Core Insights - Crescent Capital BDC, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCAP) is structured as a business development company focused on generating attractive total returns from its debt investment portfolio [1] - The company lends capital to businesses, aiming to create a hybrid investment strategy that combines growth and income [1] Company Overview - Crescent Capital BDC, Inc. operates as a business development company, which is designed to provide financing to small and mid-sized businesses [1] - The company emphasizes the importance of high-quality dividend stocks and other assets that offer long-term growth potential [1] Investment Strategy - The investment approach includes a mix of classic dividend growth stocks, Business Development Companies, REITs, and Closed-End Funds to enhance investment income [1] - The strategy aims to achieve total returns comparable to traditional index funds, specifically the S&P [1]

Company Overview - Crescent Capital BDC, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCAP) is structured as a business development company focused on generating attractive total returns from its portfolio of debt investments [1] Investment Strategy - The company lends capital to businesses, aiming to create a hybrid investment strategy that combines growth and income [1] - The approach includes a mix of classic dividend growth stocks, Business Development Companies, REITs, and Closed End Funds to enhance investment income while achieving total returns comparable to traditional index funds like the S&P [1]

Company Overview - Crescent Capital BDC, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCAP) has experienced a significant decline in stock price, dropping over 18% since the beginning of 2025 [1] Investment Strategy - The focus on dividend investing is highlighted as a key strategy for achieving financial freedom, emphasizing its accessibility for investors [1] - The author has extensive experience in M&A and business valuation, which informs their investment decisions and insights [1] Portfolio Focus - The investment portfolio primarily includes sectors such as technology, real estate, software, finance, and consumer staples, which have been areas of professional advisory and personal investment [1]

Core Viewpoint - Crescent Capital BDC, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCAP) has experienced a significant decline in stock price, dropping over 18% since the beginning of 2025, although this negative performance is somewhat mitigated by dividends [1] Company Insights - The company focuses on dividend investing as a strategy for financial stability and growth, which is highlighted as an accessible path to achieving financial freedom [1] - The author emphasizes the importance of financial modeling, commercial and financial due diligence, and negotiation in assessing the health of companies within various sectors, including tech, real estate, software, finance, and consumer staples [1] Investment Strategy - Dividend investing is presented as a key component of the author's financial journey, aimed at demystifying the process for others seeking to build long-term wealth [1]

Group 1 - The article emphasizes that it is a favorable time for income investors despite recent market rallies, as some stocks have been significantly undervalued and may take time to recover to previous valuations [2] - The focus is on income-producing asset classes that provide sustainable portfolio income, diversification, and inflation hedging [1] Group 2 - The service mentioned is iREIT+HOYA Capital, which specializes in income-focused investing and offers a free two-week trial for potential investors [1]

Group 1 - Crescent Capital BDC, Inc. (CCAP) is experiencing significant activity in the options market, particularly with the Sept 19, 2025 $10.00 Call showing high implied volatility, indicating potential for a major price movement [1] - Implied volatility reflects market expectations for future stock movement, suggesting that investors anticipate a significant event that could lead to a rally or sell-off [2] - Analysts have a mixed outlook on Crescent Capital, with a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) and the company positioned in the bottom 20% of the Zacks Industry Rank; however, there has been a slight upward revision in earnings estimates for the current quarter from 46 cents to 48 cents per share [3] Group 2 - The high implied volatility surrounding Crescent Capital may indicate a trading opportunity, as options traders often seek to sell premium on such options, hoping the stock does not move as much as expected by expiration [4]

Core Insights - The article discusses the author's transition from a career in publishing to finance, emphasizing the importance of building an income portfolio using ETFs and CEFs [1]. Group 1 - The author graduated in Languages in 1988 and worked as an editor for 25 years before shifting focus to finance in 2005 [1]. - After losing a job in 2013, the author dedicated efforts to creating an income portfolio, highlighting the use of ETFs and CEFs as investment vehicles [1].

Group 1 - The article discusses two Business Development Companies (BDCs) and their deviation from prudent investment strategies prior to the Q2 2025 earnings season [1] - Roberts Berzins has over a decade of experience in financial management, focusing on corporate financial strategies and large-scale financings [1] - Berzins has contributed to institutionalizing the REIT framework in Latvia to enhance liquidity in pan-Baltic capital markets [1] Group 2 - The article highlights Berzins' involvement in developing national SOE financing guidelines and frameworks for private capital in affordable housing [1] - Berzins holds a CFA Charter and an ESG investing certificate, and has experience with the Chicago Board of Trade [1] - The article emphasizes Berzins' active participation in thought-leadership activities to support the development of capital markets in the Baltic region [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported net investment income (NII) of $0.46 per share for Q2 2025, an increase from $0.45 per share in Q1 2025. Excluding one-time accelerated amortization, NII was $0.48 per share [5][21] - NAV per share decreased by approximately 0.4% to $19.55, down from $19.62 at the end of Q1 2025, primarily due to a special dividend of $0.05 per share paid during the quarter [6][22] - The company maintained a 110% base dividend coverage for the quarter [6] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The investment portfolio totaled over $1.6 billion at fair value, consisting of 187 companies with an average investment size of approximately 0.6% of the total portfolio [9] - First lien loans represented 91% of the portfolio at fair value, indicating a strong focus on senior secured debt [11] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Deal activity remained constrained in Q2 2025 due to ongoing tariff discussions and regulatory uncertainty, impacting M&A volume [6] - The weighted average yield of income-producing securities remained stable at 10.4% [18] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company focuses on disciplined credit underwriting, capital preservation, and strong free cash flow generation, particularly in the lower middle market [26] - A $20 million stock repurchase program was approved to opportunistically repurchase shares, reflecting confidence in the company's valuation [15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed that the current discount to NAV is unwarranted and highlighted the company's long-term performance track record, which has outperformed public BDC averages [14][15] - The company remains optimistic about its ability to navigate market volatility and maintain a stable NAV profile [26] Other Important Information - The company declared a regular dividend of $0.42 per share for Q3 2025, payable on October 15, 2025 [12][24] - The company will not pay a Q3 supplemental dividend as the measurement test cap exceeded 50% of this quarter's excess available earnings [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: Credit quality concerns regarding the watch list - Management acknowledged a slight increase in the watch list to 14% but emphasized a proactive approach to monitoring investments and maintaining transparency about portfolio health [29][30][31] Question: Impact of tariffs on portfolio companies - Management indicated that the direct impact of tariffs on the portfolio remains low and that companies are proactively managing tariff exposure through pricing power and alternative sourcing strategies [36][38][40] Question: Future portfolio growth and repositioning - Management stated that while they do not expect significant net portfolio growth, they are focused on rotating acquired assets into Crescent-originated opportunities without sacrificing diversification [42][46][49] Question: Evaluation of unitranche investments - Management noted that unitranche investments remain a small part of the portfolio, and they are opportunistic in pursuing such opportunities, ensuring control over the capital structure [52][54] Question: Operating leverage from declining energy prices - Management clarified that fuel input costs are not a significant component of the cost structure for most borrowers, and while some benefits may arise, they do not expect it to materially impact portfolio performance [57][58] Question: Second lien loan strategy - Management confirmed that second lien loans will not become a large component of the portfolio, maintaining a focus on first lien investments due to risk considerations [61][62]

Financial Performance - Net investment income (NII) per share for Q2 2025 was $0.46, compared to $0.45 in the previous quarter[19] - Net realized and unrealized losses on investments per share for Q2 2025 were ($0.05), compared to ($0.34) for the prior quarter[19] - Net income per share for Q2 2025 was $0.41, compared to $0.11 for the prior quarter[19] - NAV per share as of June 30, 2025, was $19.55[19] - A regular dividend of $0.42 per share was declared for Q3 2025[19] - Total net assets were $725 million as of Q2 2025[11, 21] Portfolio Composition - Total portfolio investments were valued at $1,601 million as of June 30, 2025, consisting of 187 portfolio companies across 20 industries[11, 19, 35] - 91% of the portfolio comprised of senior secured first lien and unitranche first lien investments by fair value[19, 35] - 97% of debt investments are floating rate[22, 35, 44] Capital Structure and Liquidity - The company has a strong liquidity profile with $26.1 million in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash[19, 24] - Undrawn debt capacity was $227.2 million as of June 30, 2025[19, 63, 65] - The debt-to-equity ratio was 1.23x[11, 21, 24]