Barings BDC, Inc. (NYSE: BBDC) (“Barings BDC” or the “Company”) today reported its financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2023 and announced that the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share.

Highlights

First Quarter 2023 Results

Commenting on the quarter, Eric Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer of Barings BDC, stated, “Despite ongoing uncertainty related to inflation, interest rates, and the broader economy, Barings BDC’s portfolio continues to deliver strong returns for our investors. Our team’s results highlight the importance of conservative underwriting, diversification, and proprietary origination. The fundamentals of our underlying portfolio remain solid as net asset value per share increased from the previous quarter, and we continue to see revenue growth driven by higher base rates.”

During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company reported total investment income of $67.2 million, net investment income of $27.5 million, or $0.25 per share, and a net increase in net assets resulting from operations of $39.7 million, or $0.37 per share.

Net asset value (“NAV”) per share as of March 31, 2023 was $11.17, as compared to $11.05 as of December 31, 2022. The increase in NAV per share from December 31, 2022 to March 31, 2023 was primarily attributed to net unrealized appreciation on the Company’s investment portfolio, credit support agreements and foreign currency transactions of approximately $0.20 per share, partially offset by a net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions of $0.09 per share.

Elizabeth Murray, Chief Financial Officer of Barings BDC, stated, “In the first quarter, we took advantage of the more lender-friendly environment and sourced $145 million of new originations as net leverage increased modestly from 1.12x to 1.19x. Net investment income covered the dividend as our largely floating-rate portfolio yield increased on the heels of broad credit stability within our portfolio. Going forward, we remain committed to re-commencing share repurchases as we believe there is a clear opportunity for accretive deployment at current trading levels.”

Recent Portfolio Activity

During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company made 11 new investments totaling $65.8 million, made investments in existing portfolio companies totaling $33.9 million and made a $45.0 million equity co-investment alongside certain affiliates in a portfolio company that specializes in providing financing to plaintiff law firms engaged in mass tort and other civil litigation. The Company had four loans repaid totaling $26.6 million, received $12.7 million of portfolio company principal payments and received $9.1 million of return of capital from its joint ventures. In addition, the Company sold $1.0 million of loans, recognizing a net realized loss on these transactions of $0.3 million. Lastly, the Company received proceeds related to the sale of equity investments totaling $4.3 million and recognized a net realized gain on such sales totaling $1.0 million.

During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recorded net unrealized appreciation totaling $22.0 million, consisting of net unrealized appreciation on our current portfolio of $11.8 million, unrealized appreciation of $0.9 million on the MVC credit support agreement with Barings, unrealized appreciation of $4.7 million on the Sierra credit support agreement with Barings, net unrealized appreciation related to foreign currency transactions of $5.4 million, net of unrealized depreciation reclassification adjustments of $0.7 million related to the net realized gains on the sales / repayments of certain investments and $0.1 million of deferred taxes. The net unrealized appreciation on the Company’s current portfolio of $11.8 million was driven primarily by broad market moves for investments of $4.0 million, credit or fundamental performance of investments of $0.9 million and the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on investments of $6.9 million.

Liquidity and Capitalization

As of March 31, 2023, the Company had cash and foreign currencies of $55.4 million, $769.1 million of borrowings outstanding under its $1.1 billion senior secured revolving credit agreement, $725.0 million aggregate principal amount of unsecured notes outstanding and a net receivable from unsettled transactions of $0.9 million.

Share Repurchase Program

On February 23, 2023, the Board authorized a new 12-month share repurchase program. Under the program, the Company may repurchase, during the 12-month period that commenced on March 1, 2023, up to $30.0 million in the aggregate of its outstanding common stock in the open market at prices below the then-current NAV per share. The timing, manner, price and amount of any share repurchases will be determined by the Company, in its discretion, based upon the evaluation of economic and market conditions, the Company’s stock price, applicable legal, contractual and regulatory requirements and other factors. The program is expected to be in effect until March 1, 2024, unless extended or until the aggregate repurchase amount that has been approved by the Board has been expended. The program does not require the Company to repurchase any specific number of shares, and the Company cannot assure stockholders that any shares will be repurchased under the program. The program may be suspended, extended, modified or discontinued at any time. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company did not repurchase any shares under the program.

Dividend Information

The Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share.

The Company’s second quarter dividend is payable as follows:

Dividend Reinvestment Plan

Barings BDC has adopted a dividend reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) that provides for reinvestment of dividends and distributions on behalf of its stockholders, unless a stockholder elects to receive cash. As a result, when the Company declares a cash dividend or distribution, stockholders who have not opted out of the DRIP will have their cash dividends or distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Company’s common stock, rather than receiving cash.

When the Company declares and pays dividends and distributions, it determines the allocation of the distribution between current income, accumulated income, capital gains and return of capital on the basis of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). At each year end, the Company is required for tax purposes to determine the allocation based on tax accounting principles. Due to differences between GAAP and tax accounting principles, the portion of each dividend distribution that is ordinary income, capital gain or return of capital may differ for GAAP and tax purposes. The tax status of the Company’s distributions can be found on the Investor Relations page of its website.

Subsequent Events

Subsequent to March 31, 2023, the Company made approximately $2.7 million of new commitments, of which $2.2 million closed and funded. The $2.2 million of investments consists of $1.9 million of first lien senior secured debt investments and $0.3 million of subordinated debt investments. The weighted average yield of the debt investments was 11.2%. In addition, the Company funded $15.5 million of previously committed debt and equity facilities.

Conference Call to Discuss First Quarter 2023 Results

Barings BDC has scheduled a conference call to discuss first quarter 2023 financial and operating results for Friday, May 5, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. ET.

To listen to the call, please dial 877-407-8831 or 201-493-6736 approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A taped replay will be made available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call and will remain available until May 12, 2023. To access the replay, please dial 877-660-6853 or 201-612-7415 and enter conference ID 13737798.

This conference call will also be available via a live webcast on the investor relations section of Barings BDC’s website at https://ir.barings.com/ir-calendar. Access the website 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to download and install any necessary audio software. An archived webcast replay will be available on the Company's website until May 12, 2023.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included herein or on the webcast/conference call may constitute “forward-looking statements,” which relate to future events or Barings BDC’s future performance or financial condition. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made, which reflect management’s current estimates, projections, expectations or beliefs, and which are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company’s projected net investment income and earnings, the Company’s distribution levels and frequency of distributions, the Company’s share repurchase activity, and the ability of Barings LLC to manage Barings BDC and identify investment opportunities, all of which are subject to change at any time based upon economic, market or other conditions, and may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of Barings BDC’s trading intent. More information on the risks and other potential factors that could affect Barings BDC’s financial results and future events, including important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from plans, estimates or expectations included herein or discussed on the webcast/conference call, is included in Barings BDC’s filings with the SEC, including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Barings BDC’s most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K, as well as in subsequent filings, including Barings BDC’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. In addition, there is no assurance that Barings BDC or any of its affiliates will purchase additional shares of Barings BDC at any specific discount levels or in any specific amounts. There is no assurance that the market price of Barings BDC’s shares, either absolutely or relative to NAV, will increase as a result of any share repurchases, or that any repurchase plan will enhance stockholder value over the long term.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To provide additional information about the Company’s results, the Company’s management has discussed in this press release the Company’s net debt (calculated as (i) total debt less (ii) unrestricted cash and foreign currencies (excluding restricted cash) net of net payables/receivables from unsettled transactions) and its net debt-to-equity ratio (calculated as net debt divided by total net assets), which are not prepared in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP measures are included to supplement the Company’s financial information presented in accordance with GAAP and because the Company uses such measures to monitor and evaluate its leverage and financial condition and believes the presentation of these measures enhances investors’ ability to analyze trends in the Company’s business and to evaluate the Company’s leverage and ability to take on additional debt. However, these non-GAAP measures have limitations and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s financial results as reported under GAAP.

These non-GAAP measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. These measures should only be used to evaluate the Company’s results of operations in conjunction with their corresponding GAAP measures. Pursuant to the requirements of Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K, as promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Company has provided a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures in the last table included in this press release.

About Barings BDC

Barings BDC, Inc. (NYSE: BBDC) is a publicly traded, externally managed investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Barings BDC seeks to invest primarily in senior secured loans in middle-market companies that operate across a wide range of industries. Barings BDC’s investment activities are managed by its investment adviser, Barings LLC, a leading global asset manager based in Charlotte, NC with $362+ billion* of AUM firm-wide. For more information, visit www.baringsbdc.com.

About Barings LLC

Barings is a $362+ billion* global investment manager sourcing differentiated opportunities and building long-term portfolios across public and private fixed income, real estate, and specialist equity markets. With investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, the firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, aims to serve its clients, communities and employees, and is committed to sustainable practices and responsible investment. Learn more at www.barings.com.

*Assets under management as of March 31, 2023

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