Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation Stock News

BDCs have outperformed REITs since early 2022 due to rising short-term interest rates and a strong economy, but dynamics shifted in July. With long-term rates declining and recession fears rising, BDCs face dividend cut risk. One BDC recently slashed its dividend aggressively and more are likely to follow.

The BDC sector faces headwinds such as spread compression, potential Fed rate cuts, and increased corporate distress. Despite these challenges, BDC market indices like VanEck BDC Income ETF and Putnam BDC Income ETF show only minor corrections. Yet, the small, illiquid nature of the BDC sector means ETFs may not fully capture overall sector dynamics.

Oaktree Specialty Lending had a disappointing quarter with a drop in NAV and investment income, but still eked out a positive total NAV return. The management fee was reduced permanently to 1%, which should drive a 6% rise in net income. The NAV fell by 2.8%, marking the third sizable drop in a row and the eighth drop in the last 10 quarters.

The recent BDC market dynamics indicate that quality will play an important role over the foreseeable future. Looking at the recent quarterly earnings data that have been published by many BDCs, we can see a clear divergence between high quality and aggressive BDCs. In this article, I elaborate on two BDCs that have become more attractive for investors, who prioritize defensive and predictable ...

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation's credit profile deteriorated, leading to risks to the dividend. The company barely covered its dividend with net investment income, leading to a potential dividend cut for passive income investors. Oaktree Specialty Lending's net asset value decreased, causing concern about the sustainability of the dividend.

Oaktree Specialty Lending is dealing with loan performance issues and a rising non-accrual percentage. Despite challenges, the BDC is focusing on a first-lien strategy to strengthen its portfolio and maintain its dividend. OCSL lowered its base management fee in order to provide a $0.15 per-share annual NII uplift.

There are growing risks of a recession hitting due to weakening job numbers, rising unemployment, and weakening consumer spending capacity. We share a portfolio of high-yield stocks that should be able to weather a recession quite well. The yields range from 4.5%-14%.

The BDC sector is now in a correction. It also faces numerous significant headwinds. We share our outlook on and approach to the sector moving forward.