Prospect Capital (PSEC) is a payday loan company for other companies -- "a private equity firm specializing in late venture, middle market,
mature, mezzanine finance, buyouts, recapitalizations, growth capital,
development, and bridge transactions."
I know what some of those things are. Bridge transactions -- I paid tolls for crossing several bridges while driving on my mini-vacation this weekend. Seems like a lucrative business. Of course, someone has to sell you a bridge. Ghost Money was told confidentially that the Brooklyn Bridge can be had for the right price.
An acquaintance who is familiar with PSEC says that its loan recipients are mostly unpromising businesses that can't get financing any other way. He says the PSEC management is shrewd about separating the sheep from the goats, though, and he owns the stock.
Current annualized dividend is in the 10 percent neighborhood, and it's paid monthly. Seeing the dividend drop into your brokerage account once a month is a good (temporary) headache cure.
PSEC's balancing act can work only as long as the country can stave off a worse recession than the one we're still in. If we hit the wall, lots of PSEC's loan clients will go bankrupt. Right now PSEC is working, but I'd keep an eye on the exit.
Keywords: [PSEC] [private equity] [dividend investing]
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There are a whole bunch of firms known as Business Development Companies which provide lending to other companies but without being banks. I think they are filling a real need which banks have really not satisfied very well....I like this category and have invested in several of them, including for instance Pennant Park (PNNT). Taxes can be tricky on these, though.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new blog!
David,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment!
What is tricky about the taxes?
Rick,
ReplyDeleteIn some cases, part of the dividend is considered "return of capital," in which case it isn't taxed in that year, but lowers the cost basis of the stock and hence will be taxed in some form or other when you finally sell it.
David,
ReplyDeleteGood point. Some companies use return of capital for part of the dividend, usually so investors get a steady rather than fluctuating amount in each payout period. PSEC's yield appears to involve no return of capital. I'm not sure if ROC is taxed at the same rate as dividends. In any case, it seems like an extra bit of bother best avoided.