Prospect CEO Writes Letter to Shareholders
NEW YORK, May 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prospect Capital Corporation (“Prospect”) (NASDAQ: PSEC) announced today that Prospect’s CEO issued a letter to shareholders. The full text of the letter follows:
Fellow Owners:
"I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
– Michael Jordan
Since 1988, when Prospect Capital Management launched our first public fund, we have weathered stock market crashes, credit market dislocations, liquidity crunches, SARS, MERS, H1N1, and now the Wuhan virus. Learning something from each challenge has made us better stewards of your savings.
Starting two years ago, we began reducing debt at Prospect Capital Corporation (“Prospect”). We were the only large traded BDC not to quickly elect a lower minimum asset coverage, which would have enabled us to add leverage and grow assets, but only by taking on more risk.
When the virus hit, we carried less leverage than almost any other large seasoned BDC. Because of our decision to de-risk, the virus caused our NAV per share to decline 7.9% versus a 13.7% median traded BDC NAV per share decline.
Prospect continues to hold investment grade ratings from Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Kroll, and Egan Jones. Only one other BDC has four investment grade ratings.
De-risking Prospect protected our NII and distribution. For the 3/31/20 quarter, we earned $68.5 million of NII and paid $66.2 million in distributions. Today, we are declaring distributions for the next four months at the same rate as the past 32 months.
While I believe asset values and our NAV should reflate from the 3/23/20 low in the S&P 500, which as of May 8, 2020 is up 31% (and the VIX down 51%), we are staying true to the strategy that has served us well since 1988, managing portfolio risk to protect capital entrusted to us and generate shareholder earnings.
As in 2009 when we purchased Patriot Capital, market dislocations are presenting investment opportunities. To provide more financial flexibility, we elected 150% minimum regulatory asset coverage and, as in the past, are seeking approval from shareholders for a one-year option to issue shares below NAV, which enabled us to acquire Patriot.
As Prospect’s largest shareholder, I want to increase our NAV, NII, and share price. I believe we now have tools in place to achieve that goal. Should investors see a steadily increasing NAV and NII, we may see our stock price respond.
Warm regards,
John F. Barry III
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
ABOUT PROSPECT CAPITAL CORPORATION
Prospect Capital Corporation () is a business development company that focuses on lending to and investing in private businesses. Our investment objective is to generate both current income and long-term capital appreciation through debt and equity investments.
We have elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”). We are required to comply with regulatory requirements under the 1940 Act as well as applicable NASDAQ, federal and state rules and regulations. We have elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, whose safe harbor for forward-looking statements does not apply to business development companies. Any such statements, other than statements of historical fact, are highly likely to be affected by other unknowable future events and conditions, including elements of the future that are or are not under our control, and that we may or may not have considered; accordingly, such statements cannot be guarantees or assurances of any aspect of future performance. Actual developments and results are highly likely to vary materially from any forward-looking statements. Such statements speak only as of the time when made. We undertake no obligation to update any such statement now or in the future.
For additional information, contact:
Grier Eliasek, President and Chief Operating Officer
Telephone (212) 448-0702
