of securities to finance our investment objectives.

Organization and Structure of PennantPark Investment Corporation

PennantPark Investment Corporation, a Maryland corporation organized on January 11, 2007, is a closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under 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 wholly owned SBIC subsidiary, PennantPark SBIC LP, was organized as a Delaware limited partnership on May 7, 2010 and received a license from the SBA to operate as an SBIC under Section 301(c) of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (the “1958 Act”) on July 30, 2010. SBIC LP's objective is substantially similar to PennantPark Investment, generally co-investing in, SBA eligible businesses that meet the investment criteria of PennantPark Investment.

Our Investment Adviser and Administrator

We utilize the investing experience and contacts of PennantPark Investment Advisers to develop what we believe to be an attractive and diversified portfolio. The senior investment professionals of the Investment Adviser have worked together for many years and average over 20 years of experience in the mezzanine lending, leveraged finance, distressed debt and private equity businesses. In addition, our senior investment professionals have been involved in originating, structuring, negotiating, managing and monitoring investments in each of these businesses across economic and market cycles. We believe this experience and history has resulted in a strong reputation with financial sponsors, management teams, investment bankers, attorneys and accountants, which provides us with access to substantial investment opportunities across the capital markets. Our Investment Adviser has a rigorous investment approach, which is based upon intensive financial analysis with a focus on capital preservation, diversification and active management. Since our inception in 2007, we have raised nearly $1 billion in debt and equity capital and have invested over $1.2 billion in more than 100 companies with 65 different financial sponsors through us and other affiliated managed funds.

Our Administrator has experienced professionals with substantial backgrounds in finance and administration of registered investment companies. In addition to furnishing us with clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services, the Administrator also oversees our financial records as well as the preparation of our reports to stockholders and reports filed with the SEC and the SBA. The Administrator oversees the determination and publication of our net asset value, oversees the preparation and filing of our tax returns, monitors the payment of our expenses as well as the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. Furthermore, our Administrator provides, on our behalf, managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which we are required to offer such assistance. See “Risk Factors-Risks Relating to our Business and Structure” for more information.

 

Market Opportunity

We believe that the limited amount of capital available to the middle-market companies, coupled with the desire of these companies for flexible sources of capital, creates an attractive investment environment for PennantPark Investment. From our perspective, middle market companies have faced difficulty raising debt capital in both the capital markets and private markets. As a result of the difficulties in the credit markets and fewer sources of capital for middle market companies, we see opportunities for improved risk-adjusted returns. Furthermore, we believe with a large pool of uninvested private equity capital seeking debt capital to complete transactions and a substantial supply of refinancing opportunities, there is an opportunity to attain appealing risk-adjusted returns with debt capital investments. See “Business” for more information.

Competitive Advantages

We believe that we have competitive advantages over other capital providers in middle-market companies such as, a management team with an average of 20 years of experience, a disciplined investment approach with strong value orientation, an ability to source and evaluate transactions through our Investment Adviser's research capability and established network, flexible transaction structuring that allows for us to invest across the capital structure coupled with a longer investment horizon with an attractive publicly traded model. See “Business” for more information.

Competition

Our primary competitors provide financing to middle-market companies and include other business development companies, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Additionally, alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, frequently invest in middle-market companies. As a result, competition for investment opportunities in middle-market companies can be intense. However, we believe that there has been a reduction in the amount of debt capital available to middle-market companies since the downturn in the credit markets, which began in mid-2007. We believe this has resulted in a less competitive environment for making new investments.

Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, we believe some competitors have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors 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 business development company. See “Risk Factors-Risks Relating to our Business and Structure-We operate in a highly competitive market for investment opportunities” for more information.

Leverage

We maintain a five-year, multi-currency, $315.0 million senior secured credit facility (the “credit facility”), which matures on June 25, 2012, and is secured by substantially all of our investment portfolio assets (excluding the assets of SBIC LP) with a group of lenders, under which we had $157.7 million (including a $21.0 million temporary draw) outstanding with a weighted average interest rate at the time of 1.49% and had $157.3 million of unused borrowing capacity, which is subject to maintenance of the applicable total assets to debt ratio of 200%, as of June 30, 2011. Pricing of borrowings under our credit facility is set at 100 basis points over the London InterBank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). We believe that our capital resources will provide us with the flexibility to take advantage of market opportunities when they arise. In addition, any future additional debt capital we incur, including refinancing the debt outstanding under our credit facility, to the extent it is available under current credit market conditions, may be issued at a higher cost and on less favorable terms and conditions than our current credit facility. See “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.

As of June 30, 2011, SBIC LP had a debenture commitment from the SBA in the amount of $100.0 million, had $75.0 million outstanding (including $30.0 million of temporary draws) with a weighted average interest rate of 3.14%, exclusive of 3.43% of upfront fees, and had $25.0 million remaining unused borrowing capacity subject to customary regulatory requirements. SBA debentures offer competitive terms such as being non-recourse to us, a 10-year maturity, semi-annual interest payments, not requiring principal payments prior to maturity and may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The SBA debentures are secured by all the investment portfolio assets of SBIC LP and have a superior claim over such assets. See “Regulation” and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources” for more information.

Recent Developments

On July 22, 2011, SBIC LP received a debt commitment from the SBA for an additional $50.0 million, bringing its total debt commitment from the SBA to $150.0 million.

Operating and Regulatory Structure

Our investment activities are managed by PennantPark Investment Advisers and supervised by our board of directors, a majority of whom are independent of PennantPark Investment. Under our investment management agreement (the “Investment Management Agreement”), we have agreed to pay our Investment Adviser an annual base management fee based on our average adjusted gross assets as well as an incentive fee based on our investment performance. See “Certain Relationships and Transactions - Investment Management Agreement” for more information.

We have also entered into an administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”) with the Administrator. Under our Administration Agreement, we have agreed to reimburse the Administrator for our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under our Administration Agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the costs of compensation and related expenses of our chief compliance officer, chief financial officer and their respective staffs. See “Certain Relationships and Transactions - Administration Agreement” for more information.

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 “Regulation” for more information. We have elected to be treated for federal income tax purposes under the Code as a RIC. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” for more information.

Our wholly owned subsidiary, SBIC LP, received a license from the SBA to operate as an SBIC under Section 301(c) of the 1958 Act. The SBA regulates SBIC LP's investing activities and periodically examines its operations. We serve as the investment adviser and administrator to SBIC LP. See “Regulation” for more information.

Use of Proceeds

We may use the net proceeds from selling securities pursuant to this prospectus to reduce our then-outstanding obligations under our credit facility, to invest in new or existing portfolio companies, to capitalize a subsidiary or for other general corporate purposes. Any supplements to this prospectus relating to an offering will more fully identify the use of the proceeds from such offering. See “Use of Proceeds” for information regarding our outstanding borrowings as of June 30, 2011, the corresponding interest rate charged on such borrowings as of that date and the length of time that it may take us to invest any proceeds in new or existing portfolio companies.

Dividends on Common Stock

We intend to continue to distribute quarterly dividends to our common stockholders. Our quarterly dividends, if any, are determined by our board of directors. See “Distributions” for more information.

Dividends on Preferred Stock

We may issue preferred stock from time to time, although we have no immediate intention to do so. Any such preferred stock will be a senior security for purposes of the 1940 Act and, accordingly, subject to the leverage test under that Act. If we issue shares of preferred stock, holders of such preferred stock will be entitled to receive cash dividends at an annual rate that will be fixed or will vary for the successive dividend periods for each series. In general, the dividend periods for fixed rate preferred stock can range from weekly to quarterly and is subject to extension. The dividend rate could be variable and determined for each dividend period. See “Risk Factors-Risks Relating To Our Business and Structure” for more information.

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

We have adopted an “opt-out” dividend reinvestment plan that provides for reinvestment of our dividend distributions on behalf of our stockholders unless a stockholder elects to receive cash. As a result, if our board of directors authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend, then our stockholders who have not 'opted out' of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash dividends automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock rather than receiving the cash dividends. Registered stockholders must notify our transfer agent in writing if they wish to 'opt-out' of the dividend reinvestment plan. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” for more information.

Plan of Distribution

We may offer, from time to time, up to $1 billion of our securities, on terms to be determined at the time of each such offering and set forth in a supplement to this prospectus.

Securities may be offered at prices and on terms described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We may sell our common stock through underwriters or dealers, “at-the-market” to or through a market maker, into an existing trading market or otherwise directly to one or more purchasers or through agents or through a combination of methods of sale. The supplement to this prospectus relating to the offering will identify any agents or underwriters involved in the sale of our securities, and will set forth any applicable purchase price, fee and commission or discount arrangement or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. In compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), the compensation to the underwriters or dealers in connection with the sale of our securities pursuant to this prospectus and the accompanying supplement to this prospectus may not exceed 8% of the aggregate offering price of the securities as set forth on the cover page of the supplement to this prospectus.

We may not sell securities pursuant to this prospectus without delivering a prospectus supplement describing the terms of the particular securities to be offered and the method of the offering of such securities. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information.

Our Corporate Information

Our administrative and principal executive offices are located at 590 Madison Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10022. Our common stock is quoted on NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “PNNT”. Our Internet website address is www.pennantpark.com . Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any supplements to this prospectus, and you should not consider information contained on our website to be part of this prospectus or any supplements to this prospectus. We file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may read and copy the materials that we file with the SEC at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an internet site at www.sec.gov that contains material that we file with the SEC on the EDGAR Database.

 

Example

The following example illustrates the projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses that you would pay on a $1,000 hypothetical investment in common shares, assuming (1) a 4.75% sales load (underwriting discounts and commissions) and offering expenses totaling 0.28%, (2) total net annual expenses of 5.77% of average net assets attributable to common shares as set forth in the table above (other than performance-based incentive fees) and (3) a 5% annual return:

This example and the expenses in the table above should not be considered a representation of our future expenses. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those assumed. The table above is provided to assist you in understanding the various costs and expenses that an investor in our common stock will bear directly or indirectly. While the example assumes, as required by the SEC, a 5% annual return, our performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5%. Assuming a 5% annual return, the incentive fee under our Investment Management Agreement would not be earned or payable and is not included in the example. If we achieve sufficient returns on our investments, including through the realization of capital gains, to trigger an incentive fee of a material amount, our expenses, and returns to our investors, would be higher. The example assumes that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at net asset value. Under certain circumstances, reinvestment of dividends and distributions under our dividend reinvestment plan may occur at a price per share that differs from net asset value. See “Distributions” for more information.

RISK FACTORS

Before you invest in our securities, you should be aware of various risks, including those described below. You should carefully consider these risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement, if any, before you decide whether to make an investment in our securities. The risks set out 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 materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value and the trading price of our common stock could decline or the value of our preferred stock, warrants, subscription rights, debt securities, or units may decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

RISKS RELATING TO OUR BUSINESS AND STRUCTURE

Global capital markets could enter a period of severe disruption and instability. These market conditions have historically and could again materially and adversely affect debt and equity capital markets in the United States, which could have a material negative impact on our business and operations.

During the past four years, the U.S. capital markets have experienced a period of disruption characterized by the freezing of available credit, a lack of liquidity in the debt capital markets, significant losses in the principal value of investments, the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated credit market and the failure of major financial institutions. During this period of disruption, general economic conditions deteriorated with material and adverse consequences for the broader financial and credit markets, and the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole, and financial services firms in particular, was reduced significantly. These conditions could and may reoccur for a prolonged period of time again or even materially worsen in the future. While current conditions have improved, we may have difficulty accessing debt and equity capital in order to grow. A return of severe disruption and instability 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.

Volatility or a prolonged disruption in the credit markets could materially damage our business.

We are required to record our assets at fair value, as determined in good faith by our board of directors in accordance with our valuation policy. As a result, volatility in the capital markets may adversely affect our valuations and our net asset value, even if we intend to hold investments to maturity. Volatility or dislocation in the capital markets may depress our stock price below our net asset value per share and create a challenging environment in which to raise debt and equity capital. As a business development company, we are generally not able to issue additional shares of our common stock at a price less than net asset value without first obtaining approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our independent directors. Additionally, our ability to incur indebtedness is limited by applicable regulations such that our asset coverage under the 1940 Act must equal at least 200% of total indebtedness immediately after each time we incur indebtedness exclusive of the SBA debentures pursuant to our SEC exemptive relief. Shrinking portfolio values negatively impact our ability to borrow additional funds under our credit facility because our net asset value is reduced for purposes of the 200% asset leverage test. If the fair value of our assets declines substantially, we may fail to maintain the asset coverage ratio stipulated by the 1940 Act, which could, in turn, cause us to lose our status as a business development company and materially impair our business operations. A protracted disruption in the credit markets could also materially decrease demand for our investments.

The significant disruption in the capital markets experienced in the past 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. The debt capital that will be available to us in the future, if at all, is likely to have a higher cost and less favorable terms and conditions. If our financing costs increase and we have no increase in interest income, then our net investment income will decrease. A prolonged inability to raise capital will require us to reduce the volume of loans we originate and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations. This may also increase the probability that other structural risks negatively impact us. These situations may arise due to circumstances that we may be unable to control, such as a protracted disruption in the credit markets, a severe decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, a sharp economic downturn or an operational problem that affects third parties or us, and could materially damage our business.

Market developments may adversely affect our business and results of operations by reducing availability under our credit facility and SBIC LP's debentures.

In addition to the applicable asset coverage test that restricts our ability to borrow under our credit facility, the credit facility contains various covenants which, if not complied with, could accelerate repayment under the facility, thereby materially and adversely affecting our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. Our borrowings under our credit facility are collateralized by the assets in our investment portfolio, excluding those portfolio investments held by SBIC LP. The agreements governing the credit facility require us to comply with certain financial and operational covenants. These covenants include:

In addition to the credit facility, SBIC LP has issued SBA debentures that require it to generate sufficient cash flow to make required interest payments. Further, SBIC LP must maintain a minimum capitalization that if impaired could materially and adversely affect our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations by accelerating repayment under the SBA debentures. Our borrowings under our SBA debentures are collateralized by the assets of SBIC LP.

Our continued compliance with these covenants depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control. Material net asset devaluation in connection with additional borrowings could result in an inability to comply with our obligation to restrict the level of indebtedness that we are able to incur in relation to the value of our assets or to maintain a minimum level of shareholders' equity. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations, as it would trigger mandatory pre-payment obligations under the terms of the credit facility and SBA debentures.

Our wholly owned SBIC subsidiary may be unable to make distributions to us that will enable us to meet or maintain RIC status.

In order for us to continue to qualify for RIC tax treatment and to minimize corporate-level taxes, we will be required to distribute substantially all of our consolidated net ordinary income and net capital gain income, including income from our SBIC subsidiary. We will be partially dependent on our SBIC subsidiary for cash distributions to enable us to meet the RIC distribution requirements. Our SBIC subsidiary may be limited by SBA regulations governing SBICs from making certain distributions to us that may be necessary to maintain our status as a RIC. We may have to request a waiver of the SBA's restrictions for our SBIC subsidiary to make certain distributions to maintain our RIC status. We cannot assure you that the SBA will grant such waiver and if our SBIC subsidiary is unable to obtain a waiver, compliance with the SBA regulations may result in an entity-level tax on us.

We incur credit risk when we loan money or commit to loan money to a portfolio company.

Our primary business exposes us to credit risk, and the quality of our portfolio will have a significant impact on our earnings. Credit risk is a component part of our fair valuation of our portfolio companies. Negative credit events will lead to a decrease in the fair value of our portfolio companies.

 

In addition, adverse market conditions may affect consumer confidence levels which may harm the business of our portfolio companies and result in adverse changes in payment patterns. Increased delinquencies and default rates would impact our results of operations. Deterioration in the quality of our credit portfolio could have a material adverse effect on our capital, financial condition and results of operations.

Any unrealized losses we experience on our investment portfolio may be an indication of future realized losses, which could reduce our income available for distribution.

As a business development company, we are required to carry our investments at fair value. Decreases in the fair values of our investments will be recorded as unrealized depreciation. Unrealized losses of any given portfolio company could be an indication of such company's inability in the future to meet its repayment obligations to us. If the fair value of our portfolio companies reflects future realized losses, this would ultimately result in reductions of our income available for distribution in future periods and could materially harm our results of operations and cause a material decline in the value of our publicly traded common stock.

Following periods of volatility in the market price of a company's securities, securities class action litigation has often 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.

Our borrowers may default on their payments, which may have a materially negative effect on our financial performance.

We make long-term loans and invest in equity securities, which may involve a high degree of repayment risk. We invest in companies that may have limited financial resources, may be highly leveraged and may be unable to obtain financing from traditional sources. Accordingly, a general economic downturn or severe tightening in the credit markets could materially impact the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans, which could significantly damage our business. Numerous other factors may affect a borrower's ability to repay its loan, including the failure to meet its business plan or a downturn in its industry. A portfolio company's failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans or foreclosure on its secured assets. This could trigger cross defaults under other agreements and jeopardize our portfolio company's ability to meet its obligations under the loans or debt securities that we hold. In addition, our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks senior to or equally with our securities. This means that payments on such senior-ranking securities may have to be made before we receive any payments on our subordinated loans or debt securities. Deterioration in a borrower's financial condition and prospects may be accompanied by deterioration in any related collateral and may have a materially negative effect on our financial results.

We are dependent upon our Investment Adviser's key personnel for our future success, and if we or our Investment Adviser is unable to hire and retain qualified personnel or if we lose any member of our management team, our ability to achieve our investment objectives could be significantly harmed.

We depend on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the investment professionals of our Investment Adviser. We also depend, to a significant extent, on PennantPark Investment Advisers' access to the investment information and deal flow generated by these investment professionals and any others that may be hired by PennantPark Investment Advisers. Managers of our Investment Adviser evaluate, negotiate, structure, close and monitor our investments. Our future success depends on the continued service of management personnel of our Investment Adviser. The departure of managers of PennantPark Investment Advisers could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objectives. In addition, we can offer no assurance that PennantPark Investment Advisers will remain our Investment Adviser.

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

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives will depend on our ability to grow, which will depend, in turn, on our Investment Adviser's ability to identify, invest in and monitor companies that meet our investment criteria. Accomplishing this result on a cost-effective basis will be largely a function of our Investment Adviser'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 management team of PennantPark Investment Advisers has substantial responsibilities under our Investment Management Agreement. In order to grow, we and our Investment Adviser will need to hire, train, supervise and manage new employees. However, we can offer no assurance that any such employees will contribute effectively to the work of the Investment Adviser. We caution you that the principals of our Investment Adviser or Administrator may also be called upon to provide managerial assistance to portfolio companies and other investment vehicles which are or may in the future be managed by the Investment Adviser. Such demands on their time may distract them or slow our rate of investment. 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 in middle-market companies. We compete with public and private funds, including other business development companies, commercial and investment banks, commercial financing companies, CLO funds and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity funds. Additionally, alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, also invest in middle-market companies. As a result, competition for investment opportunities at middle-market companies can be intense. Most of our potential competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, we believe some competitors have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors 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 business development company. We cannot offer any assurances 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 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 objectives.

Entrants in our industry compete on several factors, including price, flexibility in transaction structuring, customer service, reputation, market knowledge and speed in decision-making. We do not seek to compete primarily based on the interest rates we offer, and we believe that some of our competitors may make loans with interest rates that are lower than the rates we offer. We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors' pricing, terms and structure. However, 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 business development company would reduce our operating flexibility.

If we do not remain a business development company, 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.

Loss of RIC tax status would substantially reduce net assets and income available for debt service and dividends.

We have operated so as to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. If we meet source of income, quarterly asset diversification, and distribution requirements, we generally will not be subject to corporate-level income taxation on income we timely distribute, or deem to distribute, to our stockholders as dividends. We would cease to qualify for such tax treatment if we were unable to comply with these requirements. In addition, we may have difficulty meeting the requirement to make distributions to our stockholders because in certain cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income. If we fail to qualify as a RIC, we will have to pay corporate-level taxes on all of our income whether or not we distribute it, which would substantially reduce the amount of income available for debt service as well as reduce and/or affect the character and amount of our distributions to our stockholders. Even if we qualify as a RIC, we generally will be subject to a corporate-level income tax on the income or gains we do not distribute. If we do not distribute an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of our ordinary income (during the calendar year) plus 98.2% of our net capital gain income (during each 12 month period ending on October 31), we generally will be required to pay an excise tax on amounts carried over and distributed to shareholders in the next year equal to 4% of the undistributed amount.

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

For federal income tax purposes, we will include in income certain amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as original issue discount or contracted payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest, which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term. Original issue discount, which could be significant relative to our overall investment assets, and increases in loan balances as a result of contracted PIK interest will be included in income before we receive any corresponding cash payments. We also may be required to include in income certain other amounts that we will not receive in cash.

The part of the incentive fee payable by us that relates to our net investment income is computed and paid on income that may include interest that has been accrued but not yet received in cash. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that is structured to provide accrued interest, it is possible that accrued interest previously used in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible.

In some cases we may recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the tax requirement to distribute at least 90% of the sum of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains, if any, to obtain RIC tax benefits. 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 to meet these distribution requirements. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax benefits and thus be subject to corporate level income tax.

Market conditions may make it difficult to extend the maturity of or refinance our existing indebtedness and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our credit facility expires in June 2012. We utilize a revolving five-year credit facility to make investments in our portfolio companies. The life of our investments typically exceeds the duration of our indebtedness under our credit facility. This means that we will have to extend the maturity of our credit facility or refinance our indebtedness under our credit facility in order to avoid selling investments at a time when such sales may be at prices that are disadvantageous to us, which could materially damage our business. In addition, under current market conditions, we believe it may be unlikely that we could renew or refinance our credit facility on terms as favorable as those in our existing credit facility. In particular, market interest rates have increased for borrowers such as us since we entered into our credit facility in June 2007. If we fail to extend or refinance the indebtedness outstanding under our credit facility by the time it becomes due and payable, the administrative agent of the credit facility may elect to exercise various remedies, including the sale of all or a portion of the collateral securing the credit facility, subject to certain restrictions. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments. If we are required to sell our investments on short-term notice, we may not receive the value that we have recorded for such investments, and this could materially affect our results of operations.

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

Our business requires a substantial amount of capital. We may acquire additional capital from the issuance of senior securities or other indebtedness, the issuance of additional shares of our common stock, the issuance of warrants or subscription rights to purchase certain of our securities, or from securitization transactions or through SBIC LP's SBA debentures. However, we may not be able to raise additional capital in the future on favorable terms or at all. We may issue debt securities or preferred securities, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” and we may borrow money from banks, through our SBIC or other financial institutions, up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act permits us to issue senior securities or incur indebtedness only in amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such issuance or incurrence, exclusive of the SBA debentures pursuant to our SEC exemptive relief. Our ability to pay dividends or issue additional senior securities would be restricted if our asset coverage ratio were not at least 200%. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to liquidate a portion of our investments and repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous, which could materially damage our business.

We may in the future issue securities for which there is no public market and for which we expect no public market to develop.

In order to raise additional capital, we may issue debt or other securities registered on this registration statement for which no public market exists, and for which no public market is expected to develop. If we issue shares of our common stock as a component of a unit security, we would expect the common stock to separate from the other securities in such unit after a period of time or upon occurrence of an event and to trade publicly on the NASDAQ, which may cause volatility in our publicly traded common stock. To the extent we issue securities for which no public market exists and for which no public market develops, a purchaser of such securities may not be able to liquidate the investment without considerable delay, if at all. If a market should develop for our debt and other securities, the price may be highly volatile, and our debt and other securities may lose value.

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

The professionals of our Investment Adviser and Administrator 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 affiliates of PennantPark Investment that currently exist or may be formed in the future. The Investment Adviser and Administrator may be engaged by such funds at any time and without the prior approval of our stockholders or our board of directors. Our board of directors monitors any potential conflict that may arise upon such a development. Accordingly, if this occurs, 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. Officers of our Investment Adviser and Administrator are currently providing managerial assistance to our controlled affiliate.

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

We have entered into a license agreement (the “License Agreement”) with PennantPark Investment Advisers, pursuant to which our Investment Adviser has agreed to grant us a royalty-free non-exclusive license to use the name “PennantPark.” Under the License Agreement, we will have the right to use the “PennantPark” name for so long as the Investment Adviser or one of its affiliates remains our investment adviser. Other than with respect to this limited license, we have no legal right to the “PennantPark” name. In addition, we pay PennantPark Investment Administration, an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by PennantPark Investment Administration in performing its obligations under our Administration Agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the cost of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and their respective staffs. These arrangements may create conflicts of interest that our board of directors must monitor.

Our Investment Adviser, its officers and employees and its investment committee serve or may serve as officers, directors or principals of entities or investment funds that operate in the same or a related line of business as us. Accordingly, these individuals may have obligations to investors in those entities or funds, the fulfillment of which might not be in our best interests or the best interests of our stockholders. In addition, we note that any affiliated investment vehicle currently formed or formed in the future and managed by the Investment Adviser or its affiliates may have overlapping investment objectives with our own and, accordingly, may invest in asset classes similar to those targeted by us. As a result, the Investment Adviser may face conflicts in allocating investment opportunities between us and such other entities. Although the Investment Adviser will endeavor to allocate investment opportunities in a fair and equitable manner that is consistent with applicable allocation procedures, it is possible that, in the future, we may not be given the opportunity to participate in investments made by investment funds managed by the Investment Adviser or an investment manager affiliated with the Investment Adviser. In any such case, if our Investment Adviser forms other affiliates in the future, we may co-invest on a concurrent basis with such other affiliates, subject to compliance with applicable regulations and regulatory guidance, as well as applicable allocation procedures.

Our wholly owned SBIC subsidiary is licensed by the SBA and is subject to SBA regulations.

Effective July 30, 2010, our wholly owned subsidiary, SBIC LP, received a license from the SBA to operate as an SBIC under the 1958 Act and is regulated by the SBA. The SBA places certain limitations on the financing terms of investments by SBICs in portfolio companies and regulates the types of financings and prohibits investing in certain industries. Compliance with SBIC requirements may cause our SBIC subsidiary to invest at less competitive rates according to applicable SBA regulations.

Further, SBA regulations require that a licensed SBIC be periodically examined and audited by the SBA to determine its compliance with the relevant SBA regulations. If our SBIC subsidiary fails to comply with applicable SBA regulations, the SBA could, depending on the severity of the violation, limit or prohibit its use of debentures, declare outstanding debentures immediately due and payable, and/or limit it from making new investments. In addition, the SBA can revoke or suspend a license for willful or repeated violation of, or willful or repeated failure to observe, any provision of the 1958 Act or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder. These actions by the SBA would, in turn, negatively affect us because our SBIC subsidiary is our wholly owned subsidiary.

SBA-guaranteed debentures are non-recourse to us, have a 10-year maturity, and may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The interest rate of SBA-guaranteed debentures is fixed at the time of issuance at a market-driven spread over 10-year U.S. Treasury Notes. Leverage through SBA-guaranteed debentures is subject to required capitalization thresholds. SBA current regulations limit the amount that SBIC LP may borrow to a maximum of $150 million, which is up to twice its regulatory capital. This means that SBIC LP may access the maximum borrowing if it has $75 million in regulatory capital, which generally equates to the amount of its equity capital, which is subject to SBA approval.

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

Because we borrow funds to make investments 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 net asset value attributable to our common stock than it would if we did not use debt. Our ability to pay distributions is restricted when our asset coverage ratio is not at least 200%, exclusive of the SBA debentures pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, and any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness are not available for distribution to our common stockholders.

Our current debt is governed by the terms of our credit facility and may in the future 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 debt. 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.

Additionally, our subsidiary, SBIC LP, has received borrowed funds from the SBA through its debenture program and has received commitments for additional SBA debentures. In connection with the filing of its SBA license application, PennantPark Investment received exemptive relief, as of June 1, 2011, from the SEC to permit us to exclude the debt of SBIC LP from our consolidated asset coverage ratio.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to capitalize SBIC LP with sufficient regulatory capital to access the maximum borrowing amount available with respect to the SBA debentures. Our ratio of total assets on a consolidated basis to outstanding indebtedness may be less than 200%, which while providing increased investment flexibility, would also increase our exposure to risks associated with leverage.

If we incur additional debt, it could increase the risk of investing in our shares.

We have indebtedness outstanding pursuant to our credit facility and the SBA debentures. We expect in the future to borrow additional amounts, subject to market and regulatory availability, and may increase the size of our credit facility, refinance our credit facility, and/or increase the SBA debenture commitment. Lenders have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are superior to the claims of our common stockholders or preferred stockholders, if any, and we have granted a security interest in our assets, excluding those of SBIC LP, in connection with our credit facility borrowings. In the case of a liquidation event, those lenders would receive proceeds before our stockholders. Additionally, the SBA as a lender and an administrative agent, has a superior claim over the assets of our SBIC in relation to our lender. In addition, borrowings and SBA debentures, also a form of leverage, magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and, therefore, increase the risks associated with investing in our securities. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique. If the value of our assets decreases, leveraging would cause the net asset value attributable to our common stock to decline more than it otherwise would have had we not leveraged. Similarly, any decrease in our revenue would cause our net income to decline more than it would have had we not borrowed funds and could negatively affect our ability to make distributions on our common or preferred stock. Our ability to service any debt that we incur depends largely on our financial performance and is subject to prevailing economic conditions and competitive pressures.

As of June 30, 2011, we had outstanding borrowings of $157.7 million (including a $21.0 million temporary draw) under PennantPark Investment's credit facility and $75.0 million outstanding under the SBA debentures (including temporary financings of $30.0 million that will reset in September 2011). Our consolidated debt outstanding was $232.7 million and had a weighted average annual interest rate at the time of 2.02% exclusive of the fee on undrawn commitment of 0.20% and 3.43% upfront fees on the SBA debentures. Accordingly, to cover the annual interest on our borrowings outstanding at June 30, 2011, at the then current rate, we would have to receive an annual yield of at least 0.57%. This example is for illustrative purposes only, and actual interest rates on our credit facility borrowings and SBA debentures are likely to fluctuate. The costs associated with our borrowings, including any increase in the management fee payable to our Investment Adviser, will be borne by our common stockholders.

As a business development company, we generally are required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings and other senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200% of total indebtedness. If this ratio declines below 200%, we may not be able to incur additional debt and may need to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is disadvantageous to do so, and we may not be able to make distributions.

The following table is designed to illustrate the effect on return to a holder of our common stock of the leverage created by our use of borrowing at June 30, 2011 of 28% of total assets (including such borrowed funds), at a weighted average rate at the time of 2.02%, and assuming hypothetical annual returns on our portfolio of minus 10 to plus 10 percent. The table also assumes that we will maintain a constant level and weighted average rate of leverage. The amount of leverage that we use will vary from time to time. As can be seen, leverage generally increases the return to stockholders when the portfolio return is positive and decreases return when the portfolio return is negative. Actual returns may be greater or less than those appearing in the table.

We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates that may affect our cost of capital and net investment income.

Since we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income depends, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest those 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 the period from June 25, 2007, when we executed our credit facility, through June 30, 2011, the applicable LIBOR rate has decreased from 5.3% to 0.3%. In periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds will increase, which could reduce our net investment income. We may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. These techniques may include various interest rate hedging activities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. These activities may limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to the hedged portfolio. Adverse developments resulting from changes in interest rates or hedging transactions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, we have limited experience in entering into hedging transactions, and we will initially have to purchase or develop such expertise. See “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations-Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk” for more information.

A rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to our Investment Adviser with respect to Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income.

Furthermore, the initial rate on SBIC LP's temporary SBA debentures will be reset in September 2011, the next pooling date, at a spread above the 10-year U.S. Treasury Bond rate and will remain fixed for 10 years from such date. Thus, while the rate is fixed for temporary borrowings from March 2011 until September 2011, we are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates until September 2011 on any current and future temporary borrowings. In addition, SBA debentures incurred the future may bear significantly less attractive borrowing terms depending upon the then-applicable fixed rates.

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 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.

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

As a result of an issuance of debt securities, including SBA debentures, we would be exposed to typical risks associated with leverage, including an increased risk of loss and an increase in expenses, which are ultimately borne by our common stockholders. Payment of interest on such debt securities must take preference over any other dividends or other payments to our common stockholders. If we issue debt securities, it is likely that such securities will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. In addition, such securities may be rated by rating agencies, and in obtaining a rating for such securities, we may be required to abide by operating and investment guidelines that could further restrict our operating flexibility. Furthermore, any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness would not be available for distributions to our common stockholders.

If we issue preferred stock, debt securities, convertible debt securities or units, 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 and/or debt securities would result in a higher yield or return to the holders of our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, debt securities, convertible debt or units 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, or the interest rate on the debt securities, 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, or the interest rate on the debt securities, were to exceed the net rate of return on our portfolio, the use of leverage would result in a lower rate of return to the holders of common stock than if we had not issued the preferred stock or debt securities. 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 decline in net asset value would also tend to cause a greater decline in the market price for our common stock.

There is also a risk that, in the event of a sharp decline in the value of our net assets, we would be in danger of failing to maintain required asset coverage ratios which may be required by the preferred stock, debt securities, convertible debt or units or of a downgrade in the ratings of the preferred stock, debt securities, convertible debt or units or our current investment income might not be sufficient to meet the dividend requirements on the preferred stock or the interest payments on the debt securities. In order to counteract such an event, we might need to liquidate investments in order to fund redemption of some or all of the preferred stock, debt securities, convertible debt or units. 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, debt securities, convertible debt or any combination of these securities. Holders of preferred stock, debt securities, convertible debt or units may have different interests than holders of common stock and may at times have disproportionate influence over our affairs.

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

The 1940 Act requires that holders of shares of preferred stock must be entitled as a class to elect two directors at all times and to elect a majority of the directors if dividends on such preferred stock are in arrears by two years or more, until such arrearage is eliminated. In addition, certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock, including changes in fundamental investment restrictions and conversion to open-end status and, accordingly, preferred stockholders could 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, might impair our ability to maintain our qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The trading market or market value of any publicly issued debt or convertible debt securities may be volatile.

If we publicly issue debt or convertible debt securities, they may or may not have an established trading market. We cannot assure investors that a trading market for our publicly issued debt or convertible debt securities would 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, our publicly issued debt or convertible debt securities. These factors include the following:

 

There also may be a limited number of buyers for our debt securities. This too may materially adversely affect the market value of the debt securities or the trading market for the debt securities. Our debt securities may include convertible features that cause them to more closely bear risks associated with an investment in our common stock.

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

Our credit ratings, if any, are an assessment of our ability to pay our obligations. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings will generally affect the market value of any publicly issued 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, any publicly issued debt securities.

Terms relating to redemption may materially adversely affect the return on any debt securities.

If we issue debt or convertible debt securities that are redeemable at our option, we may choose to redeem the debt securities at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on the debt securities. In addition, if the debt securities are subject to mandatory redemption, we may be required to redeem the debt securities at times when prevailing interest rates are lower than the interest rate paid on the debt securities. In this circumstance, a holder of our debt securities 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.

If we issue subscription rights, warrants or convertible debt that are exchangeable for our common stock, your interest in us may be diluted as a result of such rights, warrants or convertible debt offering.

Stockholders who do not fully exercise rights, warrants or convertible debt issued to them in an offering of subscription rights, warrants or convertible debt to purchase our common stock should expect that they will, at the completion of the offering, own a smaller proportional interest in us than would otherwise be the case if they fully exercised their rights, warrants or convertible debt. We cannot state precisely the amount of any such dilution in share ownership because we do not know what proportion of the common stock would be purchased as a result of any such offering.

In addition, if the subscription price, warrant price or convertible debt price is less than our net asset value per share of common stock at the time of such offering, then our stockholders would experience an immediate dilution of the aggregate net asset value of their shares as a result of the offering. The amount of any such decrease in net asset value is not predictable because it is not known at this time what the subscription price, warrant price, convertible debt price or net asset value per share will be on the expiration date of such offering or what proportion of our common stock will be purchased as a result of any such offering.

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.

We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including the interest rate payable on the debt securities we acquire, the default rate on such securities, the level of our expenses, 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. However, as a result of our irrevocable election to apply the fair value option to our credit facility future decreases of fair value of our debt will have a corresponding increase to our net asset value. Further increases of fair value of our debt will have the opposite effect. This will tend to mitigate volatility in our earnings and net asset value. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business.

We and our portfolio companies are subject to regulation by laws at the local, state and federal levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may be changed from time to time. Accordingly, any change in these laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our board of directors may change our investment objectives, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.

Our board of directors has the authority to modify or waive certain of our operating policies and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval (except as required by the 1940 Act). However, absent stockholder approval, we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a business development company. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies and strategies would have on our business, operating results and value of our stock. Nevertheless, the effects may adversely affect our business and impact our ability to make distributions.

RISKS RELATING TO THE ILLIQUID NATURE OF OUR PORTFOLIO ASSETS

We invest in illiquid assets, and our valuation procedures with respect to such assets may result in our recording values that are materially different than the values we ultimately receive upon disposition of such assets.

All of our investments are recorded using broker or dealer quotes, or at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. We expect that primarily most, if not all, of our investments (other than cash and cash equivalents) and credit facility borrowings will be classified as Level 3 under ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements. This means that our portfolio valuations will be based on unobservable inputs and our own assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability. We expect that inputs into the determination of fair value of our portfolio investments and credit facility borrowings will require significant management judgment or estimation. Even if observable market data is available, such information may be the result of consensus pricing information or broker quotes which include a disclaimer that the broker would not be held to such a price in an actual transaction. The non-binding nature of consensus pricing and/or quotes accompanied by disclaimer materially reduces the reliability of such information.

Determining fair value requires that judgment be applied to the specific facts and circumstances of each portfolio investment while employing a consistently applied valuation process for the types of investments we make. In determining fair value in good faith, we generally obtain financial and other information from portfolio companies, which may represent unaudited, projected or pro forma financial information. Unlike banks, we are not permitted to provide a general reserve for anticipated loan losses; we are instead required by the 1940 Act to specifically fair value each individual investment on a quarterly basis. We record unrealized appreciation if we believe that the underlying portfolio company has appreciated in value. Likewise, we record unrealized depreciation if we believe that the underlying portfolio company has depreciated in value. As a result, there will be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.

We adjust quarterly the valuation of our portfolio to reflect our board of directors' determination of the fair value of each investment in our portfolio. Any changes in fair value are recorded in the statement of operations as net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation.

At each quarter-end, many of our portfolio assets are recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. As we invest a greater percentage of our total assets in private investments, more of our portfolio assets will be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. Our board of directors uses the services of one or more nationally recognized independent valuation firms to aid it in determining the fair value of these securities. The factors that may be considered in fair value pricing of our investments include the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company's ability to make payments and its earnings and cash flows, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to publicly traded companies and other relevant factors. Because valuations 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 ready market for these securities existed. Additionally, valuations of private securities and private companies are inherently uncertain. Our net asset value could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of our investments were materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon the disposal of such securities.

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

We may acquire our investments directly from the issuer in privately negotiated transactions. Substantially all of these securities are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than publicly traded securities. We typically exit our investments when the portfolio company has a liquidity event such as a sale, refinancing, or initial public offering of the company, but we are not required to do so.

The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult or impossible for us to sell such investments if the need arises, particularly in light of recent market developments in which investor appetite for illiquid securities was substantially diminished. 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 have material non-public information regarding such portfolio company.

Securities purchased by us that are liquid at the time of purchase may subsequently become illiquid due to events relating to the issuer of the securities, market events, economic conditions or investor perceptions. Domestic and foreign markets are complex and interrelated, so that events in one sector of the world markets or economy, or in one geographical region, can reverberate and have materially negative consequences for other market, economic or regional sectors in a manner that may not be foreseen and which may materially harm our business.

A general disruption in the credit markets could materially damage our business.

We are susceptible to the risk of significant loss if we are forced to discount the value of our investments in order to provide liquidity to meet our liability maturities. Our borrowings under our credit facility are collateralized by the assets in our investment portfolio. A general disruption in the credit markets could result in a diminished appetite for our securities. In addition, with respect to over-the-counter traded securities, the continued viability of any over-the-counter secondary market depends on the continued willingness of dealers and other participants to purchase the securities.

If the fair value of our assets declines substantially, we may fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act, which could, in turn, cause us to lose our status as a business development company and materially impair our business operations. Our liquidity could be impaired further by an inability to access the capital markets or to draw down our credit facility. These situations may arise due to circumstances that we may be unable to control, such as a general disruption in the credit markets, a severe decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, a sharp economic downturn or an operational problem that affects third parties or us, and could materially damage our business.

We rely in part on our over-the-counter securities to provide us with adequate liquidity, but even these securities did face liquidity constraints under recent market conditions.

The market for other over-the-counter traded securities has weakened in the recent past as the viability of any over-the-counter secondary market depends on the continued willingness of dealers and other participants to purchase the securities.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INVESTMENTS

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

We intend to invest primarily in senior secured loans, mezzanine debt and selected equity investments issued by U.S. middle-market companies.

In addition, investing in middle-market companies involves a number of significant risks, including but not limited to:

We may invest up to 30% of our assets in investments that are not qualifying assets for business development companies under the 1940 Act. If we do not invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could be precluded from investing in assets that we deem to be attractive.

As a business development company, we may not acquire any asset other than qualifying assets, as defined under the 1940 Act, unless at the time the acquisition is made such qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the value of our total assets. Qualifying assets include investments in U.S. operating companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange and companies listed on a national securities exchange subject to a market capitalization limit of $250 million. Qualifying assets also include cash, cash items, government securities and high quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.

We believe that most of our senior secured loans and mezzanine debt investments 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 will be prohibited from making any additional investment that is not a qualifying asset and could be forced to forgo attractive investment opportunities. 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 comply with the 1940 Act. If we need to dispose of such investments quickly, it would be difficult to dispose of such investments on favorable terms. For example, we may have difficulty in finding a buyer and, even if we do find a buyer, we may have to sell the investments at a substantial loss.

We are a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and therefore we generally are not limited with respect to the proportion of our assets that may be invested in securities of a single issuer.

We are classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that we are not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of our assets that we may invest in securities of a single issuer, excluding limitations on stake holdings in investment companies. To the extent that we assume large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, our net asset value may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market's assessment of the issuer. We may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Beyond our income tax diversification requirements, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our investments could be concentrated in relatively few portfolio companies.

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

Many of our portfolio companies are susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions and may be unable to repay our loans during these periods. Therefore, our non-performing assets are likely to increase, and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during these periods. 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 material 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 materially 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 potential termination of its loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize our portfolio company's ability to meet its obligations under the debt securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company. Depending on the facts and circumstances of our investments and the extent of our involvement in the management of a portfolio company, upon the bankruptcy of a portfolio company, a bankruptcy court may recharacterize our debt investments as equity investments and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. This could occur even though we may have structured our investment as a senior secured loan.

If we fail to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies, this 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:

We have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. We may elect not to make follow-on investments or otherwise lack sufficient funds to make those investments. Any 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 business development company requirements or the desire to maintain our tax status.

Because we do not generally hold controlling equity interests in our portfolio companies, we are not 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.

Because we do not, generally, have controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies, 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, including controlled equity interests, presents certain challenges, including the lack of available or comparable 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 intend to continue to invest primarily in privately held companies. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and we will rely on the ability of our Investment Adviser's investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If they are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and we may lose value on our investments. Also, privately held companies frequently have less diverse product lines and smaller market presence than larger competitors. These factors could materially adversely affect our investment returns as compared to companies investing primarily in the securities of public companies.

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

We invest primarily in senior secured loans, mezzanine debt and equity investments issued by our portfolio companies. The portfolio companies usually will 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, the 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.

Our incentive fee may induce the Investment Adviser to make speculative investments.

The incentive fee payable by us to PennantPark Investment Advisers may create an incentive for PennantPark Investment Advisers 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 incentive fee payable to our Investment Adviser is calculated based on a percentage of our return on invested capital. This 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. In addition, our Investment Adviser will receive the incentive fee based, in part, upon net capital gains realized on our investments. Unlike that portion of the incentive fee based on income, there is no hurdle applicable to the portion of the incentive fee based on net capital gains. As a result, the Investment Adviser may have a tendency to invest more capital 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 part of our incentive fee payable to PennantPark Investment Advisers that relates to net investment income is computed and paid on income that has been accrued but that may not have been received in cash. PennantPark Investment Advisers is not obligated to reimburse us for any such incentive fees even if we subsequently incur losses or never receive in cash the deferred income that was previously accrued. As a result, there is a risk that we will pay incentive fees with respect to income that we never receive in cash.

We may make investments that cause our shareholders to bear investment advisory fees and other expenses on such investments in addition to our management fees and expenses.

We may invest, to the extent permitted by law, in the securities and instruments of other investment companies and companies that would be investment companies but are excluded from the definition of an investment company provided in Section 3(c) of the 1940 Act. To the extent we so invest, we will bear our ratable share of any such investment company's expenses, including management and performance fees. We will also remain obligated to pay investment advisory fees, consisting of a base management fee and incentive fees, to PennantPark Investment Advisers with respect to investments in the securities and instruments of other investment companies under our Investment Management Agreement. With respect to any such investments, each of our stockholders will bear his or her share of the investment advisory fees of PennantPark Investment Advisers as well as indirectly bearing the investment advisory 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 investment income for that quarter (before deducting incentive compensation, net operating losses and certain other items) above a threshold return for that quarter. Our pre-incentive fee net investment income for incentive compensation purposes excludes realized and unrealized capital losses that we may incur in the fiscal quarter, even if such capital losses result in a net loss on our statement of operations for that quarter. Thus, we may be required to pay our Investment Adviser 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.

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

Our investment strategy contemplates potential investments in securities of companies located outside of the United States, to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act. Investing in companies located outside of the United States 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.

Although most of our investments will be U.S. dollar-denominated, any investments denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will 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.

We may expose ourselves to risks if we engage in hedging transactions.

If we engage in hedging transactions, we may expose ourselves to risks associated with such transactions. We may borrow under a credit facility in currencies selected to minimize our foreign currency exposure or use 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.

While we may enter into such 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.

RISKS RELATING TO AN INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMON STOCK

Because we intend to distribute substantially all of our income to our stockholders to maintain our status as a RIC, we will need to raise additional capital to finance our growth. If funds are not available to us, we may need to curtail new investments, and our common stock value could decline.

In order to satisfy the requirements applicable to a RIC, we intend to distribute to our stockholders substantially all of our net ordinary income and net capital gain income except for certain net long-term capital gains, some or all of which we may retain, pay applicable income taxes with respect thereto and elect to treat as deemed distributions to our stockholders. As a business development company, we generally are required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total senior securities, which includes all of our borrowings, exclusive of the SBA debentures pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, and any preferred stock we may issue in the future, of at least 200% of indebtedness. This requirement limits the amount we may borrow. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments or sell additional common stock and, depending on the nature of our leverage, to repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales and repayments may be disadvantageous. In addition, the issuance of additional securities could dilute the percentage ownership of our current stockholders in us.

We will be partially dependent on our SBIC subsidiary for cash distributions to enable us to meet the RIC distribution requirements. Our SBIC subsidiary may be limited by the SBA regulations governing SBICs, from making certain distributions to us that may be necessary to maintain our status as a RIC. We may have to request a waiver of the SBA's restrictions for our SBIC subsidiary to make certain distributions to maintain our RIC status. We cannot assure you that the SBA will grant such waiver and if our SBIC subsidiary is unable to obtain a waiver, compliance with the SBA regulations may result in an entity-level tax on us.

There is a risk that our stockholders may not receive distributions or that our distributions may not grow over time.

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 be limited in our ability to make distributions. Further, if more stockholders opt to receive cash dividends and other distributions 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 distribution payments, which could materially harm our business. Finally, to the extent we make distributions to stockholders which include a return of capital, that portion of the distribution essentially constitutes a return of the stockholders' investment. Although such return of capital may not be taxable, such distributions may increase an investor's tax liability for capital gains upon the future sale of our common stock.

Investing in our shares may involve an above average degree of risk.

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

We may again obtain the approval of our stockholders to issue shares of our common stock at prices below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock. If we receive such approval from the stockholders, we may again issue shares of our common stock at a price below the then current net asset value per share of common stock. Any such issuance could materially dilute your interest in our common stock and reduce our net asset value per share.

We may again obtain the approval of our stockholders to issue shares of our common stock at prices below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock. Such approval has allowed and may again allow us to access the capital markets in a way that we typically are unable to do as a result of restrictions that, absent stockholder approval, apply to business development companies under the 1940 Act. Any decision to sell shares of our common stock below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock is subject to the determination by our board of directors that such issuance and sale is in our and our stockholders' best interests.

Any sale or other issuance of shares of our common stock at a price below net asset value per share has resulted and will continue to result in an immediate dilution to your interest in our common stock and a reduction of our net asset value per share. This dilution would occur as a result of a proportionately greater decrease in a stockholder's interest in our earnings and assets and voting interest in us than the increase in our assets resulting from such issuance. Because the number of future shares of common stock that may be issued below our net asset value per share and the price and timing of such issuances are not currently known, we cannot predict the actual dilutive effect of any such issuance. We also cannot determine the resulting reduction in our net asset value per share of any such issuance at this time. We caution you that such effects may be material, and we undertake to describe all the material risks and dilutive effects of any offering that we make at a price below our then current net asset value in the future in a prospectus supplement issued in connection with any such offering.

We may allocate the net proceeds from an offering in ways with which you may not agree.

We have significant flexibility in investing the net proceeds of an offering and may use the net proceeds from an offering in ways with which you may not agree or for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of the offering.

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. Our shares have traded above and below our NAV. Our shares traded on NASDAQ Global Select Market at $11.21 and $10.61 as of June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, respectively. Our NAV was $11.08 and $10.69, as of June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, respectively. 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 is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value will decrease. It is not possible to predict whether our shares will trade at, above or below net asset value in the future.

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock 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 but are not limited to:

Since our initial listing on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, our shares of common stock have traded at a wide range of prices. We can offer no assurance that our shares of common stock will not display similar volatility in future periods.

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 cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less 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.

The SBA also limits an SBIC from investing idle funds to the following types of securities:

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.

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 PennantPark Investment Corporation or the removal of our directors. We are subject to the Maryland Business Combination Act, the application of which is 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, including approval by a majority of our disinterested directors. If the resolution exempting business combinations is repealed or our board 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.

In addition, 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 such act, it may make it more difficult for a third party to obtain control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating such an offer. Our bylaws require us to consult with the SEC staff before we repeal such exemption. Also, our charter provides for classifying our board of directors in three classes serving staggered three-year terms, and provisions of our charter authorizes 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 anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a change of control in circumstances that could give our stockholders the opportunity to realize a premium over the market price for our common stock.

There is a risk that our common stockholders may receive our stock as dividends, in which case they may be required to pay tax in excess of the cash they receive.

In January 2010, the Internal Revenue Service extended a revenue procedure that temporarily allows a RIC to distribute its own stock as a dividend for the purpose of fulfilling its distribution requirements. Pursuant to this revenue procedure, a RIC may treat a distribution of its own stock as a dividend if (1) the stock is publicly traded on an established securities market in the United States, (2) the distribution is declared with respect to a taxable year ending on or before December 31, 2011 and (3) each shareholder may elect to receive his or her entire distribution in either cash or stock of the RIC subject to a limitation on the aggregate amount of cash to be distributed to all shareholders, which must be at least 10% of the aggregate declared distribution. If too many shareholders elect to receive cash, each shareholder electing to receive cash will receive a pro rata amount of cash (with the balance of the distribution paid in stock). In no event will any shareholder electing to receive cash receive less than 10% of his or her entire distribution in cash. We have not elected to distribute stock as a dividend but reserve the right to do so.

If we distribute our common stock as a dividend of our taxable income, a shareholder could receive up to 90% of the amount of the dividend declared in shares of our common stock with the remaining amount in cash. The total dividend declared would be taxable income to a shareholder although he or she may only receive 10% of the dividend in cash to pay any taxes due on the dividend.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements, which relate to both us and our consolidated SBIC subsidiary regarding future events or our future performance or financial condition. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, our beliefs and our assumptions. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus involve risks and uncertainties for both us and our consolidated SBIC subsidiary, including statements as to:

We use words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “seeks” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward looking statements as our actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including the factors set forth in our preliminary prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere.

We have based the forward-looking statements included in this prospectus on information available to us on the date of this prospectus, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in this prospectus, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through supplemental prospectus that we in the future may file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K.

You should understand that, under Sections 27A(b)(2)(B) of the Securities Act and Section 21E(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act, the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, do not apply to statements made in connection with any offering of securities pursuant to this prospectus or in periodic reports we file under the Exchange Act.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We may use the net proceeds from selling securities pursuant to this prospectus to reduce our then-outstanding obligations under our credit facility, to invest in new or existing portfolio companies, to form and capitalize a subsidiary or for other general corporate purposes. Any supplements to this prospectus relating to an offering may more fully identify the use of the proceeds from such offering.

As of June 30, 2011, PennantPark Investment had $157.3 million unused borrowing capacity, subject to maintenance of the applicable total assets to debt ratio of 200%, and $157.7 million in borrowings outstanding under our $315.0 million credit facility. Borrowings under our credit facility bear interest at an annual rate equal to LIBOR plus 100 basis points per annum. At June 30, 2011, the interest rate at that time was 1.49%. The credit facility is a five-year revolving facility with a stated maturity date of June 25, 2012 and is secured by substantially all of the assets in our investment portfolio, excluding assets of SBIC LP. Amounts repaid under our credit facility remain available for future borrowings. See “Recent Developments” in “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for more information.

We may invest the proceeds from an offering of securities in new or existing portfolio companies, and such investments may take up to a year from the closing of such offering, in part because privately negotiated investments in illiquid securities or private middle-market companies require substantial due diligence and structuring. During this period, we may use the net proceeds from our offering to reduce then-outstanding obligations under our credit facility, which may dilute our net asset value per share, or to invest such proceeds in cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. We expect to earn yields on such investments, if any, that are lower than the interest income that we anticipate receiving in respect of investments in our assets. As a result, any distributions we make during this investment period may be lower than the distributions that we would expect to pay when such proceeds are fully invested in non-temporary investments. The management fee payable by us will not be reduced while our assets are invested in any such temporary investments. See “Regulation-Temporary Investments” for more information.

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

We have derived the financial information below from our audited and unaudited financial data and, in the opinion of management, such information reflects all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) that are necessary to present fairly the results of such periods. The Statement of operations data, Per share data and Balance sheet data for the years ended September 30, 2010, 2009 and 2008, and for the period from January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007 are derived from our financial statements which have been audited by KPMG LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm. The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the respective consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto in this prospectus or as previously filed by us with the SEC and “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Regulation-Senior Securities” in this prospectus. Interim results as of and for the nine months ended June 30, 2011, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending September 30, 2011. The selected financial data for the nine months ended June 30, 2011 should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto and “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Regulation-Senior Securities” in this prospectus.

		Nine months  ended June 30, 2011			Year ended September 30, 2010			Year ended September 30, 2009			Year ended September 30, 2008			For the period from January 11, 2007 (inception) through September 30, 2007
(Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data)		Unaudited			Audited			Audited			Audited			Audited
Statement of operations data:
Total investment income	$	65,599		$	60,140		$	45,119		$	39,811		$	13,107
Total expenses		28,049			28,065			22,400			21,676			6,444
Net investment income		37,550			32,075			22,719			18,556			7,304
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)		3,878			(15,539	)		13,083			(59,259	)		(24,004	)
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations		41,428			16,535			35,802			(40,703	)		(16,699	)
Per share data:
Net asset value (at period end)		11.08			10.69			11.85			10.00			12.83
Net investment income (1)		0.92			1.09			1.08			0.88			0.35
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (1)		0.09			(0.53	)		0.62			(2.81	)		(1.15	)
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations (1)		1.01			0.56			1.70			(1.93	)		(0.80	)
Distributions declared (1),(2)		(0.27	)		(1.09	)		(0.96	)		(0.90	)		(0.36	)
Balance sheet data (at period end):
Total assets		817,593			711,494			512,381			419,811			555,008
Total investment portfolio		778,944			664,724			469,760			372,148			291,017
Borrowings outstanding		230,650		(3)	233,641		(3)	175,475		(3)	202,000			10,000
Payable for investments and unfunded investments		61,314			74,988			25,821			—			273,339
Total net asset value		504,939			386,575			300,580			210,728			270,393
Other data:
Total return (4)		13.00	%		44.79	%		30.39	%		(38.58	)%		(8.29	)%
Number of portfolio companies (at period end) (5)		47			43			42			37			38
Yield on debt portfolio (at period end) (5)		13.1	%		12.7	%		11.4	%		11.1	%		10.1	%

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The information contained in this section should be read in conjunction with the selected financial data and our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

Overview

PennantPark Investment Corporation is a business development company whose objectives are to generate both current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity investments primarily in U.S. middle-market companies in the form of senior secured loans, mezzanine debt and equity investments.

We believe the middle-market offers attractive risk-reward to investors due to the limited amount of capital available for such companies. PennantPark Investment seeks to create a diversified portfolio that includes senior secured loans, mezzanine debt and equity investments by investing approximately $10 million to $50 million of capital, on average, in the securities of middle-market companies. We use the term “middle-market” to refer to companies with annual revenues between $50 million and $1 billion. We expect this investment size to vary proportionately with the size of our capital base. The companies in which we invest are typically highly leveraged, and, in most cases, are not rated by national rating agencies. If such companies were rated, we believe that they would typically receive a rating below investment grade (between BB and CCC under the Standard & Poor's system) from the national rating agencies. In addition, we expect our debt investments to generally range in maturity from three to ten years.

Our investment activity depends on many factors, including the amount of debt and equity capital available to middle-market companies, the level of merger and acquisition activity for such companies, the general economic environment and the competitive environment for the types of investments we make. The turmoil in the credit markets has adversely affected each of these factors and has resulted in a broad-based reduction in the demand for middle-market debt instruments. These conditions may present us with attractive investment opportunities, as we believe that there are many middle-market companies that need senior secured and mezzanine debt financing. We have used, and expect to continue to use, our credit facility, the SBA debentures, proceeds from the rotation of our portfolio and proceeds from public and private offerings of securities to finance our investment objectives.

Organization and Structure of PennantPark Investment Corporation

PennantPark Investment Corporation was organized under the Maryland General Corporation Law in January 2007. We are a closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act. As such, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. For instance, we generally have to invest at least 70% of our total assets in “qualifying assets”, including securities of U.S. private companies or thinly traded public companies, public companies with a market capitalization of less than $250 million, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high quality debt investments that mature in one year or less.

Our wholly owned subsidiary, PennantPark SBIC LP, was organized as a Delaware limited partnership on May 7, 2010 and received a license from the SBA to operate as an SBIC under Section 301(c) of the 1958 Act on July 30, 2010. The SBIC LP's investment objective is substantially similar to PennantPark Investment, generally co-investing in SBA eligible businesses that meet the investment criteria of PennantPark Investment.

Our investment activities are managed by PennantPark Investment Advisers. Under our Investment Management Agreement, we have agreed to pay our Investment Adviser an annual base management fee based on our average adjusted gross assets as well as an incentive fee based on our investment performance. PennantPark Investment, through the Investment Adviser, manages day-to-day operations of and provides investment advisory services to SBIC LP under its investment management agreement. The SBIC LP investment management agreement does not affect the management or incentive fees that we pay to the Investment Adviser on a consolidated basis. We have also entered into an Administration Agreement with PennantPark Investment Administration. Under our Administration Agreement, we have agreed to reimburse the Administrator for our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations under our Administration Agreement, including rent and our allocable portion of the costs of compensation and related expenses of our chief compliance officer, chief financial officer and their respective staffs. PennantPark Investment, through the Administrator, provides similar services to SBIC LP under its administration agreement with us. Our board of directors, a majority of whom are independent of us and PennantPark Investment Advisers, supervises our activities.

Revenues

We generate revenue in the form of interest income on the debt securities we hold and capital gains and distributions, if any, on investment securities that we may acquire in portfolio companies. Our debt investments, whether in the form of senior secured loans or mezzanine debt, typically have a term of three to ten years and bear interest at a fixed or floating rate. Interest on debt securities is generally payable quarterly or semiannually. In some cases, some of our investments provide for deferred interest payments or PIK. The principal amount of the debt securities and any accrued but unpaid interest generally becomes due at the maturity date. In addition, we may generate revenue in the form of commitment, origination, structuring or diligence fees, fees for providing managerial assistance and possibly consulting fees. Loan origination fees, original issue discount and market discount or premium are capitalized, and we accrete or amortize such amounts into income. We record contractual prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as income. Dividend income, if any, is recognized on an accrual basis on the ex-dividend date to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts.

Expenses

Our primary operating expenses include the payment of management fees to our Investment Adviser, our allocable portion of overhead under our Administration Agreement and other operating costs as detailed below. Our management fee compensates our Investment Adviser for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, consummating and monitoring our investments. Additionally, we pay interest expense on the outstanding debt we accrue under our credit facility and SBA debentures. We bear all other direct or indirect costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including:

During periods of asset growth, we expect our general and administrative expenses to be relatively stable or decline as a percentage of total assets and increase during periods of asset declines. Incentive fees, interest expense and costs relating to future offerings of securities would be additive.

The SEC requires that estimated “Total Annual Expenses” be calculated as a percentage of net assets in the chart on page 4 of this prospectus rather than as a percentage of total assets. Total assets include assets that have been funded with borrowed money (leverage). For reference, the chart below illustrates our estimated “Total Annual Expenses” as a percentage of total assets:

Estimated Annual Expenses (as a Percentage of Average Total Assets)

 

Critical Accounting Policies

The discussion of our financial condition and results of operation is based upon our Consolidated Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these Consolidated Financial Statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ. In addition to the discussion below, we describe our critical accounting policies in the notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Valuation of Portfolio Investments

Most of our investments consist of illiquid securities. Our board of directors generally uses market quotations to assess the value of our investments for which market quotations are readily available. We obtain these market values from independent pricing services or at the bid prices obtained from at least two broker/dealers if available, otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer. If the board of directors has a bona fide reason to believe any such market quote does not reflect the fair value of an investment, it may independently value such investments by using the valuation procedure that it uses with respect to assets for which market quotations are not readily available. First lien secured debt, subordinated debt and other debt investments with maturities greater than 60 days generally are valued by an independent pricing service or at the bid prices from at least two broker/dealers (if available, otherwise by a principal market maker or a primary market dealer). Investments, of sufficient credit quality, purchased within 60 days of maturity are valued at cost plus accreted discount, or minus amortized premium, which approximates value.

We expect that there will not be readily available market values for most, if not all, of the investments which are or will be in our portfolio. We value such investments at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors using a documented valuation policy, described below, and a consistently applied valuation process. With respect to investments for which there is no readily available market value, the factors that the board of directors may take into account in pricing our investments at fair value include, as relevant, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to publicly traded securities and other relevant factors. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity sale occurs, we consider the pricing indicated by the external event to corroborate or revise our valuation. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the fair value of our investments may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had a readily available market value existed for such investments, and the differences could be material.

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

Fair Value, as defined under ASC 820, is the price that we would receive upon selling an investment or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction to a market participant in the principal or most advantageous market for the investment or liability. ASC 820 emphasizes that valuation techniques maximize the use of observable market inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability, including assumptions about risk. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of PennantPark Investment. Unobservable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability based on the best information available to us at the reporting period date.

ASC 820 classifies the inputs used to measure these fair values into the following hierarchies:

Level 1: Inputs that are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, accessible by us at the measurement date.

Level 2: Inputs that are quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, or that are quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term, if applicable, of the financial instrument.

Level 3: Inputs that are unobservable for an asset or liability because they are based on our own assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability.

A financial instrument's categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Generally, most of our investments and long-term Credit Facility are classified as Level 3. Due to the inherent uncertainty of determining the fair value of investments that do not have a readily available market value, the price used in an actual transaction may be different than our valuation and those differences may be material.

The inputs into the determination of fair value may require significant management judgment or estimation. Even if observable market data are available, such information may be the result of consensus pricing information or broker quotes which may include a disclaimer that the broker would not be held to such a price in an actual transaction. The non-binding nature of consensus pricing and/or quotes from brokers/dealers accompanied by disclaimer would result in classification as Level 3 information, assuming no additional corroborating evidence was available. Corroborating evidence that would result in classifying these non-binding broker/dealer bids as a Level 2 asset includes observable market-based transactions for the same or similar assets or other relevant observable market based inputs that may be used in pricing an asset.

Our investments are generally structured as debt and equity investments in the form of senior secured loans, mezzanine debt and equity co-investments. The transaction price, excluding transaction costs, is typically the best estimate of fair value at inception. When evidence supports a subsequent change to the carrying value from the original transaction price, adjustments are made to reflect the expected exit value for an investment. Ongoing reviews by the Investment Adviser and independent valuation firms are based on an assessment of each underlying investment, incorporating valuations that consider the evaluation of financing and sale transactions with third parties, expected cash flows and market-based information including comparable transactions, performance multiples and yields, among other factors. These non-public investments using unobservable inputs are included in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

A review of fair value hierarchy classifications is conducted on a quarterly basis. Changes in our ability to observe valuation inputs may result in a reclassification for certain financial assets or liabilities. Reclassifications impacting Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are reported as transfers in or out of the Level 3 category as of the end of the quarter in which the reclassifications occur.

In addition to using the above inputs in cash equivalents, investments and Credit Facility valuations, PennantPark Investment employs the valuation policy approved by its board of directors that is consistent with ASC 820 (See Note 2). Consistent with our valuation policy, PennantPark Investment evaluates the source of inputs, including any markets in which its investments are trading, in determining fair value.

The carrying value of PennantPark Investment’s selected financial liabilities approximates fair value. We adopted ASC 825-10, which provides companies with an option to report selected financial assets and liabilities at fair value, and made an irrevocable election to apply ASC 825-10 to its long-term credit facility. We elected to use the fair value option for our credit facility to align the measurement attributes of both our assets and liabilities while mitigating volatility in earnings from using different measurement attributes. ASC 825-10 establishes presentation and disclosure requirements designed to facilitate comparisons between companies that choose different measurement attributes for similar types of assets and liabilities and to more easily understand the effect of a company’s choice to use fair value on its earnings. ASC 825-10 also requires entities to display the fair value of the selected assets and liabilities on the face of the balance sheet. Accordingly, we record changes in fair value of our credit facility in our Consolidated Statement of Operations.

Revenue Recognition

We record interest income on an accrual basis to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts. For loans and debt investments with contractual PIK interest which represents contractual interest accrued and added to the loan balance that generally becomes due at maturity, we will generally not accrue PIK interest if the portfolio company valuation indicates that such PIK interest is not collectible. We do not accrue as a receivable interest on loans and debt investments if we determine that it is probable that we will not be able to collect such interest. Loan origination fees, original issue discount, market discount or premium and deferred financing costs on our debt are capitalized, and we then amortize such amounts as interest income or expense as applicable. We record contractual prepayment premiums on loans and debt investments as income. Dividend income, if any, is recognized on an accrual basis on the ex-dividend date to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts.

Net Realized Gains or Losses and Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation

We measure realized gains or losses by the difference between the net proceeds from the repayment or sale and the amortized cost basis of the investment, using the specific identification method, without regard to unrealized appreciation or depreciation previously recognized, but considering unamortized upfront fees and prepayment penalties. Net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation reflects the change in portfolio investment values during the reporting period, including any reversal of previously recorded unrealized appreciation or depreciation, when gains or losses are realized.

Payment-in-Kind Interest or PIK

We have investments in our portfolio which contain a PIK interest provision. PIK interest is added to the principal balance of the investment and is recorded as income. For us to maintain our status as a RIC, substantially all of this income must be paid out to stockholders in the form of dividends, even though we have not collected any cash with respect to PIK securities.

Federal Income Taxes

We operate so as to qualify to maintain our election to be taxed as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code and intend to continue to do so. Accordingly, we are not subject to federal income tax on the portion of our taxable income and gains distributed to stockholders. To qualify as a RIC, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income as defined by the Code. Although not required for us to maintain our RIC tax status, we must also distribute an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of our ordinary income (during each calendar year) plus 98.2% of our net capital gains (during each 12 month period ending on October 31) to avoid a 4% excise tax.

Because federal income tax regulations differ from GAAP, distributions in accordance with tax regulations may differ from net investment income and realized gains recognized for financial reporting purposes. Differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts in the financial statements to reflect their tax character. Temporary differences arise when certain items of income, expense, gain or loss are recognized at some time in the future. Differences in classification may also result from the treatment of short-term gains as ordinary income for tax purposes.

Portfolio and Investment Activity

As of June 30, 2011, our portfolio totaled $778.9 million and consisted of $299.0 million of senior secured loans, $127.3 million of second lien secured debt, $284.5 million of subordinated debt and $68.1 million of preferred and common equity investments. Our portfolio consisted of 53% fixed rate investments, 35% variable rate investments with a LIBOR or prime floor and 12% variable rate investments. Overall, the portfolio had an unrealized appreciation of $15.1 million. Our overall portfolio consisted of 47 companies with an average investment size of $16.6 million, a weighted average yield on debt investments of 13.1%, and was invested 38% in senior secured loans, 16% in second lien secured debt, 37% in subordinated debt and 9% in preferred and common equity investments.

As of September 30, 2010, our portfolio totaled $664.7 million and consisted of $234.6 million of senior secured loans, $156.7 million of second lien secured debt, $223.9 million of subordinated debt and $49.5 million of preferred and common equity investments. Our portfolio consisted of 49% fixed-rate investments, 26% variable rate investments with a LIBOR or prime floor and 25% variable rate investments. Overall, the portfolio had an unrealized appreciation of $8.0 million. Our overall portfolio consisted of 43 companies with an average investment size of $15.5 million, a weighted average yield on debt investments of 12.7%, and was invested 35% in senior secured loans, 24% in second lien secured debt, 34% in subordinated debt and 7% in preferred and common equity investments.

As of September 30, 2009, our portfolio totaled $469.8 million and consisted of $150.6 million of senior secured loans, $134.4 million of second lien secured debt, $157.1 million of subordinated debt and $27.7 million of preferred and common equity investments. Our debt portfolio consisted of 40% fixed-rate investments, 13% variable rate investments with a LIBOR or prime floor and 47% variable-rate investments. Overall, the portfolio had an unrealized depreciation of $27.5 million. Our overall portfolio consisted of 42 companies with an average investment size of $11.2 million and a weighted average yield on debt investments of 11.4%, and was invested 32% in senior secured loans, 29% in second lien secured debt, 33% in subordinated debt and 6% in preferred and common equity investments.

For the three months ended June 30, 2011, we invested $145.5 million in three new and four existing portfolio companies with a weighted average yield on debt investments of 13.5%. Sales and repayments of long-term investments for the three months ended June 30, 2011 totaled $119.3 million. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011, we invested $342.0 million in thirteen new and seven existing portfolio companies with a weighted average yield of 13.9% on debt investments. Sales and repayments of long-term investments totaled $256.4 million for the same period.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, we purchased $309.5 million of investments issued by 17 new and 12 existing portfolio companies with an overall weighted average yield of 14.9% on debt investments. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009, we purchased $112.7 million in 11 new and 8 existing portfolio companies with an overall weighted average yield of 14.5% on debt investments.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Set forth below are the results of operations for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010.

Investment Income

Investment income for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011 was $22.9 million and $65.6 million, respectively, and was primarily attributable $7.7 million and $22.8 million from senior secured loans, $3.5 million and $9.5 million from second lien secured debt investments, and $8.5 million and $24.8 million from subordinated debt investments, respectively. This compares to investment income for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2010, which was $16.3 million and $43.4 million, respectively, and was primarily attributable to $4.7 million and $11.4 million from senior secured loans, $3.3 million and $9.8 million from second lien secured debt investments and $6.6 million and $17.9 million from subordinated debt investments, respectively. The increase in investment income compared with the same period in the prior year is due to the growth of our portfolio and rotation out of our lower yielding investments.

Expenses

Expenses for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011, totaled $9.7 million and $28.1 million, respectively. Base management fee for the same respective periods totaled $3.8 million and $10.9 million, performance-based incentive fees totaled $3.3 million and $9.4 million, credit facility and SBA debentures expenses totaled $1.3 million and $3.6 million, general and administrative expenses totaled $1.3 million and $4.0 million, respectively, and excise tax for the nine months ended June 30, 2011 totaled $0.2 million. This compares to expenses for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2010, which totaled $7.5 million and $20.3 million, respectively. Base management fee for the same respective periods totaled $3.0 million and $8.3 million, performance-based incentive fees totaled $2.2 million and $5.8 million, Credit Facility expenses totaled $1.0 million and $2.6 million, general and administrative expenses totaled $1.3 million and $3.5 million, respectively, and excise tax for the nine months ended June 30, 2010 totaled $0.1 million. The increase in expenses is due to growth of both the portfolio and net investment income.

Net Investment Income

Net investment income totaled $13.2 million and $37.5 million, or $0.29 and $0.92 per share, for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011, respectively. For the same respective periods in the prior year, net investment income totaled $8.8 million and $23.1 million, or $0.28 and $0.82 per share.

Net Realized Gains or Losses

Sales and repayments of long-term investments for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011 totaled $119.3 million and $256.4 million and realized gains totaled $6.2 million and $8.7 million, respectively, due to sales and refinancings of our debt investments. Sales and repayments of long-term investments for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2010 totaled $59.2 million and $82.7 million and realized gains (losses) totaled $0.1 million and $(16.6) million, respectively, due to sales and repayments of our debt investments.

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation or Depreciation on Investments and Credit Facility

For the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011, our investments had a net change in unrealized (depreciation) appreciation of $(16.5) million and $7.1 million, respectively. For the three and nine months ended June 30, 2010, our investments had a net change in unrealized (depreciation) appreciation of $(1.5) million and $32.3 million, respectively. The net change in unrealized appreciation on our investments over the prior year is the result of changes in the leveraged credit markets over the comparable periods. On June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, net unrealized appreciation on investments totaled $15.1 million and $8.0 million, respectively.

For the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011, our long-term credit facility had a net change in unrealized appreciation of $0.6 million and $11.9 million, respectively. For the three and nine months ended June 30, 2010, our long-term credit facility had a net change in unrealized appreciation of $3.2 million and $28.9 million, respectively. The net change in unrealized appreciation on our credit facility over the prior year is the result of it approaching maturity and the reduced borrowings outstanding over the comparable periods. On June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, net unrealized depreciation on our long-term credit facility totaled $2.1 million and $14.0 million, respectively.

Net Increase in Net Assets Resulting from Operations

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations totaled $2.3 million and $41.4 million, respectively, or $0.05 per share and $1.01 per share, respectively, for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011. This compares to a net increase in net assets resulting from operations which totaled $4.3 million and $9.9 million, respectively, or $0.13 per share or $0.35 per share, for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2010. This change in net assets from operations is due to the continued growth in net investment income primarily as a result of growing our portfolio, offset by the appreciation in the value of our long-term credit facility as it approaches maturity in June 2012.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Set forth below are our results of operations for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010, 2009 and 2008.

Investment Income

Investment income for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, was $60.1 million, and was primarily attributable to $16.9 million from senior secured loan investments, $13.2 million from second lien secured debt investments, and $24.7 million from subordinated debt investments for the same period. The remaining investment income was primarily attributed to interest income from net accretion of discount and amortization of premium. The increase in investment income over the prior year was due to growth of our portfolio which was also driven by investment of the proceeds from our equity offerings and rotation out of lower yielding assets.

Investment income for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009, was $45.1 million, and was primarily attributable to $6.0 million from senior secured loan investments, $12.2 million from second lien secured debt investments, and $24.1 million from subordinated debt investments for the same period. The remaining investment income was primarily attributed to interest income from net accretion of discount and amortization of premium. The increase in investment income over the prior year was due to the growth in our overall portfolio.

Investment income for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008, was $39.8 million, and was primarily attributable to $16.2 from senior secured loan investments, $14.7 million from second lien secured debt investments, and $7.2 million from subordinated debt investments for the same period. The remaining investment income was primarily attributed to interest income from short-term investments and to net accretion of discount and amortization of premium. The increase in investment income over the prior year was due to the growth of our portfolio and the transition of the portfolio from temporary to long-term investments.

Expenses

Expenses for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, totaled $28.0 million. Base management fee for the same period totaled $11.6 million, performance-based incentive fee totaled $8.0 million, credit facility and SBA debentures related expenses totaled $3.7 million, general and administrative expenses totaled $4.6 million and an excise tax of $0.1 million was incurred. The increase in expenses over the prior year was primarily due to the growth of our portfolio and net investment income.

Expenses for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009, totaled $22.4 million. Base management fee for the same period totaled $7.7 million, performance-based incentive fee totaled $5.7 million, credit facility related expenses totaled $4.6 million and general and administrative expenses totaled $4.4 million. The increase in expenses over the prior year was primarily due to the growth of our portfolio and offset by the reduced borrowing costs under our credit facility.

Net expenses for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008, totaled $21.2 million. Net base management fee for the same period totaled $6.7 million, performance-based incentive fee totaled $3.8 million, credit facility related expense totaled $6.3 million and general and administrative expenses totaled $4.4 million. The increase in expenses other the prior year was due to the growth of our portfolio and the incurrence of additional borrowing costs under our credit facility.

Net Investment Income

Net investment income totaled $32.1 million or $1.09 per share, $22.7 million or $1.08 per share and $18.6 million or $0.88 per share, respectively, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010, 2009 and 2008. The increase in per share net investment income from 2009 to 2010 was the result of the growth of our portfolio offset by the dilutive effect of issuing shares below our net asset value.

Net Realized Losses

Sales and repayments of long-term investments for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010, 2009 and 2008, totaled $145.2 million, $28.0 million and $70.1 million, respectively, and net realized losses totaled $15.4 million, $39.2 million and $11.2 million, respectively. Net realized losses decreased over the prior year due to improvements in the overall leveraged finance markets.

Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation) on Investments and Credit Facility

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments totaled $35.5 million, $44.5 million and $(48.1) million for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. Net change in unrealized (appreciation) depreciation on credit facility totaled $(35.7) million and $7.8 million for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments improved over the prior year due to the overall improvements in the leveraged finance markets. Net change in unrealized (appreciation) on our credit facility over the prior year is the result of it approaching maturity.

Net Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets Resulting From Operations

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations totaled $16.5 million or $0.56 per share, $35.8 million or $1.70 per share, and $(40.7) million or $(1.93) per share for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. The net increase in net assets from operations over the prior year was due to the continued growth in net investment income as a result of growing our portfolio, offset by realized losses and the appreciation in the value of our credit facility as it approaches maturity. The net increase in net assets resulting from operations decreased from 2008 to 2009, primarily due to a decline in the leveraged finance markets.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our liquidity and capital resources are derived from our credit facility, SBA debentures and cash flows from operations, including investment sales and repayments, and income earned. Our primary use of funds from operations includes investments in portfolio companies and other operating expenses we incur. We used, and expect to continue to use, these capital resources as well as proceeds from rotation within our portfolio and from public and private offerings of securities to finance our investment objectives.

We may raise additional equity or debt capital through both registered offerings off a shelf registration and private offerings of securities, by securitizing a portion of our investments or borrowing from the SBA through our SBIC subsidiary, among other considerations. Any future additional debt capital we incur, to the extent it is available under current credit market conditions, may be issued at a higher cost and on less favorable terms and conditions than our current credit facility. We continuously monitor conditions in the credit markets and seek opportunities to enhance our debt structure as our credit facility matures in June 2012. Furthermore, our availability under the credit facility depends on various covenants and restrictions discussed in the next paragraph. The primary uses of existing funds and any funds raised in the future is expected to be for repayment of indebtedness, investments in portfolio companies, cash distributions to our shareholders and other general corporate purposes.

On June 25, 2007, PennantPark Investment entered into its credit facility, among us, various lenders and SunTrust Bank, as administrative agent for the lenders. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Capital Markets acted as the joint lead arranger and JPMorgan Chase (Chase Lincoln First Commercial as successor in interest of Bear Stearns Corporate Lending Inc.) acted as joint lead arranger and syndication agent. As of June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010 and 2009, there were $157.7 million (including a $21.0 million temporary draw), $233.1 million (including a $5.2 million temporary draw) and $225.1 million (including a $7.0 million temporary draw) in outstanding borrowings under the credit facility, with a weighted average interest rate at the time of 1.49%, 1.34% and 1.31%, exclusive of the fee on undrawn commitment of 0.20%, respectively.

As of June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010 and 2009, we had $157.3 million, $66.9 million and $74.9 million, respectively, of unused borrowing capacity under our credit facility, subject to certain covenants, restrictions on certain payments and issuance of debt as discussed below. Under the credit facility, the lenders agreed to extend us credit in an aggregate principal or face amount not exceeding $315.0 million at any one time outstanding. The credit facility is a five-year revolving facility (with a stated maturity date of June 25, 2012) and is secured by substantially all of our investment portfolio assets, except for those assets of SBIC LP. Pricing of borrowings under our credit facility is set at 100 basis points over LIBOR.

The credit facility contains affirmative and restrictive covenants, including but not limited to maintenance of a minimum shareholders’ equity of the greater of (i) 40% of the total assets of PennantPark Investment and its subsidiaries as of the last day of any fiscal quarter and (ii) the sum of (A) $120,000,000 plus (B) 25% of the net proceeds from the sale of equity interests in PennantPark Investment and its subsidiaries after the closing date of the credit facility and maintenance of a ratio of total assets (less total liabilities other than indebtedness) to total indebtedness, in each case of PennantPark Investment, of not less than 2.0:1.0 (excluding any exemptive relief granted by the SEC with respect to the indebtedness of any SBIC subsidiary). In addition to the asset coverage ratio described in the preceding sentence, borrowings under our credit facility (and the incurrence of certain other permitted debt) are subject to compliance with a borrowing base that applies different advance rates to different types of assets in PennantPark Investment’s portfolio. As of June 30, 2011, September 30, 2010 and 2009, we were in compliance with the terms of our credit facility.

On February 11, 2011, we sold 9.2 million shares of our common stock at a price of $12.40 per share resulting in net proceeds of $108.3 million. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, we sold 10.8 million shares of our common stock below the then current net asset value per share, inclusive of the underwriters' over-allotment options, resulting in net proceeds of $101.7 million. This compares to selling 4.3 million shares of common stock resulting in net proceeds of $32.5 million in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009, excluding the underwriters' over-allotment option. Any decision to sell shares below the then current net asset value per share of our common stock in one or more offerings is subject to the approval of our stockholders and the determination by our board of directors that such issuance and sale is in our and our stockholders' best interests. Any sale or other issuance of shares of our common stock at a price below net asset value per share has resulted and will continue to result in an immediate dilution to our stockholder's interest in our common stock and a reduction of our net asset value per share.

As of June 30, 2011, we had committed to SBIC LP $75.0 million ($50.0 million funded), had SBA debentures outstanding of $75.0 million with a weighted average interest rate at the time of 3.14%, exclusive of 3.43% of upfront fees. As of September 30, 2010, we had committed to SBIC LP $50.0 million ($14.5 million funded), had SBA debentures outstanding of $14.5 million with a weighted average interest rate at the time of 0.84%, exclusive of 3.43% of upfront fees. As of June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, SBIC LP had $25.0 million and $19 million, respectively, of remaining unused borrowing capacity subject to customary regulatory requirements. SBA debentures are non-recourse to us, have a 10-year maturity, and may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The interest rate of SBA debentures is fixed at the time of issuance, often referred to as pooling, at a market-driven spread over 10-year U.S. Treasury Notes. SBA current regulations limit the amount that SBIC LP may borrow to a maximum of $150 million, which is up to twice its potential regulatory capital. This means that SBIC LP may access the maximum borrowing if it has $75 million in regulatory capital.

As of June 30, 2011, SBIC LP had a debenture commitment from the SBA in the amount of $100.0 million with $75.0 million outstanding. Of the $75.0 million of SBA debentures outstanding, $45.0 million is fixed for 10 years with a weighted average rate of 4.45%, inclusive of the SBA annual fee, and $30.0 million is temporary financing currently bearing a weighted average rate of 1.18% that will reset to a market-driven rate in September 2011 and will remain fixed thereafter for 10 years.

The SBIC program is designed to stimulate the flow of capital into eligible businesses. Under SBA regulations, SBIC LP is subject to regulatory requirements including making investments in SBA eligible businesses, investing at least 25% of regulatory capital in eligible smaller businesses, as defined under the 1958 Act, placing certain limitations on the financing terms of investments, prohibiting investment in certain industries, requiring capitalization thresholds that limit distributions to us, and is subject to periodic audits and examinations. As of June 30, 2011 and September 30, 2010, SBIC LP was in compliance with its regulatory requirements.

On June 1, 2011, we received exemptive relief from the SEC allowing us to modify the asset coverage requirement to exclude the SBA debentures from the calculation. Accordingly, our ratio of total assets on a consolidated basis to outstanding indebtedness may be less than 200%, which while providing increased investment flexibility, would also increase our exposure to risks associated with leverage.

As of June 30, 2011, we had $57.8 million of assets bearing a coupon of 9% or lower. We intend to seek to rotate these assets into new, higher yielding investments over time.

Our operating activities used cash of $35.8 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2011, and our financing activities provided cash of $62.8 million for the same period, primarily from our common stock offering and SBA debentures issued offset by net repayments under the credit facility.

Our operating activities used cash of $101.6 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2010, and our financing activities provided cash of $69.6 million for the same period, primarily from our common stock offering.

Our operating activities used cash of $127.1 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, and our financing activities provided net cash proceeds of $95.6 million for the same period. Our operating activities used cash primarily for investing that was provided from, primarily, proceeds from our follow-on public offerings of common stock and draws under the credit facility and SBA debentures.

Our operating activities used cash of $42.4 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2009, and our financing activities provided net cash proceeds of $35.4 million for the same period, primarily from proceeds from a follow-on public offering of common stock. Our operating activities used cash primarily for investing, that was provided from proceeds from a secondary public offering and draws under the credit facility.

Our operating activities used cash of $395.8 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008, and our financing activities provided cash proceeds of $178.1 million for the same period, primarily from borrowings under our credit facility. Our operating activities used cash primarily for investing that was provided from proceeds from our credit facility.

Contractual Obligations

A summary of our significant contractual payment obligations as of June 30, 2011 including, but not limited to, borrowings under our multi-currency $315.0 million, five-year, senior secured revolving credit facility maturing in June 2012 are as follows:

Under our Administration Agreement, which was renewed in February 2011, PennantPark Investment Administration furnishes us with office facilities and administrative services necessary to conduct our day-to-day operations. PennantPark Investment, through the Administrator, provides similar services to SBIC LP under an administration agreement with SBIC LP, which is intended to have no effect on the consolidated administration fee. We, through the Administrator, provide administrative and managerial assistance to our controlled affiliate, SPH. If requested to provide managerial assistance to our portfolio companies, we or PennantPark Investment Administration will be paid an additional amount based on the services provided. Payment under our Administration Agreement is based upon our allocable portion of the Administrator's overhead in performing its obligations under our Administration Agreement, including rent, technology systems, insurance and our allocable portion of the costs of our chief compliance officer, chief financial officer and their respective staffs.

If any of our contractual obligations discussed above are terminated, our costs under new agreements that we enter into may increase. In addition, we will likely incur significant time and expense in locating alternative parties to provide the services we expect to receive under our Investment Management Agreement and our Administration Agreement. Any new Investment Management Agreement would also be subject to approval by our stockholders.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We currently engage in no off-balance sheet arrangements, including any risk management of commodity pricing or other hedging practices.

Distributions

In order to qualify as a RIC and to not be subject to corporate-level tax on income, we are required, under Subchapter M of the Code, to distribute at least 90% of the sum of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains, if any, to our stockholders on an annual basis. Although not required for us to maintain our RIC tax status, we must also distribute an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of our ordinary income (during each calendar year) plus 98.2% of our net capital gains (during each 12 month period ending on October 31) to avoid a 4% excise tax. For the nine months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, we elected to retain a portion of our calendar year income and record an excise tax of $0.2 million and $0.1 million, respectively.

During the three and nine months ended June 30, 2011, we declared distributions of $0.27 and $0.80 per share, respectively, for total distributions of $12.3 million and $34.0 million, respectively. For the same periods in the prior year, we declared distributions of $0.26 and $0.77 per share, respectively, for total distributions of $8.2 million and $22.9 million, respectively. During the fiscal years ended September 30, 2010, 2009 and 2008, we declared to stockholders distributions of $1.03, $0.96 and $0.90 per share, respectively, for total distributions of $32.3 million, $20.2 million and $19.0 million, respectively. We monitor available net investment income to determine if a tax return of capital may occur for the fiscal year. To the extent our taxable earnings fall below the total amount of our distributions for any given fiscal year, a portion of those distributions may be deemed to be a tax return of capital to our common stockholders. Tax characteristics of all distributions will be reported to stockholders on Form 1099 after the end of the calendar year.

Recent Developments

On July 22, 2011, SBIC LP received a debt commitment from the SBA for an additional $50.0 million, bringing its total debt commitment from the SBA to $150.0 million.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure about Market Risk

We are subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. During the period covered by this prospectus, many of the loans in our portfolio had floating interest rates. These loans are usually based on a floating LIBOR rate and typically have durations of one to three months, after which they reset to current market interest rates.

Assuming that the current balance sheet was to remain constant, and no actions were taken to alter the existing interest rate sensitivity, a hypothetical immediate 1% change in interest rates may affect net income by more than 1% over a one-year horizon. Although management believes that this measure is indicative of our sensitivity to interest rate changes, it does not adjust for potential changes in the credit market, credit quality, size and composition of the assets on the balance sheet and other business developments that could affect the net change in net assets resulting from operations, or net income. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that actual results would not differ materially from the statement above.

Because we borrow money to make investments, our net investment income is dependent upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds and the rate at which we invest these funds. In periods of increasing interest rates, our cost of funds would increase, which may reduce our net investment income. As a result, there can be no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates will not have a material adverse effect on our net investment income.

We may hedge against interest rate fluctuations by using standard hedging instruments such as futures, options and forward contracts subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. While hedging activities may insulate us against adverse changes in interest rates, they may also limit our ability to participate in benefits of lower interest rates with respect to our portfolio of investments with fixed interest rates. During the periods covered by this prospectus, we did not engage in interest rate hedging activities.