Equus Total Return(EQS) - 2025 Q1 - Quarterly Report

Financial Performance - Equus Total Return, Inc. aims to provide the highest total return through capital appreciation and current income [146]. - Net asset value increased from $2.17 per share to$ 2.52 per share, an increase of 16.0% [165]. - The Fund recorded a net investment loss of $1.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 [174]. - The Fund purchased a senior convertible promissory note from General Enterprise Ventures for$ 1.5 million, with an increase of $3.0 million in fair value recorded [177]. - The Fund sold Equus Energy for$ 1.25 million in cash and 27,500 shares of preferred stock [178]. - The Fund recorded a reversal of unrealized depreciation of $4.1 million for its investment in Equus Energy, LLC [179]. - The Fund's common stock is trading at a 59.9% discount to its net asset value as of March 31, 2025 [165]. Economic Indicators - U.S. GDP contracted at an annualized rate of 0.3% in Q1 2025, following a 2.4% increase in Q4 2024, indicating economic challenges [159]. - The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2% in April 2025, with the Congressional Budget Office predicting a slight increase to 4.5% for the remainder of 2025 [160]. - As of March 2025, the consumer price index increased by 2.4% over the previous 12 months, down from 2.8% in February 2025 [161]. - The introduction of tariffs in Q1 2025 is expected to increase inflation rates throughout the remainder of 2025 and into 2026 [161]. Interest Rates and Monetary Policy - The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 50 basis points on September 18, 2024, marking the first reduction in four years [162]. Company Strategy and Operations - Equus plans to transform into an operating company, pending shareholder authorization expected in 2025 [153]. - The company has reduced its asset coverage ratio from 200% to 150%, allowing it to borrow up to twice the value of its net assets [154]. - The company has not incurred additional borrowings beyond a margin loan for U.S. Treasury bills since the asset coverage ratio reduction [154]. - The Fund's management has internalized management to achieve efficiencies in its cost structure as it grows [166]. Market Activity - Global merger and acquisition activity in 2024 was approximately$ 2.2 trillion, a slight increase from $2.1 trillion in 2023 [163]. - Private equity activity decreased from$ 464 billion in Q4 2024 to $445 billion in Q1 2025, with the U.S. accounting for roughly half of these totals [164]. - Analysts expect overall annual private equity activity to increase by 1.0% in 2025 over 2024, still 13.0% below the 2018-2019 average [164]. Capital Expenditures - In 2024, Morgan E&P, LLC incurred$ 6.4 million in capital expenditures for oil and gas development, with additional expenditures expected in 2025 [158].