Jonathan Cohen
Analyst · Wells Fargo
Thanks very much Steve. For the fourth quarter of 2015, TICC reported GAAP total investment income of approximately $18.8 million representing a decrease of approximately $4.3 million from the third quarter’s $23.1 million figure. Fourth-quarter GAAP income from our portfolio was earned as follows; approximately $10 million from our debt investment, approximately $8.5 million from CLO equity investments and approximately $300,000 from all other sources. Income from our debt investments was down $4.1 million, income from our CLO equity investments were down approximately $100,000 and all other income was roughly even from the prior quarter. TICC also reported GAAP net investment income of approximately $4.5 million or $0.08 per share for the fourth quarter of 2015, down from the third quarter’s $0.18 per share. We note that in the fourth quarter of 2015 we recognized approximately $2.6 million of incremental expenses primarily related to engagement of legal and financial advisors to the Company's special committee. Our core NII, which approximates our cash income is substantially higher than our GAAP NII due to the accounting for CLO equity investments under GAAP. And for the fourth quarter, it was $15.3 million or $0.26 per share. This core NII represents that portion of our estimated annual taxable income available for distribution to common shareholders that we estimate to be attributable to the quarter. For the reconciliation of core NII, which is a non-GAAP number to NII calculated in accordance with GAAP, we refer you to the earnings release we issued earlier today. The Company's Board of Directors had declared a distribution of $0.29 per share payable on March 31, 2016 to stockholders of record as of March 17. For the quarter ended December 31, 2015, we also record net realized capital losses of approximately $4.2 million and net unrealized depreciation of approximately $67.6 million. Our CLO positions suffered significant price declines in the quarter, $43.9 million of that net unrealized depreciation associated with our CLO investments. As a result of this realized and unrealized losses, we had a net decrease in net assets resulting from operations of approximately $67.3 million or $1.14 per share for the quarter. Our weighted average credit rating on a fair value basis stood at 2.2 at end of the fourth quarter of 2015 compared with 2.2 at the end of the third quarter of 2015. As a reminder, our credit ratings system is based on one to five scale with a lower number representing a stronger credit quality. At December 31, 2015, our net asset value per share was $6.40 compared to a net asset value at the end of the third quarter of $7.81. During the fourth quarter of 2015, we made additional investments totaling approximately $20.7 million in senior secured loans. Also for the fourth quarter, we received proceeds of approximately $207.9 million from repayments, sales and amortization payments on our debt investments. That level of activity which was particularly high for our portfolio resulted primarily from sales initiated by us in order to fund the repayments of debt and to repurchase our common shares. As of December 31, 2015, the following weighted averages yields were calculated. The weighted average yield of our debt investments at current cost stood at approximately 7.1% compared to 7.2% as of September 30, 2015. The weighted effective yield of our CLO equity investments at current cost stood at approximately 11.3% compared with 11.3% also as of September 30, 2015. The weighted average yield of our cash income producing CLO equity investments at current cost was approximately 27.4% compared to 25.4% as of September 30, 2015. We note that the cash yield calculated on our CLO equity investments is based on the cash distributions we received or were entitled to receive at each respective period end and excludes the CLO equity investments which have not yet made their inaugural payments. I would note that at December 31 we had one investment on non-accrual status with a cost base of approximately $15.5 million at a fair value of approximately $13.5 million. That loan was purchased for a total of approximately $10.7 million in separate purchases during 2011 and 2013. 2015, and particularly the fourth quarter of 2015 was a period of significant change for our Company. Over the past six months, we've taken decisive actions to better position TICC for future and to create additional value for our stockholders. We've reduced the Company debt by $150 million, which was equal to 29.7% of our consolidated debt as of September 30, 2015. We repurchased approximately 8.5 million shares of our common stock at a weighted average price of approximately $5.79 for a total of approximately $49.3 million which represents 14.2% of all of our shares outstanding at September 30, 2015. And we've taken what we consider to be dramatic steps to realign the management and incentive fees paid to our external investment advisor. On that last point specifically and Steve as discussed earlier, we’ve taken time over the last few months to speak with many of you and we’ve conducted significant analysis of the BDC industry and of our peers. The waiver now in place directly aligns with that feedback and analysis, and reflects what we believe is the best in class approach across the BDC industry. Under this waiver, we have effectively reduced our base management fee paid to TICC management by 25% from a rate of 2% to 1.5%. And we have implemented a total return hurdle and catch-up provision with regard to the calculation of that income incentive fee. Additionally, and as Steve noted, we have moved from a variable hurdle rate to a 7% fixed hurdle rate for that income incentive fee and we have implemented a policy of not charging any management fee on newly raised capital until it is invested. In total, we believe that these changes represent significant overall fee revisions. We also believe that our concurrent deleveraging and significant share repurchase programs are similarly significant in the context of our market. Going forward, our core focus continues to center around rotating out of lower yielding corporate loan assets held on a more leverage basis and into higher yielding assets held on a less leverage basis. We took a significant step in that direction with the sale of approximately $145.5 million of syndicated corporate loans during the fourth quarter at a weighted average sales price of 98.5% of par. At the same time, we are working to appropriately balance the sometimes competing goals of maintaining a strong and stable dividend, maintaining a stable net asset value and managing the overall risk of the company’s investment portfolio. We remain committed to taking steps in order to increase value for our shareholders while continuing to navigate what is a highly challenging market environment. We believe that the steps we have taken over the past year are in certain ways broadly analogous to those we undertook in 2007 through 2009 prior to and during the last credit crisis. During that period, we dramatically deleveraged our balance sheet and rotated into more attractive risk adjusted total return assets. I would now like to turn the call over to Deep Maji, who will discuss market overview for us. Deep?