Core Insights - The article highlights the strong performance of the utilities and technology sectors in July, driven by the AI revolution, making them top year-to-date performers [2] - The CEF/ETF Income Laboratory offers managed portfolios targeting safe yields of approximately 8%, providing actionable recommendations and in-depth analysis for income and arbitrage strategies [2] Group 1 - Utilities and technology sectors have been leading the market, benefiting from advancements in AI [2] - The CEF/ETF Income Laboratory manages portfolios aimed at achieving reliable income through closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds [2] - The service includes a community of over a thousand members focused on income investing, with a majority of holdings being monthly-payers for better compounding [2] Group 2 - Nick Ackerman, a former financial advisor, contributes to the coverage of closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds, leveraging over 14 years of personal investing experience [3] - The article emphasizes the importance of expert-level research in helping members benefit from income and arbitrage strategies [2]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company generated net investment income and realized gains of $0.39 per share in Q2 2025, compared to $0.44 per share in the previous quarters [19] - Recurring cash flows were $18 million or $0.67 per share, down from $16 million or $0.71 per share in Q1 2025 [6] - The NAV as of June 30 was $14.08 per share, slightly down from $14.16 per share as of March 31 [7][21] - The company recorded a non-annualized GAAP return of 3.5% for the second quarter [7] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company opportunistically deployed $40 million into discounted CLO debt and equity securities during the quarter [8] - The company repurchased over 488,000 shares of common stock for a total of $6.5 million, resulting in NAV accretion of $0.02 per share [21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The S&P UBS Leveraged Loan Index had a total return of 2.3% in Q2 and was up almost 3% year-to-date as of June 30 [14] - The trailing twelve-month default rate increased to 1.1% as of June 30, remaining below the historical average of 2.6% [14] - New CLO issuance was $51 billion in Q2, with reset and refinancing activity at $44 billion and $9 billion, respectively [15][16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to continue buying back stock as market opportunities arise, viewing this as a strong investment [24] - The management emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong liquidity position to capitalize on attractive investment opportunities [16][24] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that market volatility in April created attractive buying opportunities for discounted CLO securities [7][24] - The company remains confident in its ability to generate strong returns and is well-positioned to deploy capital into investments offering compelling risk-adjusted returns [16][24] Other Important Information - The company declared three monthly distributions of $0.13 per share for Q4 2025, maintaining the distribution level from the previous quarter [12][20] - As of July month-end, the company's NAV was estimated to be between $14.34 and $14.44 per share, indicating a recovery from June [22] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on the all-in yield from the debt portion of your CLO portfolio? - Management explained that CLO debt is sensitive to short-term rates and that a Fed rate movement could lead to lower income in the fall, while CLO equity is less affected by rate changes [28][30] Question: Is the push out of loan maturities indicative of credit distress? - Management clarified that issuers are refinancing their debt due to a strong market, allowing them to extend maturities without indicating distress [38] Question: How is the pipeline for new investments shaping up? - Management indicated a strong pipeline for both CLO BB debt and equity, with plenty of opportunities in the market [48] Question: What is the status of the share buyback program? - Management noted that the buyback program has been effective in reducing the discount to NAV and that they plan to continue this strategy [50][52] Question: Is there a possibility of a special distribution at the end of the year? - Management stated that while recurring cash flows are currently in line with expenses and distributions, the potential for a special distribution depends on taxable income exceeding distributions [62] Question: Why hasn't the coupon on the BB CLO debt changed dramatically? - Management explained that while spreads have tightened, the overall yield or coupon of CLO BBs has remained stable due to various market factors [66] Question: What is the status of the OC cushion? - Management noted that the OC cushion has declined slightly but remains robust, with plenty of cushion available [70]

Company Overview - Eagle Point Income Company (EIC) aims to generate high current income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in junior debt tranches of CLOs, with a focus on BB-rated CLO debt[13] - As of June 30, 2025, the total market capitalization of EIC is $501 million[13] - EIC pays a monthly distribution of $0.13 per share, resulting in a distribution rate of 12.0%[13] - The Adviser and Senior Investment Team have approximately $0.8 million invested in EIC, EICA, EICB and EICC[23] CLO Market and Strategy - BB-rated CLO debt has historically exhibited a low default rate of approximately 4 bps per annum from 1994 through Q1 2025[14, 29] - The cumulative default rate on BB-rated CLO debt was 1.1% from 1994 through Q1 2025[29] - The company focuses primarily in junior debt tranches of CLOs, with a focus on BB-rated CLO debt[31] - The CLO market is the largest source of capital for the US senior secured loan market[40] - From 1992 through 2024, the S&P UBS Leveraged Loan Index generated positive total returns in 30 of the 33 full calendar years[42] Portfolio Information (Q2 2025) - The weighted average effective yield on the CLO portfolio was 10.63%[52] - The company's CLO debt investments totaled $379.8 million, and CLO equity investments totaled $127.1 million[52] - The company has exposure to 1,464 unique underlying borrowers[57]

Core Insights - The CLO (Collateralized Loan Obligation) market is experiencing significant challenges, referred to as the "CLOpocalypse," due to tightening cash flows following a decline in the secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) [1] Group 1 - CLO funds across various sectors are beginning to deteriorate as their cash flows tighten modestly [1] - The current economic environment is described as uneasy, which is exacerbating the issues faced by CLO funds [1]

Group 1 - Eagle Point Income (NYSE: EIC) is a well-known credit loan obligation closed-end fund that has been public since 2019 [1] - Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, EIC has achieved a positive total return of 33% [1] - The fund's performance is attributed to effective financial management and strategic execution in the credit market [1] Group 2 - Roberts Berzins has over a decade of experience in financial management, focusing on corporate financial strategies and large-scale financings [1] - He has contributed to the institutionalization of the REIT framework in Latvia, enhancing liquidity in pan-Baltic capital markets [1] - Berzins has also worked on developing national SOE financing guidelines and frameworks to channel private capital into affordable housing [1]

Group 1 - The Conservative Income Portfolio service focuses on outperforming the market through strategies targeting smaller-cap and unrated fixed-income securities like Eagle Point Income (NYSE: EIC) [1] - The portfolio aims to build a Fixed Income Portfolio by selecting the best Preferred Stocks and bonds with high margins of safety, indicating a strong belief in the fixed income sector's potential over the next decade [1] - The service has recently launched Bond and Preferred Stock Portfolios, encouraging investors to participate early [1] Group 2 - The offerings include undervalued fixed income securities, bond ladders, and high-yield cash parking opportunities, appealing to investors seeking income generation [2] - Access to an options portfolio is provided as a bonus, enhancing the value proposition for potential investors [2]

Group 1 - The article reviews Eagle Point Income Co (NYSE: EIC), a fund primarily investing in CLO Debt with a minor allocation in CLO Equity [1] - The fund has experienced a decline due to a recent cut in its distribution [1]

Group 1 - The high-yield credit market has largely recovered from the correction experienced in early spring [1] - Junk bond funds (HYG) and (JNK) are now approximately flat on the year [1] - The BBB credit spread has shown signs of stabilization following the market correction [1]

Group 1 - Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs) are pools of debt categorized by rating and risk profile, known as tranches [1] - The current environment features higher interest rates, impacting the performance and attractiveness of CLOs [1] - A hybrid investment strategy combining classic dividend growth stocks, Business Development Companies, REITs, and Closed End Funds can enhance investment income while achieving total returns comparable to traditional index funds like the S&P [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company generated net investment income (NII) and realized gains of $0.44 per share in Q1 2025, down from $0.54 per share in Q4 2024, comprised of $0.40 of NII and $0.04 of realized capital gains [5][20] - The NAV per share decreased to $14.16 as of March 31, 2025, from $14.99 as of December 31, 2024, representing a 5.5% decline [7][22] - Recurring cash flows for Q1 2025 were $16,500,000 or $0.71 per share, compared to $16,100,000 or $0.82 per share in Q4 2024 [8][9] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The decline in NII was primarily due to a significant drop in SOFR and spread compression on syndicated loans, adversely impacting earnings from the CLO equity portfolio [6][15] - The company deployed approximately $120,000,000 of gross capital across 27 CLO debt purchases and nine CLO equity purchases during Q1 2025 [13] - The trailing twelve-month default rate decreased slightly to 80 basis points as of March 31, remaining well below the historical average of 2.6% [16][17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - CLO issuance in Q1 2025 was $49,000,000,000, down from $59,000,000,000 in Q4 2024, but still healthy by historical standards [18] - The S&P UBS Leveraged Loan Index generated a total return of 60 basis points during Q1 2025, with a recent increase of 1.8% for the year as of May 23 [14] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on capitalizing on market volatility by purchasing CLO debt and equity at discounted prices, which is expected to yield positive returns over time [11][24] - The management aims to extend the weighted average remaining reinvestment period of the CLO equity portfolio and seeks longer reinvestment period opportunities [18] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management indicated that the decline in NII is largely driven by the drop in short-term rates, and the new distribution rate reflects the company's near to medium-term earnings potential [24] - The company believes it is well-positioned to continue generating strong returns for shareholders despite current market conditions [25] Other Important Information - The company declared three monthly distributions of $0.13 per share for the third quarter of 2025, a decline from previous distributions [9][21] - As of April 30, 2025, the company had $33,000,000 of cash and undrawn revolver capacity available for investment [19][22] Q&A Session Summary Question: About the reduction in dividend distribution - Management clarified that the reduction in dividend distribution is due to changes in SOFR and not related to capital losses, emphasizing that the majority of the portfolio is CLO BBs which fluctuate with rates [26][36] Question: Clarification on CLOs and default rates - Management confirmed that the change in distribution rate is principally driven by the change in SOFR, with no credit-related issues affecting the portfolio [35][37]