Carlyle Secured Lending(US:CGBD)2025-11-05 17:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company generated $0.37 per share of net investment income on a GAAP basis and $0.38 after adjusting for asset acquisition accounting [6][11] - The net asset value as of September 30 was $16.36 per share, a slight decrease from $16.43 per share as of June 30 [6][7] - Total investment income for the third quarter was $67 million, consistent with the prior quarter [10] - Total expenses increased slightly to $40 million, primarily due to higher interest expenses [11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - CGBD funded $260 million of investments into new and existing borrowers, resulting in net investment activity of $117 million after accounting for repayments [7] - Total investments increased from $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion during the quarter [7] - The average exposure to any single portfolio company was less than 1% of total investments, with 95% of investments in senior secured loans [9] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Year-over-year deal flow at the top of the funnel increased nearly 30% over the last two months [7] - The weighted average spread for the third quarter was slightly over 500 basis points, down from previous quarters [33] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company remains focused on providing first lien loans to quality companies and maintaining a diversified portfolio [9][30] - The strategy emphasizes defensive positioning in a tight spread environment, with a continued trend towards first lien debt [30] - The company is building out the Carlyle Direct Lending team to enhance origination capabilities [15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the credit quality of the portfolio, noting below-average non-accruals compared to the public BDC average [9] - The company anticipates earnings will trough in the next couple of quarters, with a gradual recovery expected in the second half of 2026 into 2027 [53][55] - Management highlighted the potential for increased deal flow and activity supported by declining base rates and resilient economic growth expectations [8][15] Other Important Information - The board declared a fourth-quarter dividend of $0.40 per share, representing an attractive yield of over 12% based on recent share price [11] - The company has $0.86 per share of spillover income generated over the last five years to support the quarterly dividend [11] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide a bridge on the top line this quarter? - The top line remained at $67 million, with a modest decline primarily due to OID accretion on repaid investments [20] Question: Was the 10 basis points change in borrowing spreads due to the baby bond or other factors? - The change was primarily due to post-quarter end items, including the repayment of the legacy CSL3 facility and the issuance of a new institutional deal [22] Question: Can you elaborate on the $0.40 dividend declaration? - Management is comfortable with the $0.40 dividend in the near term, anticipating earnings to trough in the next couple of quarters [24] Question: Will the concentration of first lien debt continue to increase? - The company does not see compelling opportunities in second liens and expects the portfolio to continue trending towards first lien debt [30] Question: What is the quality of the pipeline in terms of yields and terms? - The pipeline consists of high-quality borrowers, with loan-to-value ratios typically around 38-42%, indicating significant coverage [50] Question: How do the potential second JV and existing JV impact earnings power? - The JVs are expected to take time to scale up and will not have a near-term impact on earnings power [53]