Rate This Article    

Get the Latest Investment Ideas Delivered Straight to Your Inbox. Subscribe

TICKERS: ARCC, GAIN

Reliable Yields Well Over 7% Are Available With These Two Companies
Contributed Opinion

Share on Stocktwits

Source:

Adrian Day Adrian Day reviews two of the high-yielding stocks on his list; he notes that both are boosting distributions and are good long-term holdings for income-oriented investors.

Excess cash at Ares increases distributions

Ares Capital Corp. (ARCC:NASDAQ) (ARCC, Nasdaq, 21.67) reported record core earnings for the quarter and year, as well as its strongest origination of new loans in its history, with the annual rate double that of 2020 and 2019. Increasingly, Ares is investing in more larger companies, and despite the increased competition, continues to take market share. With a net debt to equity ratio of just 1.2x and $4.8 billion in cash and available credit, Ares is positioned to continue to take advantage of opportunities. Despite the increase in the average size of its investments, it is well diversified, with its largest 10 investments accounting for less than 11% of the portfolio.

Dividend up as holdings perform well

Its portfolio companies are performing well, with a decline in loans on non-accrual, leading to a 12% increase in NAV. As a result of the strong performance and the high undistributed income (an increase over the 2020 level. Now equaling to $1.30 per share), Ares increased its quarterly dividend, for the second time in the past year, and said it intends to pay a bonus dividend each quarter this year.

One might expect a reduction in new investment activity this year, since there was a burst of activity last year as people came out of lockdown and resumed more normal business activity. But we would still expect a reasonably active year, and a maintenance in the credit profile of its companies.

Ares stock has been very strong over the past year, trading at 1.15x NAV, a premium which used to be unusual for BDCs. The forward yield is over 8%. If you do not own, or are wanting to increase your exposure to quality income investments, it can be bought here.

Gladstone raises distributions on higher income and rollover income

Gladstone Investment Corp. (GAIN: NASDAQ) (GAIN, Nasdaq, 15.61) reported a solid quarter, but warned of increased competition and valuations leading to fewer new investments. In the past quarter, all new investments were add-ons to existing companies. New investment income was up, and Gladstone has undistributed income of over $17 million. In light of this, a supplement distribution of 9 cents was paid in December with another 12 cents to be paid this month.

Gladstone invests in both debt and equity, with equity currently around 23% of assets (at cost). The monthly dividend has come from income off debt and other fees, while net capital gains feed the extra distributions. The company said it may decide to increase the monthly dividend, partly using the rollover income. But Gladstone has traditionally been very reluctant to increase its regular dividend if it did not consider the payment was secure, so an increase in the regular dividend would be a strong sign.

Attractive deals increasingly tough to come by

The biggest problem going forward will be finding new investments at attractive valuations, since companies have “very high valuations expectations” amid “very strong” competition. Gladstone used to have the lower middle-market almost to itself! Chairman David Gladstone is not the kind of man to chase deals! Other than that, the company is doing well, with asset coverage of 259%, low leverage, and a stable credit profile (with three companies continuing on non-accrual).

Gladstone is also trading at a premium to NAV (1.19x). Trailing yield is 7.4% and the forward return should be higher given the higher bonus distributions. But these extra distributions are difficult to predict since they depend on capital gains, by their nature lumpy. We are holding, but looking for opportunities to add to positions.

TOP BUYS: The gold and silver stocks are mostly up today. Of those mentioned in yesterday's Bulletin, best buys would be Vista Gold Corp. (VGZ:NYSE.MKT; VGZ:TSX) (VGZ.NY, 0.81), Lara Exploration Ltd. (LRA:TSX.V) (LRA, To., 0.495), and Midland Exploration Inc. (MD:TSX.V) (MD, To., 0.495).

Originally published on Feb. 14, 2022.

Adrian Day, London-born and a graduate of the London School of Economics, is editor of Adrian Day’s Global Analyst. His latest book is "Investing in Resources: How to Profit from the Outsized Potential and Avoid the Risks."

[NLINSERT]

Disclosures:
1) Adrian Day: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own securities of the following companies mentioned in this article: Gladstone Investments, Midland Exploration, Vista Gold, and Lara Exploration. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: None. Funds controlled by Adrian Day Asset Management, which is unaffiliated with Adrian Day’s newsletter, hold shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: All. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.
2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.
4) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Vista Gold, Midland Exploration and Lara Exploration, companies mentioned in this article.

Adrian Day's Disclosures: Adrian Day's Global Analyst is distributed by Investment Consultants International, Ltd., P.O. Box 6644, Annapolis, MD 21401. (410) 224-8885. Publisher: Adrian Day. Owner: Investment Consultants International Ltd. Staff may have positions in securities discussed herein. Adrian Day is also President of Global Strategic Management (GSM), a registered investment advisor, and a separate company from this service. In his capacity as GSM president, Adrian Day may be buying or selling for clients securities recommended herein concurrently, before or after recommendations herein, and may be acting for clients in a manner contrary to recommendations herein. This is not a solicitation for GSM. Views herein are the editor's opinion and not fact. All information is believed to be correct, but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The owner and editor are not responsible for errors and omissions. ©2021. Adrian Day's Global Analyst. Information and advice herein are intended purely for the subscriber's own account. Under no circumstances may any part of a Global Analyst e-mail be copied or distributed without prior written permission of the editor. Given the nature of this service, we will pursue any violations aggressively.




Want to read more about Special Situations and Gold investment ideas?
Get Our Streetwise Reports Newsletter Free and be the first to know!

A valid email address is required to subscribe