Core Insights - The article provides a detailed analysis comparing Blackstone Secured Lending (BXSL) to 11 of its business development company (BDC) peers, focusing on dividend sustainability and financial metrics [1][2][3] Group 1: Dividend Analysis - BXSL declared a base dividend of $0.77 per share for Q2 2025, with a stock price of $31.63, resulting in a trailing 12-month (TTM) dividend yield of 9.74% [10] - For Q3 2025, BXSL maintained the same base dividend of $0.77 per share, with a stock price of $28.59, leading to a TTM dividend yield of 10.77% [27][28] - BXSL's cumulative undistributable taxable income (UTI) coverage ratio was 1.86 as of 6/30/2025, significantly higher than the average of its peers [16] Group 2: Financial Metrics Comparison - BXSL's weighted average annualized yield on debt investments was 10.20% as of 6/30/2025, below the peer average of 11.61% [20] - The company had a below-average weighted average interest rate on outstanding debt at 4.69% as of 6/30/2025, compared to 5.19% the previous year [24] - BXSL's proportion of debt investments with floating interest rates was 99.80%, which was advantageous during rising interest rate environments [22] Group 3: Future Projections - The likelihood of BXSL maintaining a stable base quarterly dividend of $0.77 for Q4 2025 is projected at 80% [33] - A broader dividend range of $0.70 to $0.77 per share is anticipated for Q1 2026, with a 90% probability [34] - The current market conditions suggest a potential dividend reduction in 2026, influenced by management's cautiousness and external economic factors [19][34] Group 4: Investment Recommendation - BXSL is rated as a SELL when trading at a premium of 22.5% or more to the projected NAV, a HOLD between 12.5% and 22.5%, and a BUY when trading at or below 12.5% [37] - The current price target for BXSL is approximately $33.50 per share, with the stock considered notably undervalued at a closing price of $27.54 as of 9/16/2025 [38][39]

Core Viewpoint - Business Development Companies (BDCs) are undervalued by Wall Street, presenting significant dividend opportunities for income-seeking investors, with yields ranging from 10.6% to 12.6% due to their requirement to distribute at least 90% of taxable income [2][3]. Group 1: BDC Overview - BDCs function as banks for small and mid-sized companies that lack access to traditional bond markets, allowing them to charge a premium for capital, which is then returned to investors as dividends [3]. - Most BDC loans are floating-rate, which may seem risky with potential rate cuts, but this can lower borrowing costs for BDCs and their borrowers, leading to healthier dividends [4]. Group 2: Specific BDCs - Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund (MSDL) has an 11.1% yield and focuses on floating-rate loans, which may decline with Fed rate cuts, but increased loan demand could offset this [5][6]. - Trinity Capital (TRIN) offers a 12.6% yield and has achieved a 20% total return in 2025, focusing on growth-stage companies in sectors like space and healthcare technology [8][10]. - Oaktree Specialty Lending Corp. (OCSL) yields 12.0% and trades at a 16% discount to NAV, primarily investing in senior secured debt across various industries [12][14]. - Blackstone Secured Lending Fund (BXSL) has a 10.6% yield and focuses on first-lien senior secured debt, but its dividend coverage has diminished, warranting close monitoring [16][18]. - Blue Owl Capital Corp. (OBDC) yields 11.3% and invests in middle-market companies, with a defensive portfolio emphasizing stability, though it has not significantly outperformed the BDC industry [19][21].

Core Viewpoint - UniCredit's CEO Andrea Orcel indicated the possibility of selling its significant stake in Germany's Commerzbank to a non-EU buyer if the conditions are favorable and shareholders agree [1] Company Summary - UniCredit is considering divesting its large holding in Commerzbank, which suggests a strategic shift in its investment approach [1] - The decision to sell is contingent upon achieving an acceptable price and obtaining shareholder approval, highlighting the importance of stakeholder interests in corporate decisions [1] Industry Summary - The potential sale of Commerzbank shares to a non-EU entity reflects broader trends in the banking sector, where cross-border transactions are becoming more common as institutions seek to optimize their portfolios [1]

Group 1 - Business Development Companies (BDCs) are recognized as income vehicles aimed at enhancing portfolio yields, typically offering yields of 10% or above, which are considered theoretically sustainable as they are not funded by NAV sales [1] - Roberts Berzins has over a decade of experience in financial management, assisting top-tier corporates in shaping financial strategies and executing large-scale financings [1] - Berzins has contributed to institutionalizing the REIT framework in Latvia to enhance the liquidity of pan-Baltic capital markets and has worked on developing national SOE financing guidelines [1]

Group 1 - Roberts Berzins has over a decade of experience in financial management, assisting top-tier corporates in shaping financial strategies and executing large-scale financings [1] - Significant efforts have been made to institutionalize the REIT framework in Latvia to enhance the liquidity of pan-Baltic capital markets [1] - Development of national SOE financing guidelines and frameworks for channeling private capital into affordable housing stock has been a focus [1] - Roberts is a CFA Charterholder and holds an ESG investing certificate, with experience from an internship at the Chicago Board of Trade [1] - Active involvement in "thought-leadership" activities supports the development of pan-Baltic capital markets [1]

Group 1 - The Blackstone Secured Lending Fund held its Q2 2025 earnings conference call on August 6, 2025, at 9:30 AM ET [1] - Key participants in the call included Co-CEOs Brad Marshall and Jonathan Bock, President Carlos Whitaker, and CFO Teddy Desloge [1][3] - The conference call was recorded and included a presentation of the fund's results, which were also filed in a 10-Q report available on the company's website [2][3] Group 2 - The call was introduced by Stacy Wang, Head of Stakeholder Relations, who welcomed participants and outlined the agenda [2][3] - The management team emphasized that the call may contain forward-looking statements that are uncertain and outside the firm's control [4]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - BXSL reported net investment income (NII) of $0.77 per share, representing an 11.2% annualized return on equity, primarily from interest income [9][27] - Net asset value (NAV) per share decreased slightly to $27.33 from $27.39 in the previous quarter [9][28] - The distribution of $0.77 per share was fully covered by NII, yielding an annualized distribution yield of 11.3% [9][20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - BXSL's total portfolio investments at fair value increased to $13.3 billion, up from $11.3 billion year over year [14][28] - The weighted average yield on performing debt investments remained stable at 10.2% [16][29] - 98% of investments are in first lien senior secured loans, with a low non-accrual rate of 0.3% at cost [16][18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced a nearly 50% increase in new Blackstone credit insurance (BXCI) global private credit deal screenings compared to the fourth quarter of the previous year [8][9] - The average EBITDA of the portfolio companies is approximately $219 million, with year-over-year EBITDA growth of nearly 11% [17][78] Company Strategy and Development Direction - BXSL is focusing on maximizing operational efficiency and maintaining a disciplined approach to investment quality, avoiding unnecessary risks [11][12] - The company aims to lead the market with lower fees and expenses compared to peers, which is seen as a priority for creating a stronger portfolio over time [11][12] - BXCI's scale and expertise are leveraged to enhance revenue and lower costs for portfolio companies, indicating a commitment to value creation [14][25] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted a shift in market conditions with improved investor sentiment and a return to open markets, leading to increased deal activity [7][8] - There is cautious optimism regarding the economic outlook, with management emphasizing the importance of quality over risk in investment decisions [11][44] - The company is preparing for heightened deal activity, particularly within existing portfolio companies, while remaining vigilant about market risks [10][11] Other Important Information - The company maintained its dividend distribution at $0.77 per share, reflecting a commitment to delivering high-quality yield to shareholders [20][27] - Total liquidity was reported at nearly $3 billion, providing ample cash and undrawn debt available for future investments [31] Q&A Session Summary Question: Sustainability of the dividend - Management indicated that the dividend is regularly assessed and is currently 15% higher than the average BDC, with long-term signals being prioritized over short-term deal activity [35][38] Question: Deal activity and spread expectations - Management acknowledged the potential for increased deal activity to impact spreads but emphasized the importance of supply and demand dynamics in the market [41][43] Question: Types of deals being seen - Management noted a mix of M&A activity within existing portfolio companies and some refinancing deals, with a focus on both lower middle market and large-cap spaces [48][49] Question: Repayment activity expectations - Management expects repayment activity to normalize higher as M&A activity picks up, following a low base in Q2 [56][58] Question: Concerns about net investment losses - Management reassured that the marks on assets reflect a robust valuation process, with a long track record of managing through various market conditions [75][78]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - BXSL reported net investment income (NII) of $0.77 per share, representing an 11.2% annualized return on equity, primarily from interest income [9][26] - Net asset value (NAV) per share decreased slightly to $27.33 from $27.39 in the previous quarter [27] - The distribution of $0.77 per share was fully covered by NII, yielding an annualized distribution yield of 11.3% [9][20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - BXSL's total portfolio investments at fair value increased to $13.3 billion, a 17% year-over-year increase from $11.3 billion [15][27] - The weighted average yield on performing debt investments remained stable at 10.2% [16][28] - 98% of investments are in first lien senior secured loans, with an average loan-to-value (LTV) of 46.9% [16][18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced a nearly 50% increase in new Blackstone credit insurance (BXCI) global private credit deal screenings compared to the fourth quarter of the previous year [8] - The repayment activity in Q2 was significantly lower, with an annualized repayment rate of 5%, down from nearly 30% in the prior quarter [26][57] Company Strategy and Development Direction - BXSL is preparing for a period of heightened deal activity, focusing on both existing portfolio companies and new assets [11][12] - The company aims to maintain a disciplined approach to investment quality while leveraging lower fees compared to peers [12][18] - BXCI's scale and expertise are seen as key differentiators in the competitive private credit market [21][24] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted a positive shift in market conditions, with equities reaching all-time highs and inflation remaining muted [7][8] - There is a cautious optimism regarding the economic outlook, with expectations of increased deal activity in the second half of the year [12][51] - The management emphasized the importance of maintaining high-quality investments despite a more favorable economic environment [12][42] Other Important Information - Credit quality remains strong, with only 0.3% of investments on non-accrual at cost [10][11] - The company has a robust liquidity position with nearly $3 billion in cash and undrawn debt available [30] Q&A Session Summary Question: Sustainability of the dividend - Management indicated that the dividend is regularly assessed and is currently about 15% higher than the average BDC, with long-term signals being a key factor in any adjustments [33][36] Question: Types of deals being seen - The company is seeing a mix of M&A activity and refinancing, with a focus on existing portfolio companies and a growing pipeline of new opportunities [47][50] Question: Repayment activity expectations - Management expects repayment activity to normalize higher as M&A activity picks up, following a low base in Q2 [56][58] Question: Concerns about net investment losses - Management reassured that the marks reflect a robust valuation process and that realized gains have historically exceeded losses [75][76] Question: Status of the largest loan, Medallia - The company acknowledged the underperformance of Medallia, which has led to a markdown, but emphasized ongoing support and focus on the asset [78][79]

Earnings Highlights - The company's asset-liability structure is efficient, with a 2Q'25 annualized Net Investment Income (NII) return of 112%[3] - The company declared a regular dividend of $077 per share for 2Q'25, resulting in a dividend yield of 113% based on Net Asset Value (NAV)[3] - The dividend coverage for 2Q'25 is 100%, indicating that the Net Investment Income (NII) fully covered the dividend[3] Portfolio Composition and Credit Quality - The portfolio is heavily weighted towards first lien, senior secured debt, representing 982% of the investments[3, 15] - The average loan-to-value (LTV) for the portfolio is 469%, indicating a conservative lending approach[3, 15] - Non-accrual debt investments represent only 03% of the total investments, reflecting healthy underlying credit fundamentals[3, 5] Investment Activity and Liquidity - New investment commitments for the quarter were $631 million at par, with $530 million funded[7, 35] - Proceeds from sales and repayments amounted to $200 million during the quarter[7] - The company maintains $30 billion of liquidity in cash and undrawn debt[7] Financial Performance - Net Investment Income (NII) for 2Q'25 was $176 million, or $077 per share[7] - Net income for 2Q'25 was $155 million, or $068 per share[7] - The Net Asset Value (NAV) at quarter-end was approximately $63 billion, or $2733 per share[7]

Core Insights - Blackstone Secured Lending Fund (BXSL) reported quarterly earnings of $0.77 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.81 per share, and down from $0.89 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of -4.94% [1] - The company posted revenues of $344.8 million for the quarter ended June 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.61%, but up from $327.06 million year-over-year [2] - The stock has underperformed the market, losing about 3.6% since the beginning of the year compared to the S&P 500's gain of 7.1% [3] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is $0.82 on revenues of $359.73 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $3.25 on revenues of $1.43 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Blackstone Secured Lending Fund was mixed ahead of the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) for the stock, indicating expected performance in line with the market [6] Industry Context - The Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry, to which Blackstone Secured Lending Fund belongs, is currently in the top 41% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [8] - Empirical research indicates a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can be tracked by investors [5]