WhiteHorse Finance Inc (WHF) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Challenges with ...

In This Article:

  • GAAP Net Investment Income (NII): $8 million or $0.34 per share.

  • Quarterly Distribution: $0.385 per share.

  • NAV per Share: $12.31, a 3.6% decrease from the prior quarter.

  • Net Realized and Unrealized Losses: $4.9 million.

  • Gross Capital Deployments: $35.4 million.

  • Total Repayments and Sales: $46.2 million.

  • Weighted Average Effective Yield on Debt Investments: 12.5% at the end of Q4.

  • Cash Resources: $27.8 million, including $15.4 million in restricted cash.

  • Undrawn Capacity: Approximately $173 million available under the revolving credit facility.

  • Asset Coverage Ratio: 180.4% as of December 31, 2024.

  • Non-Accrual Investments: 7.2% of the debt portfolio.

  • Fee Income: $0.9 million in Q4.

  • STRS JV Portfolio Fair Value: $295 million.

  • Spill Over Income: Approximately $28.4 million at the end of Q4 2024.

Release Date: March 07, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

  • WhiteHorse Finance Inc (NASDAQ:WHF) maintained a high percentage of first lien, senior, and secured debt in its portfolio, accounting for 98.4% of the debt portfolio.

  • The company successfully utilized the STRS JV, which continues to provide attractive returns for shareholders.

  • WhiteHorse Finance Inc (NASDAQ:WHF) declared a first-quarter distribution of $0.385 per share, marking the 50th consecutive quarterly distribution since its IPO.

  • The company has a solid pipeline of about 170 deals, with seven new mandates and three add-ons to existing deals.

  • WhiteHorse Finance Inc (NASDAQ:WHF) has approximately $40 million of capacity for new assets on its balance sheet and an additional $40 million in the JV.

Negative Points

  • The fourth quarter results were disappointing, with a decline in the investment portfolio due to net realized and unrealized losses.

  • Net Asset Value (NAV) per share decreased by approximately 3.6% from the prior quarter.

  • The company experienced net realized losses and markdowns totaling $4.9 million, impacting financial performance.

  • Non-accrual investments increased to 7.2% of the debt portfolio, up from 6.5% in the previous quarter.

  • The weighted average effective yield on income-producing debt investments decreased to 12.5% from 13.1% in the third quarter.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Stuart, do you think there's scope for spreads to widen given the current market uncertainties? A: (Stuart Aronson, CEO) Spreads were stable in Q4 and remain so at the start of 2025. Despite market uncertainties, we haven't seen upward pressure on spreads. A larger economic disruption or a resumption of M&A flow could change this, but currently, the supply-demand balance doesn't support increased pricing.