Vertical Capital Income Fund (VCIF) Announces Results of Shareholder Meeting, a Statement on Valuation and Hurricane Ian, and Estimated Sources of September 2022 Distribution

DALLAS, Sept. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertical Capital Income Fund (NYSE: VCIF) (the "Fund") announced today the results of the 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund held on September 28, 2022.  Shareholders of the Fund voted to re-elect as a trustee Robert J. Boulware, who currently serves as an Independent Trustee and Chairman. 

Also, as the disaster aftermath unfolds along the path of Hurricane Ian, it is important for shareholders to consider that the storm may have caused physical damage to the houses in a few states that secure mortgage notes held by the Fund.  The cost of home repair may be significant and may not be fully covered by a homeowner's insurance.  Additionally, demand for properties in the hurricane impacted area may be lower and home prices may decline as a result.  This is a potential impact on all properties in the area of the hurricane (and ancillary) devastation regardless of whether they were actually physically damaged.  

The Fund's investment adviser, as the Board of Trustees' valuation designee, follows a policy for valuation purposes in the event of a natural disaster when specific information about collateral in disaster areas is not yet available.  Currently, the policy provides that loans owned by the Fund with collateral in counties that have been deemed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as disaster areas, will be reduced in value without additional information initially by 35% to take into account the possibility of damage to the underlying collateral pending the receipt of additional information regarding such collateral.  As inspections or other information about the collateral in those areas becomes available after the disaster, the Fund's investment adviser will modify the valuation of each loan based upon more accurate information.  Many assets backing the Fund's loan may not have damage or other significant displacement or other local housing market value impacts, but it is difficult to ascertain that information immediately after a disaster. 

With Hurricane Ian, eleven (11) counties in Florida were deemed as of this morning by FEMA to be disaster areas.  As of August 31, 2022 the Fund owned 29 loans backed by collateral in those 11 counties.  Notwithstanding other market factors evaluated and applied by our third party valuation firm to the net asset valuation to be determined today for the Fund, applying the initial 35% reduction to the valuation of Hurricane Ian-impacted loans, the Fund's net asset valuation will be reduced by approximately 2.23%.  This temporary natural disaster reduction will be revised based upon more accurate information on the impacted loans by the Fund's next determination of net asset value to be released at the end of October. 

"We would like to express our sympathy and concern for our borrowers and all of those impacted by Hurricane Ian as they work to recover from such a significant natural disaster.  The Fund's  investment adviser and the Fund's service providers will be closely monitoring available information to assess the practical impact on the Fund's next net asset valuation today and again with likely more complete information by the end of October.  We also note that we are pleased to continue to thrive under the leadership of Robert J. Boulware for another term as an Independent Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Trustees with the endorsement of our shareholders via Wednesday's shareholder meeting.  He and our other trustees provide shrewd guidance to aim for the best possible outcomes for our investors during these turbulent market conditions," said Michael D. Cohen, President of the Fund.

Lastly, as previously announced, the Fund paid a monthly distribution of $0.0710 per share to all shareholders of record as of September 20, 2022, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan").

As a general matter, the amount of the Fund's distributable income depends on the aggregate gains and losses realized by the Fund during the entire year. Distributions may consist of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital but the character of these distributions cannot be determined until after the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the terms of the Plan, the Fund may be required to indicate the source of each distribution to its shareholders. The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, and the cumulative distributions paid during the 2022 fiscal year to date from the sources indicated in the table. All amounts are expressed on a per share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.

The Plan will be subject to periodic review by the Board, and the Board may amend the terms of the Plan including amending the annual rate of payment or may terminate the Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund's shareholders.  The Fund's distribution rate may be affected by numerous factors, including changes in realized and projected market returns, Fund performance, and other factors.  There can be no assurance that an unanticipated change in market conditions or other unforeseen factors will not result in a change in the Fund's distribution rate at a future time.  The amendment or termination of the Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares.  The public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks to which the Fund is exposed.  The duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its effects cannot be determined with certainty.  In order to comply with the requirements of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and an exemptive order received by the Fund from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fund will provide its shareholders of record on each distribution date with a 19(a) Notice and issue an accompanying press release disclosing the sources of its distribution payment when a distribution includes anything other than net investment income. 

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in 19(a) Notices are only estimates and are not provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its full fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send shareholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. Information on the Fund's 19(a) Notices, if any, can be found at www.vcif.us. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions in 2022 will be made after the end of the year.

Shares of closed-end funds often trade at a discount from their net asset value. The market price of Fund shares may vary from net asset value based on factors affecting the supply and demand for shares, such as Fund distribution rates relative to similar investments, investors' expectations for future distribution changes, the clarity of the Fund's investment strategy and future return expectations, and investors' confidence in the underlying markets in which the Fund invests. Fund shares are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal invested. No Fund is a complete investment program and you may lose money investing in a Fund. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for all investors. Before investing, prospective investors should consider carefully the Fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses.  For further details, please visit Vertical Capital Income Fund's website at vcif.us.

This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the business and financial outlook of Vertical Capital Income Fund that are based on the Fund's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections and are not guarantees of future performance. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on any such statements. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this release.

About Vertical Capital Income Fund

Vertical Capital Income Fund (VCIF) is an NYSE-listed closed-end fund that seeks monthly income by investing primarily in performing non-agency residential whole loans secured by real estate. As a secondary strategy the Fund aims to provide total return by acquiring performing residential loans at a discount to the unpaid principal balance (UPB). VCIF realizes capital gains as loans are paid off before maturity. For more information visit VCIF.us and connect with the Fund on Twitter.

About Oakline Advisors, LLC

Oakline Advisors, LLC is the adviser to Vertical Capital Income Fund.  Founded in 2013, Oakline Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that specializes in the residential whole loan market. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dallas, TX-based Behringer.  Since its inception in 1989, Behringer, together with its affiliates, has raised equity of more than $6 billion in assets through public and private fund structures.  For more information about Oakline and Behringer please visit their respective websites at oaklineadvisors.com and behringerinvestments.com. 

Fund shares are identified by CUSIP 92535C104

SOURCE Vertical Capital Income Fund