Correspondence 0001493152-23-029107 from SURO CAPITAL CORP. (SSSS, SSSSL) (CIK 0001509470) (SSSS)
SURO CAPITAL CORP. (SSSS, SSSSL) (CIK 0001509470)
Date: Aug. 16, 2023 · CIK: 0001509470 · Accession: 0001493152-23-029107
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File numbers found in text: 333-272578
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[EVERSHEDS
SUTHERLAND (US) LLP LETTERHEAD]
August
16, 2023
VIA
EDGAR
Christopher
Bellacicco, Esq.
Division
of Investment Management, Disclosure Review Office
U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
100
F Street, N.E.
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Re:
SuRo Capital Corp.
Registration Statement on Form N-2 Filed on June 9,
2023
File No. 333-272578
Dear
Mr. Bellacicco:
On
behalf of SuRo Capital Corp. (the “Company”), set forth below are the Company’s responses to the oral
comments provided by the staff of the Division of Investment Management (the “Staff”) of the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to the Company on July 11, 2023 and August 7, 8, 9, and 15, 2023 with respect
to the Company’s registration statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-272578), filed with the SEC on June 9, 2023 (the “Registration
Statement”), and the prospectus included therein. The Staff’s comments are set forth below and are followed by the
Company’s responses. Where revisions to the Registration Statement are referenced in the responses set forth below, such revisions
have been included in Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC on August 8, 2023 (the “Amended
Registration Statement”), and/or Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement filed with the SEC on August
16, 2023 (the “Second Amended Registration Statement”).
General
1.
Comment:
Please include hyperlinks to all documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
Response:
The Company acknowledges the Staff’s comment and has added hyperlinks to all documents incorporated by reference in the Amended
Registration Statement and Second Amended Registration Statement.
2.
Comment:
With respect to any subsidiary that the Company wholly owns or primarily controls, please:
a.
Disclose that the Company
complies with the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) governing
capital structure and leverage (Section 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act) on an aggregate basis such that the Company treats the debt of
any such subsidiary as the Company’s own for purposes of Sections 18 and 61.
b.
Disclose that any investment
adviser to such subsidiary complies with the provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts (Section 15) as
if it were an investment adviser to the Company under Section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act. Any investment advisory agreement between
such subsidiary and its investment adviser is a material contract that should be included as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
If the same person is the adviser to both the Company and the subsidiary, then, for purposes of complying with Section 15(c), the
reviews of the Company and the subsidiaries’ investment advisory agreement may be combined.
c.
Disclose that each such
subsidiary complies with provisions relating to affiliated transactions and custody, and identify the custodian of the subsidiary,
if any.
d.
Disclose any of the subsidiaries’
principal investment strategies or principal risks that constitute principal investment strategies or risks of the Company. The principal
investment strategies and the principal risk disclosures of the Company should reflect the aggregate operations of the Company and
subsidiary.
Chris Bellacicco, Esq.
August 16 2023
Page 2
e.
Confirm in correspondence
that the subsidiary and its board of directors will agree to inspection by the Staff of the subsidiary’s books and records,
which will be maintained in accordance with Section 31 of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder.
f.
Explain in correspondence
whether the financial statements of such subsidiaries will be consolidated with those of the Company and, if not, please explain
why not.
g.
Disclose that the Company
does not currently intend to create or acquire primary control of any entity which primarily engages in investment activities in
securities or other assets other than entities wholly owned by the Company.
Response:
The Company’s responses to each of the above comments are set forth as follows:
a.
The Company has revised
the disclosure on pages 27 and 80 of the Amended Registration Statement and Second Amended Registration Statement to reflect the
Staff’s comment.
b.
The Company respectfully
advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that it is an internally managed business development company under the 1940 Act, and that
none of the Company or its subsidiaries is a party to an investment advisory agreement. Accordingly, the Company has not modified
the Registration Statement to reflect the Staff’s comment.
c.
The Company has revised
the disclosure on pages 27 and 80 of the Amended Registration Statement and Second Amended Registration Statement to reflect the
Staff’s comment.
d.
The Company has revised
the disclosure on pages 27 and 80 of the Amended Registration Statement and Second Amended Registration Statement to reflect the
Staff’s comment.
e.
The Company respectfully
advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that each of its subsidiaries agrees to inspection by the Staff of the subsidiary’s
books and records, which are maintained in accordance with Section 31 of the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. For the avoidance
of doubt, the Company respectfully advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that each of the Company’s subsidiaries is wholly
owned, and none retains a board of directors independent from the board of directors of the Company.
f.
The Company respectfully
advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that each of its subsidiaries is wholly owned, and the financial statements of each are
consolidated with those of the Company.
g.
The Company has revised
the disclosure on page 27 of the Amended Registration Statement and Second Amended Registration Statement to reflect the Staff’s
comment.
Cautionary
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
3.
Comment:
The Staff refers to the following language in the third paragraph under the “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements” section on page 14 of the Registration Statement: “The forward-looking statements contained in this annual
report on Form 10-K involve risks and uncertainties . . . .” Please revise the reference to Form 10-K.
Response:
The Company has revised the disclosure on page 14 of the Amended Registration Statement and Second Amended Registration Statement to
reflect the Staff’s comment.
Price
Range of Common Stock and Distributions
4.
Comment:
The Staff refers to the table in the “Price Range of Common Stock and Distributions” section on page 15 of the Registration
Statement. Please confirm the Company’s next pre-effective amendment to the Registration Statement will include data in this
table reflecting the entire second quarter and to date.
Response:
The Company respectfully advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that it intends to amend the tabular disclosure contained in the “Price
Range of Common Stock and Distributions” section of the Registration Statement to reflect the most recently available data at the
time of filing any pre-effective amendments to the Registration Statement. To this end, the Company has revised the disclosure on page
15 of the Amended Registration Statement and Second Amended Registration Statement to reflect the Staff’s comment.
Chris Bellacicco, Esq.
August 16 2023
Page 3
5.
Comment:
The Staff refers to the final paragraph in the “Price Range of Common Stock and Distributions” section on page 15 of
the Registration Statement. If the Company’s Board of Directors has taken any action to reduce the historical discount, please
briefly describe and discuss the effect of such measures. See Item 8.5 of Section D of Form N-2.
Response:
The Company respectfully advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that its Board of Directors has taken action to reduce the historical
discount of the Company’s stock trading price comparable to its net asset value by maintaining an active share repurchase program,
as well as approving multiple modified “Dutch Auction” tender offers for the repurchase of shares, including two such tender
offers within the past calendar year. The Company has revised the disclosure on page 15 of the Amended Registration Statement and Second
Amended Registration Statement to reflect the Staff’s comment.
Description
of Our Capital Stock
6.
Comment:
The Staff refers to the following language in the second paragraph under the “Control Share Acquisitions” section on
page 50 of the Registration Statement: “The SEC staff has issued informal guidance setting forth its position that, if a closed-end
investment company opts in to and triggers the Control Share Act, it would not violate Section 18(i) of the 1940 Act if the determination
do so by the board of directors of the closed-end investment company was taken with reasonable care on a basis consistent with other
applicable duties and laws, including those to the fund and its shareholders generally.” Please consider deleting this language
or adding disclosure to indicate this area is unsettled, as the SEC has withdrawn the Boulder no-action letter.
Response:
The Company has revised the disclosure on page 50 of the Amended Registration Statement and Second Amended Registration Statement to
delete the language referenced in the Staff’s comment.
Legality
Opinion
7.
Comment:
The Staff refers to the following language on page 4 of the Legality Opinion authored by Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP: “3.
Upon completion of all Corporate Proceedings relating thereto, the issuance of the Rights will be duly authorized and when issued
and paid for in accordance with the applicable Rights Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the applicable Prospectus
Supplement, the Resolutions, and all Corporate Proceedings relating thereto, the Rights will constitute valid and legally binding
obligations of the Company. . . . 5. Upon completion of all Corporate Proceedings relating thereto, the issuance of the Warrants
will be duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Warrant Agreement, the Registration Statement,
the Prospectus, the applicable Prospectus Supplement, the Resolutions and all Corporate Proceedings relating thereto, the Warrants
will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.” Please add to the end of the sentences comprising these
items the phrase “under the law of the jurisdiction governing the [Rights/Warrants],” as applicable. See Staff
Legal Bulletin No. 19.
Response:
Counsel to the Company has revised the terms on page 4 of the Legality Opinion to the Amended Registration Statement to reflect the Staff’s
comment. This Legality Opinion is incorporated by reference in the exhibits to the Second Amended Registration Statement.
Accounting
Comments
8.
Comment:
The Staff refers to the example expense table under the “Fees and Expenses” section on page 11 of the Registration Statement.
Please confirm that the amounts provided for “5 Years” and “10 Years” in the expense example are accurate.
Our calculations yielded results of $437 for the 5 Year expense and $778 for the 10 Year expense.
Response:
The Company respectfully advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that it has confirmed the calculations provided in the example expense
table for the referenced years and believes that such calculations are accurate. The Company respectfully notes its calculations account
for the repayment of its 6.00% Notes due December 30, 2026 (the “6.00% Notes”) on the stated maturity date, and accordingly
do not carry forward interest expenses associated with the 6.00% Notes beyond such maturity date in the values provided in the expense
example table.
Chris Bellacicco, Esq.
August 16 2023
Page 4
9.
Comment:
The Staff refers to the Financial Highlights section beginning on Page 12 of the Registration Statement. The Company’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 only provides financial data dating back to 2018. Instruction 2 to
Item 4 of Form N-2 requires such information for each of the last ten fiscal years. Please provide this information.
Response:
The Company has revised the disclosure on page 12 of the Amended Registration Statement and Second Amended Registration Statement to
reflect the Staff’s comment.
10.
Comment:
Please explain how the Financial Highlights meet the five-year audit requirement of Item 4 of Form N-2.
Response:
The Company respectfully advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that its financial statements, including financial highlights, for
the preceding five fiscal years were audited by the Company’s current or former independent registered public accounting firm.
The Company has revised the disclosure on page 12 of the Second Amended Registration Statement to incorporate by reference its Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, as amended on August 15, 2023, containing a revised report of its independent
registered public accounting firm, Marcum LLP (“Marcum”), regarding its audit of the financial highlights for
the periods presented, with exception for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, which was audited by a predecessor firm. The Company
has also revised the disclosure on page 12 of the Second Amended Registration Statement to incorporate by reference its Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, which contains the report of its prior independent registered public accounting
firm with respect to its audit of the financial highlights for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.
The
Company respectfully advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that Marcum has represented to the Company that it has not identified
subsequent events required to be reflected or updated in the financial statements or notes thereto as of August 15, 2023, and as such,
the revised report retains its original date.
11.
Comment:
Please explain how the opinion issued in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2022, which is incorporated by reference into the Company’s Registration Statement, is in accordance with PCAOB
Auditing Standard 3105.58.
Response:
The Company respectfully advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that on August 15, 2023, it filed Amendment No. 1 to its Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (the “Amended 10-K”) containing a revised report of
its independent registered public accounting firm, Marcum, referencing the audit of the Company’s financial highlights for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 by a predecessor firm in accordance with PCAOB Auditing Standard 3105.58 and in reflection of the
Staff’s comment. The Company has revised the disclosure contained on page 12 of the Second Amended Registration Statement to incorporate
the Amended 10-K by reference.
12.
Comment:
Please explain how the opinion from the auditor issued in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which is incorporated by reference into the Company’s Registration Statement, covers the
periods presented, in particular, in relation to the financial highlights.
Response:
The Company respectfully advises the Staff on a supplemental basis that on August 15, 2023, it filed the Amended 10-K, which contains
a revised repor