Priced like the old business, running like a new one: management is redirecting the call away from the metric investors
The model's full reasoning — Q1 2022 call → NOWe need to determine if management repeatedly redirects attention away from the conventional yardstick and toward a different part of the business that is already earning, and indicates the record hasn't caught up. Let's analyze the transcript. The company is WhiteHorse Finance, a BDC. The conventional yardstick for a BDC is typically net investment income (NII) and dividend coverage, NAV, etc. Management discusses Q1 results, NII, core NII, NAV, portfolio activity, etc. But there is a recurring theme: the JV with STRS Ohio. Management repeatedly emphasizes the JV's contribution, its return on equity, its growth, and that it is accretive. They also mention that the BDC is at capacity and turning down deals, and that the JV is where they are putting higher-yielding assets. They say the JV supports higher returns and is particularly relevant given the market backdrop. Let's see if they set aside the conventional yardstick. They do discuss NII and NAV, but they also emphasize that the BDC is at leverage limit and that they are focusing on the JV. They say "we continue to successfully utilize our joint venture with STRS Ohio, which generated investment income to the BDC of approximately $2.6 million in Q1 as compared with $2.2 million in Q4 of 2021." They also say "The JV has produced an average annual return on equity in the low teens. We believe the JV supports higher returns for shareholders and is particularly relevant, given the current market backdrop." They also mention that they are considering further funding commitments to the JV. Do they set aside the conventional yardstick? They don't explicitly say "NII is no longer the right metric." But they do repeatedly redirect attention to the JV as a key driver of earnings. They also mention that the BDC is at capacity and turning down deals, so the JV is where growth is coming from. They say "the additional capital we raised late last year and the incremental contribution to the JV and the full effect of earnings from the deployments in Q1 provide a strong tailwind for our financial performance moving forward." So they are pointing to the JV as a source of future earnings. Is the JV already earning? Yes, they give specific income numbers: $2.6 million in Q1, $2.2 million in Q4. They describe it as accretive and with a good ROE. So it's already producing real income.
| Ticker | Company | Call | Date | Call grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAH | Noah Holdings Limited | Q1 2024 | 2024-05-30 | D |
| DUOT | Duos Technologies Group, Inc. | Q4 2023 | 2024-04-01 | F |
| OPAD | Offerpad Solutions Inc. | Q3 2023 | 2023-11-01 | C |
| SPT | Sprout Social, Inc. | Q2 2023 | 2023-08-04 | B+ |
| PRPH | ProPhase Labs, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-05-11 | F |
| CALX | Calix, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-04-20 | C+ |
| WD | Walker & Dunlop, Inc. | Q2 2022 | 2022-08-09 | C+ |
| LC | LendingClub Corporation | Q4 2021 | 2022-01-26 | A |
| CYBR | CyberArk Software Ltd. | Q3 2021 | 2021-11-04 | B+ |
| LPTH | LightPath Technologies, Inc. | Q4 2021 | 2021-09-09 | D |
| LOB | Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. | Q3 2018 | 2018-10-25 | C+ |
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