Company Overview - Rubicon Associates is led by a Chartered Financial Analyst with over 20 years of experience in investment management, focusing on fixed income and preferred stock portfolios, as well as asset allocation and macro portfolios [1] - The principal has managed nearly $7 billion in credit investments and oversaw research and trading activities in the credit market [1] - The firm has also managed a short-duration fund worth $20 billion and served as Chief Strategist at a wealth management firm [1] Research and Advisory - Rubicon Associates has provided analysis and investment advice for both public and private companies globally [1] - The firm has written for various financial platforms, including Seeking Alpha, Learn Bonds, and TheStreet.com, and has advised institutional and private investors [1]

RT Bloomberg Live (@BloombergLive)In 2026, #BloombergInvest sharpens its focus on private markets and private credit—examining how they’re redefining growth and capital formation. Join us March 3-4 in New York.Find out more 📈https://t.co/eeTrczeDUG https://t.co/DUtVco1rGm ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Ares Management achieved a record $994 million in management fees for Q4 2025, totaling $3.7 billion for the full year, representing a 27% increase quarter-over-quarter and a 25% increase year-over-year [28] - Fee-related earnings (FRE) for the full year increased by 30% compared to the prior period, with a record FRE of $528 million in Q4, reflecting a 33% year-over-year growth [31] - Realized income for Q4 reached a record $589 million, with full-year realized income exceeding $1.8 billion, marking a 26% increase from 2024 [34] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The wealth management business saw AUM grow to over $66 billion, a 69% increase year-over-year, driven by strong performance across semi-liquid wealth products [7][22] - The real estate group raised more than $16 billion for the year, including over $7 billion in Q4, with significant commitments in various real estate strategies [18] - The secondaries group raised $12.9 billion for the full year, with AUM increasing by 45%, nearly doubling in size since the acquisition of Landmark [21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Ares Management's total AUM reached over $622 billion, a 29% increase year-over-year, with $113 billion in total fundraising for 2025 [5] - The company reported a record $46 billion in deployment for Q4, with full-year gross deployment totaling $146 billion, a 37% increase over 2024 [6] - The private equity business reported organic portfolio company EBITDA growth of 13% for the last 12 months in its latest fund, ACOF Six [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Ares Management is focused on expanding its investment platform and geographic reach, with significant investments in new data systems and AI projects to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency [7][8] - The acquisition of GCP has positioned Ares as a global top three owner and operator of industrial real estate, contributing to the growth of its real estate and digital infrastructure offerings [7] - The company aims to leverage its diverse strategies across asset classes and geographies to capture growth opportunities, particularly in real assets and secondaries [68] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the improving transaction environment and pent-up demand for private equity sponsors seeking liquidity solutions, supported by a large inventory of seasoned assets and an improving interest rate environment [12][13] - The company anticipates 2026 to be a significant year for realizing European-style performance fees, with expectations for substantial growth in fee-related performance revenues [28] - Management highlighted strong fundamentals across credit portfolios, with loan-to-value ratios near historical lows and improving interest coverage [34][43] Other Important Information - Ares Management declared a 20% year-over-year increase in its first quarter 2026 common dividend to $1.35 per share [3] - The company has a substantial dry powder of $156 billion, positioning it well for future investments [27] - Ares is well-prepared to navigate market challenges, including potential risks from AI disruptions, with a diversified portfolio and strong fundamentals [42][43] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of software AI disruption on deployment efforts - Management expressed confidence in their software investments, emphasizing the diversification and stability of their portfolio, and noted that the disruption would not significantly impact overall origination volumes [47][50] Question: Wealth channel performance and sentiment - Management reported strong flows in January and February, with broad-based demand across private credit and core infrastructure products, indicating resilience in the wealth channel despite some cyclicality [54][59] Question: Outlook for real assets and secondaries - Management highlighted ongoing growth in real estate and secondaries, with expectations for significant fundraising and deployment opportunities in these areas [64][71]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Adjusted net investment income (NII) per share was $0.38, with an adjusted NII return on equity (ROE) of 10.2% [4] - Adjusted net income per share was $0.25, resulting in an adjusted ROE of 6.7% [4] - The company paid a distribution of $0.39 per share [4] - The net asset value (NAV) per share decreased to $14.84 [12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - GBDC's investment portfolio decreased by 1.5% quarter-over-quarter to $8.6 billion at fair value [9] - The investment income yield was 10%, down 40 basis points sequentially [9] - Non-accrual investments remained low at 0.8% of the total investment portfolio at fair value [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company noted four industry headwinds: lower base rates, tighter spreads, muted M&A activity, and high levels of credit stress [4][5] - The investment portfolio remains highly diversified, with 92% consisting of first lien, senior secured floating rate loans [14] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to maintain a quarterly variable supplemental dividend policy and has reset the base dividend to $0.33 per share [5][6] - GBDC's strategy focuses on providing first lien, senior secured loans to middle-market companies backed by strong private equity sponsors [3] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects the industry headwinds to continue, planning for a challenging 2026 [5] - The company believes that the current environment may provide opportunities for private credit specialists to outperform [21] Other Important Information - The company repurchased 5.5 million shares for a total of $76.5 million in 2025, resulting in $0.01 per share of NAV accretion [11] - The debt funding structure remains highly diversified, with 81% of total debt funding being floating rate or swapped to a floating rate [18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Concerns about AI developments affecting the software market - Management acknowledged the rapid advancement of AI and its potential to disrupt certain software companies, emphasizing the need for humility in assessing risks [25][26] Question: Outlook for 2026 and challenges in the leverage lending sector - Management indicated that the market environment is challenging, with spreads at five-year lows and muted M&A activity [38] Question: Risks of unknown unknowns in software investments - Management discussed various scenarios regarding AI risks, suggesting that while there are potential challenges, immediate collapse of good software companies is unlikely [46] Question: Deployment outlook and capital allocation - Management stated that they will balance share repurchases with finding attractive new loan opportunities [41] Question: Trends in software revenue growth and ARR loans - Management noted a slowdown in software bookings and a reduction in exposure to ARR loans due to tighter pricing [61][62]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fiscal second quarter revenue was $3 million, down from $3.5 million in the prior year, primarily due to $0.6 million in property sales and $0.5 million of incentive fees not recognized in the current quarter [14] - The company reported a net loss of $16.5 million for the quarter compared to a net income of $1.4 million a year ago, driven by unrealized losses of $14.4 million [15] - Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was a loss of $1.6 million compared to a gain of $1 million in the prior year period [15] - Estimated assets under management (AUM) stood at approximately $740 million, with fee-paying AUM up 4% year-over-year to approximately $561 million [14][15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Great Elm Real Estate Ventures had a strong quarter, with total investment management and property management fees increasing over 15% from the prior year, driven by growth in fee-paying AUM and higher gross rents [7] - Monomoy Construction Services contributed approximately $400,000 in revenue during its third full quarter of operations [7] - The alternative credit business faced challenges, particularly with CoreWeave stock declining nearly 50% in the quarter, impacting overall performance [8] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The fiscal second quarter unfolded against a challenging backdrop for Business Development Companies (BDCs), marked by heightened volatility and pressure on public valuations [4] - CoreWeave's Common Stock declined nearly 50%, resulting in significant unrealized losses, although distributions received totaled approximately 115% of the original investment [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on growing fee-paying AUM, scaling alternative credit and real estate businesses, and sourcing new investment opportunities [13] - Great Elm aims to expand its platform and add differentiated product offerings with attractive risk-adjusted return profiles [13] - The company has fortified its team and is optimizing its portfolio to improve overall credit quality, focusing on senior secured opportunities [9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenging environment for BDCs and emphasized that unrealized losses were primarily non-cash and driven by market movements [4] - The company remains confident in its strategic direction and is focused on advancing its credit and real estate platforms while strengthening its balance sheet [18] Other Important Information - The share repurchase program has been effective, with approximately 1.1 million shares repurchased at an average price of $2.47 per share during the quarter [12] - As of December 31, 2025, the company held approximately $51.2 million in cash, providing flexibility for growth initiatives [15] Q&A Session Summary - There were no questions during the Q&A session, and management reiterated confidence in the strategic direction of the business and commitment to delivering sustained value for shareholders [17][18]

Great Elm Group (NasdaqGS:GEG) Q2 2026 Earnings call February 05, 2026 08:30 AM ET Company ParticipantsAdam Yates - Managing DirectorJason Reese - CEOKeri Davis - CFOOperatorGreetings and welcome to the Great Elm Group Fiscal 2026 second quarter conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A brief question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. If anyone should require operator assistance during the conference, please press star 0 on your telephone keypad. As a ...

Investors have been drawn to high yields in private credit and other kinds of debt. But opacity, complexity and hidden “cockroaches” are worth worrying about https://t.co/ESH39UWCYw ...

A string of private credit deals in recent weeks suggests some of the world’s most deep-pocketed investors are getting behind Europe’s defense build-up https://t.co/ibHrLGU32Q ...

Ares assets under management climbed to a record $622 billion at the end of 2025 as clients bet on private credit and secondary investments https://t.co/bkEdSrI0fG ...

Core Insights - The ETF industry is projected to reach $1.8 trillion in inflows by 2026, having already attracted approximately $150 billion in January 2026, building on a record $1.5 trillion in 2025 [1] Group 1: Active Fixed Income ETFs - Active fixed income ETFs are leading bond flows, capturing around 40% of all fixed income inflows in 2025, with the Pimco Active Bond ETF (BOND) alone gathering over $2 billion in January 2026 [1] - Other active products such as iShares Flexible Active ETF (BINC), Fidelity Total Bond (FBND), and JPMorgan Income ETF (JPIE) also experienced strong demand [1] Group 2: Thematic ETFs - Thematic ETFs are shifting focus from artificial intelligence to defense and drones due to geopolitical concerns, with the Global X Defense Technology ETF (SHLD) attracting over $1 billion in January and showing a 20% increase for the year [1] - The Rex Drones ETF (DRNZ) has gained 29% since its launch in October 2025, holding approximately $60 million in assets [1] Group 3: Diversification Trends - Investors are beginning to diversify away from mega-cap stocks, as evidenced by the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP) pulling in $5 billion in January 2026 after experiencing $3 billion in outflows in 2025 [1] - The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) gained nearly $4 billion this year following $1 billion in outflows last year, indicating a sector rotation [1] Group 4: Precious Metals and Crypto ETFs - Despite silver prices rising 65% this year, the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) saw $2.5 billion in outflows, attributed to short-term trading rather than long-term investment [1] - Gold has increased nearly 25% and has attracted almost $5 billion in inflows [1] - Crypto ETFs are the only category with outflows in 2026, with the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF (GBTC) outflows offsetting inflows from BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) and Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) [1] - A recent survey indicated that 32% of advisors now allocate to crypto in client accounts, up from 22% [1] Group 5: Private Credit Market - The private credit market offers yields of approximately 15%, significantly higher than the 4.8% for investment-grade and 6.5% for high-yield options [1] - The Simplify VettaFi Private Credit Strategy ETF (PCR) utilizes business development companies and closed-end funds to provide daily liquidity with a proprietary credit hedge to mitigate drawdowns [1]