At Trade With Beta , we also pay close attention to closed-end funds and are always keeping an eye on them for directional and arbitrage opportunities created by market price deviations. As you can guess, timing is crucial in these kinds of trades; therefore, you are welcome to join us for early access and the discussions accompanying these kinds of trades.Currently, only a small fraction of BDC bonds offer yields to worst above 8%. Today's article focuses on two of these rare exceptions that currently stan ...

When considering dividend stocks, most investors search for established and stable companies likely to trade away some of their growth opportunity in favor of a steady schedule of payouts to investors. This has long been a tried-and-true approach for investors looking to buy dividend-paying companies and hold them for the long term, and its appeal as a risk-mitigating strategy is clear in times of market turmoil. However, volatility in the market can also mean price swings that allow more aggressive traders ...

Ellington Credit (EARN) Q1 2025 Earnings Call May 21, 2025 11:00 AM ET Company Participants Alaael-Deen Shilleh - Associate General Counsel & SecretaryLaurence Penn - CEO, President & DirectorChristopher Smernoff - Chief Financial OfficerGregory Borenstein - Portfolio ManagerEric Hagen - Managing DirectorCrispin Love - Director Operator all sites on hold, we appreciate your patience and ask that you please continue to stand by. Please standby, your program will begin momentarily. Good morning, ladies and ge ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For calendar Q1, the company reported a net loss of $0.23 per share and adjusted distributable earnings of $0.26 per share [9] - The overall net interest margin increased by 20 basis points to 5.27, supported by a growing capital allocation to CLOs [9] - The economic return for the quarter was negative 3.2%, with book value per share at $6.08 [10][11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The CLO portfolio increased by 46% to $250 million, while capital allocated to CLOs expanded to 81% from 72% at the end of the previous quarter [11] - The agency RMBS holdings decreased slightly to $504 million from $512 million at the end of the previous quarter [11] - The portfolio P&L by strategy showed a negative $0.24 per share from CLOs and a positive $0.08 from agency [10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The market experienced strong performance in January and February, followed by turbulence in March due to fears of tariffs, slowing growth, and persistent inflation [7] - Credit spreads widened significantly in March, impacting CLO mezzanine debt and equity tranches, leading to meaningful price declines [7][8] - Recent tariff de-escalations have led to credit spreads and prices reversing course in May, recovering a significant portion of the declines [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company successfully completed its conversion to a registered closed-end fund and changed its fiscal calendar to begin on April 1 [4][5] - The strategy focuses on increasing the CLO portfolio while maintaining liquidity and flexibility in response to market conditions [22][29] - The company plans to add corporate debt to its liability structure later this year, which should be accretive to net investment income [29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that while there were mark-to-market losses in calendar Q1, most price declines were driven by credit spread widening rather than realized credit losses [22] - The company is optimistic about deploying capital in a compelling market and believes it is well-positioned to drive strong earnings moving forward [29] - Management expects to be slightly short on dividend coverage in the second quarter but is on track for recovery in the third quarter [56] Other Important Information - The company disposed of all remaining mortgage positions shortly after April 1, which allowed for increased liquidity and buying power [8][25] - As of April 30, approximately 18.8% of the total portfolio, or about $59 million, was in cash and cash equivalents, providing ample dry powder for deployment [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: How does the yield on newly acquired CLOs compare to the previous $250 million? - Management indicated that the weighted average yield varied from slightly wider to potentially hundreds of basis points back, depending on the type of assets purchased [34] Question: Is there still dry powder available for deployment? - Management confirmed that there is still good dry powder available and that cash reserves are maintained to allow for increased portfolio size [37][39] Question: What are the latest thoughts on the ADE trajectory? - Management stated that they might be slightly short on covering the dividend in the second quarter but are on track for recovery in the third quarter [56]

Group 1 - The CEF/ETF Income Laboratory manages portfolios targeting safe and reliable yields of approximately 8% to facilitate income investing [2] - The service includes managed portfolios, actionable income and arbitrage recommendations, and in-depth analysis of closed-end funds (CEFs) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) [2] - The community consists of over a thousand members focused on finding the best income ideas, catering to both active and passive investors [2] Group 2 - The potential for increased inflation due to announced tariffs may lead to the Federal Reserve maintaining higher interest rates for an extended period [2] - The majority of holdings in the CEF/ETF Income Laboratory are monthly-payers, which aids in faster compounding and smoothing income streams [2]