Great Elm Capital Corp. Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Company to Host Conference Call and Webcast at 8:30 AM ET Today

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Elm Capital Corp. ("we," "our," the "Company" or "GECC") (NASDAQ: GECC), a business development company, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

Third Quarter and Other Recent Highlights:

   -- Net investment income ("NII") for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 
      was $4.1 million, or $0.39 per share, as compared to $3.1 million, or 
      $0.32 per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. 
 
   -- Net assets were $125.8 million, or $12.04 per share, on September 30, 
      2024, as compared to $126.0 million, or $12.06 per share, on June 30, 
      2024. 
 
   -- In September 2024, issued $36.0 million of 8.125% unsecured notes due 
      2029 (the "GECCH Notes") and an additional $5.4 million in October with 
      the full exercise of the underwriters' overallotment option. 
 
   -- Redeemed all outstanding 6.75% unsecured notes due in January 2025 (the 
      "GECCM Notes") on October 12, 2024 with net proceeds from the GECCH notes 
      and cash on hand. 
 
   -- GECC's asset coverage ratio was 166.2% as of September 30, 2024, as 
      compared to 171.0% as of June 30, 2024 and 168.4% as of September 30, 
      2023. 
 
          -- Pro forma for the GECCH issuances and GECCM redemption, the asset 
             coverage ratio would have been 164.4%. 
 
   -- The Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share 
      for the fourth quarter of 2024, equating to a 14.0% annualized yield on 
      the Company's closing market price on October 30, 2024 of $10.03. 

Management Commentary

"We had a strong third quarter, reporting NII that exceeded our quarterly distribution and generating record total investment income of $11.7 million," said Matt Kaplan, GECC's Chief Executive Officer. "Along with managing our stable portfolio, we successfully refinanced our GECCM Notes, extending our debt maturity profile. We look forward to closing a very successful 2024 on firm footing, after completing multiple substantial capital raises at NAV and launching our CLO joint venture. Our innovative JV approach utilizing the CLO structure has increased our exposure to first lien bank loans with long term, non-recourse financing, and is already delivering strong cash income. Looking ahead, we believe we remain well-positioned to maintain our dividend coverage and deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns to our shareholders."

Financial Highlights -- Per Share Data

 
                         Q3/2023  Q4/2023  Q1/2024  Q2/2024  Q3/2024 
  Earnings Per Share 
   ("EPS")                $1.02    $0.55   ($0.05)  ($0.14)   $0.33 
  Net Investment Income 
   ("NII") Per Share      $0.40    $0.43    $0.37    $0.32    $0.39 
  Pre-Incentive Net 
   Investment Income 
   Per Share              $0.50    $0.54    $0.46    $0.40    $0.49 
  Net Realized and 
   Unrealized Gains / 
   (Losses) Per Share     $0.62    $0.12   ($0.42)  ($0.46)  ($0.06) 
  Net Asset Value Per 
   Share at Period End   $12.88   $12.99   $12.57   $12.06   $12.04 
  Distributions Paid / 
   Declared Per Share     $0.35    $0.45    $0.35    $0.35    $0.35 
 
 

Portfolio and Investment Activity

As of September 30, 2024, GECC held total investments of $333.3 million at fair value, as follows:

   -- 53 debt investments in corporate credit, totaling approximately $204.8 
      million, representing 61.4% of the fair market value of the Company's 
      total investments. Secured debt investments comprised a substantial 
      majority of the fair market value of the Company's debt investments. 
 
   -- An investment in Great Elm Specialty Finance, totaling approximately 
      $43.6 million, comprised of one debt investment of $29.7 million and one 
      equity investment of $13.9 million, representing 8.9% and 4.2%, 
      respectively, of the fair market value of the Company's total 
      investments. 
 
   -- An investment in the CLO JV, totaling approximately $32.9 million, 
      representing 9.9% of the fair market value of the Company's total 
      investments. 
 
   -- Seven dividend paying equity investments, totaling approximately $36.3 
      million, representing 10.9% of the fair market value of the Company's 
      total investments. 
 
   -- Other equity investments, totaling approximately $15.7 million, 
      representing 4.7% of the fair market value of the Company's total 
      investments. 

As of September 30, 2024, the weighted average current yield on the Company's debt portfolio was 12.8%. Floating rate instruments comprised approximately 72% of the fair market value of debt investments (up from 69% last quarter) and the Company's fixed rate debt investments had a weighted average maturity of 2.0 years.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, we deployed approximately $73.6 million into 29 investments((1) () at a weighted average current yield of 11.5%.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, we monetized, in part or in full, 38 investments for approximately $39.1 million((2) () , at a weighted average current yield of 10.9%. Monetizations include $13.2 million of mandatory debt paydowns and redemptions at a weighted average current yield of 13.1%.

Financial Review

Total investment income for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 was $11.7 million, or $1.12 per share. Net expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 were approximately $7.7 million, or $0.73 per share.

Net realized and unrealized losses for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 were approximately $0.6 million, or $0.06 per share.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of September 30, 2024, cash and money market fund investments totaled approximately $26.0 million.

As of September 30, 2024, total debt outstanding (par value) was $235.3 million, comprised of 6.75% senior notes due January 2025 (NASDAQ: GECCM), 5.875% senior notes due June 2026 $(GECCO)$, 8.75% senior notes due September 2028 $(GECCZ)$, 8.50% senior notes due April 2029 $(GECCI)$ and 8.125% senior notes due December 2029 $(GECCH)$.

Subsequent to quarter-end, the Company used the net proceeds from the GECCH Notes issuance and cash on hand to redeem all GECCM Notes. As of October 30, 2024, pro-forma total debt outstanding (par value) was $195.4 million.

Distributions

The Company's Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash distribution of $0.35 per share for the quarter ending December 31, 2024. The fourth quarter distribution will be payable on December 31, 2024 to stockholders of record as of December 16, 2024.

The distribution equates to a 14.0% annualized dividend yield on the Company's closing market price on October 30, 2024 of $10.03 and an 11.6% annualized dividend yield on the Company's September 30, 2024 NAV of $12.04 per share.

Conference Call and Webcast

GECC will discuss these results in a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET.

 
Conference Call Details 
 
Date/Time:                     Thursday, October 31, 2024 -- 8:30 a.m. ET 
 
Participant Dial-In Numbers: 
(United States):                                             877-407-0789 
(International):                                             201-689-8562 
 
 

To access the call, please dial-in approximately five minutes before the start time and, when asked, provide the operator with passcode "GECC". An accompanying slide presentation will be available in pdf format via the "Events and Presentations" section of Great Elm Capital Corp.'s website here after the issuance of the earnings release.

Webcast

The call and presentation will also be simultaneously webcast over the internet via the "Events and Presentations" section of GECC's website or by clicking on the webcast link here.

About Great Elm Capital Corp.

GECC is an externally managed business development company that seeks to generate current income and capital appreciation by investing in debt and income generating equity securities, including investments in specialty finance businesses. For additional information, please visit http://www.greatelmcc.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this communication that are not historical facts are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "expect," "anticipate," "should," "will," "estimate," "designed," "seek," "continue," "upside," "potential" and similar expressions. All such forward-looking statements involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in the statements. The key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation: conditions in the credit markets, our expected financings and investments, including interest rate volatility, inflationary pressure, the price of GECC common stock and the performance of GECC's portfolio and investment manager. Information concerning these and other factors can be found in GECC's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. GECC assumes no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any duty to, update any forward-looking statements contained in this communication or to conform prior statements to actual results or revised expectations except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof.

This press release does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale.

Endnotes:

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