Saratoga Investment Corp. Announces Fiscal Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results and Increases Dividend by $0.01 to $0.42 per Share for the Quarter Ending November 30, 2020
Saratoga Investment Corp. (SAR) reported its fiscal Q3 2021 financial results, showing a 12.3% increase in assets under management (AUM) to $546.9 million compared to the prior year. Net investment income was $4.5 million ($0.40 per share), experiencing a decline from $4.6 million a year prior. The company's net asset value (NAV) rose to $299.9 million with a NAV per share of $26.84. The Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, up by $0.01 from the previous quarter, reflecting confidence despite economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- AUM increased by 12.3% year-over-year to $546.9 million.
- NAV per share rose to $26.84, marking an increase of $0.16 from the previous quarter.
- Quarterly dividend increased by $0.01 to $0.42 per share, signaling confidence in performance.
- Net investment income decreased to $4.5 million from $4.6 million year-over-year.
- Return on equity fell to 11.0% from 17.6% year-over-year.
NEW YORK, Jan. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saratoga Investment Corp. (NYSE:SAR) (“Saratoga Investment” or “the Company”), a business development company (“BDC”), today announced financial results for its 2021 fiscal third quarter.
Summary Financial Information
The Company’s summarized financial information is as follows:
For the quarter ended and as of Nov 30, 2020 | For the quarter ended and as of Aug 31, 2020 | For the quarter ended and as of Nov 30, 2019 | ||||||
($ in thousands except per share) | ||||||||
AUM | 546,944 | 508,117 | 487,031 | |||||
NAV | 299,853 | 298,177 | 282,180 | |||||
NAV per share | 26.84 | 26.68 | 25.30 | |||||
Investment Income | 14,283 | 13,856 | 14,196 | |||||
Net Investment Income per share | 0.40 | 0.48 | 0.46 | |||||
Adjusted Net Investment Income per share | 0.50 | 0.49 | 0.61 | |||||
Earnings per share | 0.57 | 1.95 | 1.37 | |||||
Dividends per share (declared) | 0.42 | 0.41 | 0.56 | |||||
Return on Equity | – last twelve months | 11.0 | % | 14.3 | % | 17.6 | % | |
– annualized quarter | 8.5 | % | 30.1 | % | 21.7 | % | ||
Originations | 51,320 | 31,709 | 40,766 | |||||
Repayments | 18,296 | 23,282 | 51,230 | |||||
“During the past nine challenging months, we and our portfolio companies have managed through substantial economic headwinds and uncertainties and we continue to believe that Saratoga remains well positioned to face potential future economic challenges,” said Christian L. Oberbeck, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Saratoga Investment. “Our third quarter results highlight the strength of our financial position and portfolio performance. Our quarterly metrics include LTM return on equity of
“Portfolio management continues to be critically important, and we are highly discerning in the current environment. Fortunately, we continued to bring new platform investments into the portfolio, with investments in three new companies added this quarter, in addition to the success we continue to have with follow-ons in existing borrowers with strong business models and balance sheets, all totaling
Discussion of Financial Results for the Quarter ended November 30, 2020:
As of November 30, 2020, Saratoga Investment’s assets under management (“AUM”) was
For the three months ended November 30, 2020, total investment income of
As compared to the three months ended November 30, 2019, net investment income decreased due to (i) increased base management fees, professional fees and administrator expenses generated from the management of this larger pool of investments, and (ii) the non-recurrence of a deferred income tax benefit recognized last year. This decrease was partially offset by decreased interest and debt financing expenses, reflecting the repayment of the
Net investment income on a weighted average per share basis was
Net investment income yield as a percentage of average net asset value (“Net Investment Income Yield”) was
Net Asset Value (“NAV”) was
- For the three months ended November 30, 2020,
$4.5 million of net investment income and$6.0 million of net unrealized appreciation were earned, offset by$3.9 million federal tax paid on net capital gains realized in fiscal 2020,$0.2 million deferred tax expense on net unrealized gains in Saratoga Investment’s blocker subsidiaries and$4.6 million of dividends declared. In addition,$0.8 million of stock dividend distributions were made through the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”), and 50,000 shares were purchased for$0.9 million pursuant to the share repurchase plan, all in this quarter.
NAV per share was
- For the three months ended November 30, 2020, NAV per share increased by
$0.16 per share, reflecting the$0.40 per share net investment income and$0.54 per share unrealized appreciation on investments, offset by$0.35 per share tax expense impact on net capital gains realized in fiscal 2020, the second quarter dividend of$0.41 per share declared during this quarter and$0.02 deferred tax expense on net unrealized appreciation in Saratoga Investment’s blocker subsidiaries. The benefit of repurchasing shares below NAV pursuant to the share repurchase plan was offset by the DRIP shares issued during the quarter.
Return on equity for the last twelve months ended November 30, 2020, was
Earnings per share for the quarter ended November 30, 2020, was
Investment portfolio activity for the quarter ended November 30, 2020:
- Cost of investments made during the period:
$51.3 million , including investments in three new portfolio companies. - Principal repayments during the period:
$18.3 million .
Additional Financial Information
For the fiscal quarter ended November 30, 2020, Saratoga Investment reported net investment income of
Adjusted for the incentive fee accrual related to net capital gains, the net investment income was
Total expenses, excluding interest and debt financing expenses, base management fees, incentive management fees and income tax benefit, increased from
Portfolio and Investment Activity
As of November 30, 2020, the fair value of Saratoga Investment’s portfolio was
For the fiscal quarter ended November 30, 2020, Saratoga Investment invested
As of November 30, 2020, the weighted average current yield on Saratoga Investment’s portfolio based on current fair values was
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of November 30, 2020, Saratoga Investment had no outstanding borrowings under its
With
On March 16, 2017, Saratoga Investment entered into an equity distribution agreement with Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., through which Saratoga may offer for sale, from time-to-time, up to
On September 14, 2020, the Company entered into a fifth amendment to the Credit Facility with Madison Capital Funding LLC to, among other things:
- extend the commitment termination date of the Credit Facility from September 17, 2020 to September 17, 2021, with no change to the maturity date of September 17, 2025.
- provide for the transition away from the LIBOR Rate in the market, and
- expand the definition of Eligible Loan Asset to allow investments with certain recurring revenue features to qualify as Collateral and be included in the borrowing base
Dividend
Saratoga Investment has raised its dividend for the past five years. In light of the dramatic uncertainties currently present in the economy, and to ensure we retain liquidity to not only support our current portfolio companies during these challenged times, but to also create new, important relationships through the provision of critically crucial liquidity in new situations, Saratoga Investment’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) deferred its dividend for the final quarter of fiscal 2020.
Furthermore, while many BDCs have spillover obligations from prior years, representing taxable income from past obligations yet to be distributed, Saratoga Investment has historically managed its distributions conservatively so it is current with all spillover obligations, other than those related to our Easy Ice long-term net capital gains. This therefore means that Saratoga Investment is not obligated to pay current dividends related to historical earnings and enabling preservation of precious liquidity in this challenging market environment.
Taking all of this into account, including Saratoga Investment’s recent baby bond issuances and substantially improved position, and the current performance of its portfolio, the Board of Directors paid a
The Board of Directors declared this quarter’s dividend on January 5, 2021, and is payable on February 10, 2021, to common stockholders of record on January 26, 2021. Stockholders have the option to receive payment of the dividend in cash, or receive shares of common stock pursuant to the Company’s DRIP.
Total dividends declared thus far for fiscal year 2021 is
Share Repurchase Plan
In fiscal year 2015, the Company announced the approval of an open market share repurchase plan that allows it to repurchase up to 200,000 shares of its common stock at prices below its NAV as reported in its then most recently published financial statements. During fiscal year 2017, the share repurchase plan was increased to 600,000 shares of common stock, and during fiscal years 2018 through 2021, this share repurchase plan was extended for another year at the same level of approval, currently through January 15, 2022. On May 4, 2020, the Board of Directors increased the share repurchase plan to 1.3 million shares of common stock. During the three months ended November 30, 2020, the Company purchased 50,000 shares of common stock, at the average price of
2021 Fiscal Third Quarter Conference Call/Webcast Information
When: | Thursday, January 7, 2021, 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) |
Call: | Interested parties may participate by dialing (877) 312-9208 (U.S. and Canada) or (678) 224-7872 (outside U.S. and Canada) |
A replay of the call will be available from 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 7, 2021 through 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 14, 2021 by dialing (855) 859-2056 (U.S. and Canada) or (404) 537-3406 (outside U.S. and Canada), passcode for both replay numbers: 6679522. | |
Webcast: | Interested parties may access a simultaneous webcast of the call and find the Q3 2021 presentation by going to the “Events & Presentations” section of Saratoga Investment Corp.’s investor relations website, http://ir.saratogainvestmentcorp.com/events-presentations |
About Saratoga Investment Corp.
Saratoga Investment is a specialty finance company that provides customized financing solutions to U.S. middle-market businesses. The Company invests primarily in senior and unitranche leveraged loans and mezzanine debt, and, to a lesser extent, equity to provide financing for change of ownership transactions, strategic acquisitions, recapitalizations and growth initiatives in partnership with business owners, management teams and financial sponsors. Saratoga Investment’s objective is to create attractive risk-adjusted returns by generating current income and long-term capital appreciation from its debt and equity investments. Saratoga Investment has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is externally-managed by Saratoga Investment Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor focusing on credit-driven strategies. Saratoga Investment owns two SBIC-licensed subsidiaries and manages a
Forward Looking Statements
Statements included herein contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking words such as “outlook,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or negative versions of those words, other comparable words or other statements that do not relate to historical or factual matters. The forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future performance, taking into account all information currently available to us. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, condition or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including but not limited to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic's impact on the U.S. and global economy, as well as those described from time-to-time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Saratoga Investment Corp. undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made herein or on the webcast/conference call, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
Financials
Saratoga Investment Corp. | |||||||
Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities | |||||||
November 30, 2020 | February 29, 2020 | ||||||
(unaudited) | |||||||
ASSETS | |||||||
Investments at fair value | |||||||
Non-control/Non-affiliate investments (amortized cost of | $ | 456,552,179 | $ | 420,442,928 | |||
Affiliate investments (amortized cost of | 21,403,802 | 18,485,854 | |||||
Control investments (amortized cost of | 68,987,521 | 46,703,192 | |||||
Total investments at fair value (amortized cost of | 546,943,502 | 485,631,974 | |||||
Cash and cash equivalents | 21,060,224 | 24,598,905 | |||||
Cash and cash equivalents, reserve accounts | 12,836,663 | 14,851,447 | |||||
Interest receivable (net of reserve of | 4,192,177 | 4,810,456 | |||||
Management fee receivable | 284,256 | 272,207 | |||||
Other assets | 740,361 | 701,007 | |||||
Total assets | $ | 586,057,183 | $ | 530,865,996 | |||
LIABILITIES | |||||||
Revolving credit facility | $ | - | $ | - | |||
Deferred debt financing costs, revolving credit facility | (674,638 | ) | (512,628 | ) | |||
SBA debentures payable | 176,000,000 | 150,000,000 | |||||
Deferred debt financing costs, SBA debentures payable | (2,725,309 | ) | (2,561,495 | ) | |||
60,000,000 | 60,000,000 | ||||||
Deferred debt financing costs, | (1,766,709 | ) | (2,046,735 | ) | |||
43,125,000 | - | ||||||
Deferred debt financing costs, | (1,480,977 | ) | - | ||||
5,000,000 | - | ||||||
Deferred debt financing costs, | (252,746 | ) | - | ||||
Base management and incentive fees payable | 4,775,801 | 15,800,097 | |||||
Deferred tax liability | 1,434,505 | 1,347,363 | |||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | 1,514,585 | 1,713,157 | |||||
Interest and debt fees payable | 931,938 | 2,234,042 | |||||
Directors fees payable | 44,500 | 61,500 | |||||
Due to manager | 278,343 | 543,842 | |||||
Total liabilities | 286,204,293 | 226,579,143 | |||||
NET ASSETS | |||||||
Common stock, par value | |||||||
authorized, 11,170,028 and 11,217,545 common shares issued and outstanding, respectively | 11,170 | 11,218 | |||||
Capital in excess of par value | 288,590,554 | 289,476,991 | |||||
Total distributable earnings | 11,251,166 | 14,798,644 | |||||
Total net assets | 299,852,890 | 304,286,853 | |||||
Total liabilities and net assets | $ | 586,057,183 | $ | 530,865,996 | |||
NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE | $ | 26.84 | $ | 27.13 | |||
Asset Coverage Ratio | 377.3 | % | 607.1 | % | |||
Saratoga Investment Corp. | |||||||
Consolidated Statements of Operations | |||||||
(unaudited) | |||||||
For the three months ended | |||||||
November 30, 2020 | November 30, 2019 | ||||||
INVESTMENT INCOME | |||||||
Interest from investments | |||||||
Interest income: | |||||||
Non-control/Non-affiliate investments | $ | 10,422,586 | $ | 9,749,294 | |||
Affiliate investments | 418,418 | 356,958 | |||||
Control investments | 1,654,359 | 1,300,923 | |||||
Payment-in-kind interest income: | |||||||
Non-control/Non-affiliate investments | 214,422 | 198,984 | |||||
Affiliate investments | 49,333 | 42,397 | |||||
Control investments | 44,896 | 1,250,824 | |||||
Total interest from investments | 12,804,014 | 12,899,380 | |||||
Interest from cash and cash equivalents | 770 | 119,539 | |||||
Management fee income | 623,817 | 629,671 | |||||
Structuring and advisory fee income* | 545,354 | 511,500 | |||||
Other income* | 308,802 | 35,665 | |||||
Total investment income | 14,282,757 | 14,195,755 | |||||
OPERATING EXPENSES | |||||||
Interest and debt financing expenses | 3,559,870 | 3,896,968 | |||||
Base management fees | 2,324,564 | 2,146,214 | |||||
Incentive management fees expense (benefit) | 2,295,000 | 3,102,139 | |||||
Professional fees | 502,979 | 401,010 | |||||
Administrator expenses | 693,750 | 556,250 | |||||
Insurance | 67,010 | 63,936 | |||||
Directors fees and expenses | 60,000 | 60,000 | |||||
General & administrative | 278,734 | 395,024 | |||||
Income tax expense (benefit) | 29,748 | (1,001,089 | ) | ||||
Total operating expenses | 9,811,655 | 9,620,452 | |||||
NET INVESTMENT INCOME | 4,471,102 | 4,575,303 | |||||
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS | |||||||
Net realized gain (loss) from investments: | |||||||
Non-control/Non-affiliate investments | 1,798 | 10,739,678 | |||||
Net realized gain (loss) from investments | 1,798 | 10,739,678 | |||||
Income tax (provision) benefit from realized gain on investments | (3,895,354 | ) | - | ||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments: | |||||||
Non-control/Non-affiliate investments | 4,348,888 | (4,322,305 | ) | ||||
Affiliate investments | 385,414 | (41,295 | ) | ||||
Control investments | 1,264,528 | 3,827,449 | |||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments | 5,998,830 | (536,151 | ) | ||||
Net change in provision for deferred taxes on unrealized (appreciation) depreciation on investments | (210,057 | ) | (1,061,608 | ) | |||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | 1,895,217 | 9,141,919 | |||||
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS | $ | 6,366,319 | $ | 13,717,222 | |||
WEIGHTED AVERAGE - BASIC AND DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE | $ | 0.57 | $ | 1.37 | |||
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING - BASIC AND DILUTED | 11,169,817 | 10,036,086 | |||||
* Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. | |||||||
Saratoga Investment Corp. | |||||||
Consolidated Statements of Operations | |||||||
(unaudited) | |||||||
For the nine months ended | |||||||
November 30, 2020 | November 30, 2019 | ||||||
INVESTMENT INCOME | |||||||
Interest from investments | |||||||
Interest income: | |||||||
Non-control/Non-affiliate investments | $ | 30,585,868 | $ | 26,862,643 | |||
Affiliate investments | 1,204,840 | 873,816 | |||||
Control investments | 4,037,915 | 4,627,395 | |||||
Payment-in-kind interest income: | |||||||
Non-control/Non-affiliate investments | 1,125,306 | 530,728 | |||||
Affiliate investments | 143,574 | 123,812 | |||||
Control investments | 117,449 | 3,226,060 | |||||
Total interest from investments | 37,214,952 | 36,244,454 | |||||
Interest from cash and cash equivalents | 14,176 | 316,691 | |||||
Management fee income | 1,883,825 | 1,888,932 | |||||
Structuring and advisory fee income* | 1,798,660 | 1,875,225 | |||||
Other income* | 523,862 | 509,850 | |||||
Total investment income | 41,435,475 | 40,835,152 | |||||
OPERATING EXPENSES | |||||||
Interest and debt financing expenses | 9,452,193 | 11,628,266 | |||||
Base management fees | 6,694,144 | 5,955,623 | |||||
Incentive management fees expense (benefit) | 1,966,367 | 7,300,794 | |||||
Professional fees | 1,257,420 | 1,181,010 | |||||
Administrator expenses | 1,852,083 | 1,575,000 | |||||
Insurance | 202,463 | 193,174 | |||||
Directors fees and expenses | 195,000 | 217,500 | |||||
General & administrative | 963,372 | 1,036,498 | |||||
Income tax expense (benefit) | 28,304 | (1,464,878 | ) | ||||
Total operating expenses | 22,611,346 | 27,622,987 | |||||
NET INVESTMENT INCOME | 18,824,129 | 13,212,165 | |||||
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS | |||||||
Net realized gain (loss) from investments: | |||||||
Non-control/Non-affiliate investments | 22,207 | 12,609,767 | |||||
Net realized gain (loss) from investments | 22,207 | 12,609,767 | |||||
Income tax (provision) benefit from realized gain on investments | (3,895,354 | ) | - | ||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments: | |||||||
Non-control/Non-affiliate investments | (9,472,477 | ) | (1,563,573 | ) | |||
Affiliate investments | (1,421,606 | ) | 859,953 | ||||
Control investments | 1,522,945 | 5,614,471 | |||||
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments | (9,371,138 | ) | 4,910,851 | ||||
Net change in provision for deferred taxes on unrealized (appreciation) depreciation on investments | (58,838 | ) | (1,786,801 | ) | |||
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments | (13,303,123 | ) | 15,733,817 | ||||
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS | $ | 5,521,006 | $ | 28,945,982 | |||
WEIGHTED AVERAGE - BASIC AND DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE | $ | 0.49 | $ | 3.33 | |||
WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING - BASIC AND DILUTED | 11,198,287 | 8,702,190 | |||||
* Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. | |||||||
Supplemental Information Regarding Adjusted Net Investment Income, Adjusted Net Investment Income Yield and Adjusted Net Investment Income per share
On a supplemental basis, Saratoga Investment provides information relating to adjusted net investment income, adjusted net investment income yield and adjusted net investment income per share, which are non-GAAP measures. These measures are provided in addition to, but not as a substitute for, net investment income, net investment income yield and net investment income per share. Adjusted net investment income represents net investment income excluding any capital gains incentive fee expense or reversal attributable to realized and unrealized gains. The management agreement with the Company’s advisor provides that a capital gains incentive fee is determined and paid annually with respect to cumulative realized capital gains (but not unrealized capital gains) to the extent such realized capital gains exceed realized and unrealized losses for such year. In addition, Saratoga Investment accrues, but does not pay, a capital gains incentive fee in connection with any unrealized capital appreciation, as appropriate. All capital gains incentive fees are presented within net investment income within the Consolidated Statements of Operations, but the associated realized and unrealized gains and losses that these incentive fees relate to, are excluded. As such, Saratoga Investment believes that adjusted net investment income, adjusted net investment income yield and adjusted net investment income per share is a useful indicator of operations exclusive of any capital gains incentive fee expense or reversal attributable to gains. The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP. The following table provides a reconciliation of net investment income to adjusted net investment income, net investment income yield to adjusted net investment income yield and net investment income per share to adjusted net investment income per share for the three and six months ended November 30, 2020, and November 30, 2019.
For the three months ended November 30 | For the nine months ended November 30 | ||||||||||||||
2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||||||
Net Investment Income | $ | 4,471,102 | $ | 4,575,303 | $ | 18,824,129 | $ | 13,212,165 | |||||||
Changes in accrued capital gains incentive fee expense/reversal | 1,058,955 | 1,566,202 | (2,035,048 | ) | 3,197,010 | ||||||||||
Adjusted net investment income | $ | 5,530,057 | $ | 6,141,505 | $ | 16,789,081 | $ | 16,409,175 | |||||||
Net investment income yield | 6.0 | % | 7.2 | % | 8.5 | % | 8.1 | % | |||||||
Changes in accrued capital gains incentive fee expense/reversal | 1.4 | % | 2.5 | % | (0.9 | %) | 1.9 | % | |||||||
Adjusted net investment income yield (1) | 7.4 | % | 9.7 | % | 7.6 | % | 10.0 | % | |||||||
Net investment income per share | |||||||||||||||
Changes in accrued capital gains incentive fee expense/reversal | ( | ) | |||||||||||||
Adjusted net investment income per share (2) |
(1) Adjusted net investment income yield is calculated as adjusted net investment income divided by average net asset value.
(2) Adjusted net investment income per share is calculated as adjusted net investment income divided by weighted average common shares outstanding.
Contact: Henri Steenkamp
Saratoga Investment Corp.
212-906-7800
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