Bruce J. Spohler
Analyst · KBW
Thank you, Rich. As Michael highlighted, we believe our Q1 activity has further diversified and enhanced the composition of our portfolio. We are pleased with the financial performance of our portfolio companies, and their management teams continue to see signs of higher levels of business activity and are cautiously optimistic about their individual growth prospects. At March 31, the weighted average yield on our income-producing investment portfolio was 10.9%. The weighted average investment risk weighting on our portfolio remained at approximate 2 when measured at fair market value at 3/31, based upon our 1 to 4 risk rating scale, with 1 representing the least amount of risk. At the end of the first quarter, our portfolio consisted of 43 companies operating in 28 industries. Measured at fair value, our portfolio was comprised 47% senior secured loans, just over 29% in Crystal Financial, 17.5% in subordinated debt and 6% in preferred equity, common equity and warrants, excluding our investment in Crystal's portfolio. When we include Crystal Financial, whose portfolio consists entirely of senior secured loans, approximately 76% of the Solar portfolio exposure is across secured investments. Additionally, at March 31, just under 70% of our income-producing investment portfolio is invested in floating rate securities when measured at fair value. For the quarter, we originated approximately $145 million of new investments across 10 portfolio companies. All of these loans were senior secured loans and all were based on a floating rate interest rate. Investments sold and prepaid during the quarter totaled approximately $208 million. Before I go through our Q1 portfolio activity, I'd like to spend a moment on some recent portfolio developments. Post quarter end, TIAA-CREF announced the acquisition of Nuveen for just over $6.25 billion with expectations that the transaction will close in the fourth quarter of 2014. Solar Capital first invested in Nuveen as part of Madison Dearborn's buyout in 2007. The original cost of our equity investment was $30 million. In addition, Solar bought a small secondary equity position at a discount to cost to bring the total position to just under $31 million at cost. At the trough of our [ph] credit crisis back in '08, the Nuveen equity position was held at a $0.15 mark in our portfolio. With respect to recovery, we currently believe that it will be well north of our 3 31 mark of $0.55 of cost. If we were fortunate enough to experience a full recovery, it would add approximately $0.32 a share to our NAV. We believe the outcome is positive for Solar on both the recovery basis as well as creating the ability to reinvest these proceeds from a non-yielding asset into a cash-yielding investment. The long investment horizon afforded by our permanent capital enabled us to be patient with this investment. Secondarily, at March 31, Quantum Foods was under contract to be sold to a strategic buyer at a price that exceeded our cost on the investment. Subsequent to the quarter, the strategic buyer defaulted on its purchase contract. The company was encouraged to pursue liquidation as well as its remedies against the defaulted buyer. At March 31, the aggregate cost of our investment in Quantum between both Solar Capital and Crystal Financial was just over $44 million. While we are disappointed with the potential for impairment on this investment, the benefit of investing on a senior secured basis is that we anticipate our recovery, inclusive of interest and fees, to be between $0.90 and par. At this time, it is not possible to quantify with precision the impact of these 2 subsequent quarter-end events. However, on a net basis, we believe the ultimate proceeds from both the sale of Nuveen and the recovery on our investment in Quantum will not have a material effect on Solar's net asset value per share. Finally, I'd like to give a quick update on Crystal Financial. As a reminder, Crystal is a commercial finance company that provides asset-based and other secured financing solutions to midmarket companies. At March 31, Crystal had $442 million of funded senior secured loans across 25 issuers with an average loan balance of $17 million. All of the commitments from Crystal Financial are floating rate senior secured loans with a weighted average yield of 12.3%, similar to the yield at year end. At the end of Q1, total debt on the Crystal portfolio was approximately $171 million, for a debt-to-invested equity ratio of 0.62x. At 3/31, Crystal had $65 million of available capital, subject to borrowing base limitations under its credit facility. For the first quarter, our investment in Crystal paid Solar a cash dividend of $7.8 million, which is the equivalent of an 11.3% annualized cash-on-cash yield. In addition, Crystal Financial was able to increase the revolving credit facility by $25 million to aggregate $300 million during Q1. I will now highlight some of our first quarter investments. We funded a $19 million investment in the second lien term loan of Ikaria supported Madison Dearborn's acquisition of a majority stake in this leading critical care company, and the only significant provider of nitric oxide therapy for patients with acute respiratory conditions. The all-in targeted yield on this investment is 9%. In addition, Solar funded a $25 million investment in the second lien term loan offering by Bishop Lifting products to support an add-on acquisition of Delta Rigging & Tools by AEA Investments. Pro forma for the acquisition, Bishop will be the market leader in the highly fragmented wire rope rigging and lifting distribution segment. The all-on yield in this investment is targeted to exceed 9.25%. We also funded a $21 million investment in the second lien term loan offering by Aegis toxicology services in support of ABRY Partners' purchase of the company. Aegis is a leading player in the fragmented pain medication monitoring and specialty lab services segment. Our all-in yield here approaches 10%. During the quarter, we invested $10 million in the new second lien term loan of Asurion in conjunction with the company's refinancing, in which Solar Capital's 2012 investment of $12 million in Asurion's Holdco loan was repaid. You may recall that Solar was an original investor in Madison Dearborn's acquisition of the company back in 2007. Across the Solar Capital and Solar Senior Capital platforms, we had been redeemed on or sold approximately $135 million at a weighted average sale price of 1 01. Our experience with Asurion is a great example of our ability to leverage our knowledge and expertise with a familiar issuer across our platforms to achieve investment duration in highly attractive credits. In addition, we funded a $10 million investment in the second lien term loan for LANDESK support of Thoma Bravo's recapitalization of the company. Solar Senior Capital had original invested in LANDESK back in early 2012 and supported the company's add-on acquisition. LANDESK provides software tools that enable IT departments to manage and secure network devices ranging from PCs to mobile services. The all-in yield on this investment approaches 9%. I'll now highlight some of our Q1 repayments. As Michael mentioned, Solar Capital was repaid on its approximately $60 million investment in the mezzanine notes of Earthbound Farms as part of the sale of the company to WhiteWave Foods. Solar first invested in Earthbound, the largest producer and marketer of organic salads in North America, back in 2009, as part of HM Capital's [ph] buyout of the company. Follow-on investment was made in December 2010 in support of a recapitalization of the company. Solar was paid a premium to par in Q1 resulting in IRR just over 17% and a 1.6 multiple on invested capital. In addition, Solar's $25 million investment in the second lien term loan of TriNet was repaid at a premium to par as a result of proceeds the company received from its recently completed IPO. Our investment generated an IRR exceeding 17%. And finally, we are repaid a premium to par on our $25 million position in SMG's second lien term loan as part of a recapitalization transaction. As a reminder, SMG is the largest venue management company, providing management services for public assembly facilities. Solar made this investment in June 2012 and generated an IRR in excess of 12%. Based upon our current pipeline, we continue to see opportunities that would allow us to invest at our historic average quarterly pace. Now I'll turn the call back to Michael.