This practice note covers recent market trends affecting business development companies (BDCs), particularly focusing on various types of securities offerings undertaken by public and private BDCs. BDCs are closed-end investment management companies that are specially regulated by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). BDCs provide capital to, and invest in, small and middle-market companies in the United States. As a result of this investment purpose, BDCs are exempt from certain regulatory constraints imposed by the 1940 Act on traditional investment companies and generally benefit from pass-through tax treatment (i.e., the entity is not taxed at the entity level and tax obligations pass to the owners of the entity). For additional information on BDCs.