TCPC Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

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DATE

Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 12 p.m. ET

CALL PARTICIPANTS

• Chairman, CEO, and Co-CIO — Philip Tseng
• President — Jason A. Mehring
• Chief Financial Officer — Erik L. Cuellar
• Co-Chief Investment Officer — Dan Worrell

TAKEAWAYS

• Nonaccruals -- Declined to 2.8% of portfolio at fair value and 7.6% at cost, down from 4% and 9.7% last quarter, driven by resolutions of ALPINE 4840, Suited Connector restructurings, and the sale of Fishbowl.
• Net Leverage -- Reduced to 1.29x at period end, from 1.41x prior quarter, reflecting exits, partial paydowns, and balance sheet management.
• Portfolio Exits and Paydowns -- Totaled $135.3 million, including full or partial exits of Team Services, James Purse, kart.com, and Eddie Bauer; average exited position size exceeded $28 million.
• Portfolio Composition -- Invested $1.4 billion across 139 companies in over 20 sectors; 91.8% in senior secured loans, 8.2% in equity; 94.4% of debt investments were floating rate.
• Adjusted Net Investment Income -- $0.21 per share, down from $0.25, attributed to a smaller portfolio, lower investment income, and increased expenses.
• Net Asset Value (NAV) -- Decreased 4.9% to $6.72 per share, reflecting $35 million in net portfolio markdowns.
• Largest NAV Markdowns -- Job and Talent and software investments each contributed approximately $11 million (32% each) to markdowns; software segment losses linked to valuation multiple compression, revised growth expectations, and AI disruption risk.
• Software Portfolio -- Represented 30.5% of portfolio at fair value, spread across 47 companies; 95% in debt, 5% in equity; originated with a 26% loan-to-value ratio as an equity cushion.
• Diversification Progress -- Top five investments represented 24.9% of portfolio; over 70% of portfolio companies each contributed less than 1% to total investment income.
• Portfolio Yield -- Declined to 10.9% from 11.1% last period, with new investments yielding 8.3% versus 11.2% on exited assets.
• New Investment Activity -- Invested $22.5 million across eight companies; all new investments in senior secured loans.
• Dividend -- Second-quarter dividend declared at $0.17 per share, payable June 30, 2026.
• Share Repurchase -- 0.505 million shares repurchased in the quarter at a $4.51 average price; 0.156 million additional shares repurchased after quarter end at $3.78 per share; $50 million aggregate repurchase authority reapproved.
• First Quarter Investment Income -- $42.6 million, or $0.51 per share, including $0.39 recurring cash interest, $0.03 nonrecurring income, $0.03 discount/fee amortization, $0.04 PIK, and $0.02 dividend income per share.
• Operating Expenses -- $0.29 per share, with $0.19 per share accounting for interest and other debt expenses.
• Net Realized and Unrealized Losses -- Realized losses totaled $32.7 million, mainly from Fishbowl and ALPINE 4840; net unrealized losses were $2 million.
• Net Decrease in Assets -- Net assets decreased by $16.3 million, or $0.19 per share, during the quarter.
• Liquidity -- Total liquidity was $358.6 million at period end, including $164.1 million available under revolvers and $93.3 million in cash.
• Unfunded Commitments -- Accounted for 8.7% of the investment portfolio, or $121 million, with $53.3 million in revolver commitments.
• Debt Repayment -- All $325 million of 2026 notes were repaid, eliminating near-term maturities.
• Weighted Average Interest Rate -- 5.77% on outstanding debt.
• Leverage Program -- Includes three credit facilities, an unsecured note, and SBA funding.
• Subsequent Events -- Over $50 million additional paydowns received after quarter end, including $13 million from AutoAlert; net regulatory leverage declined further to 1.23x post-quarter.

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RISKS

• NAV Decline -- Net asset value decreased by 4.9%, reflecting $35 million in net portfolio markdowns, with Job and Talent and software investments each constituting 32% of total markdowns.
• Software Portfolio Vulnerability -- "These reductions were driven primarily by valuation multiple compression, revised growth expectations, and AI-related disruption risk in certain subsectors."
• Equity Cushion Erosion -- Management indicated, "the cushion certainly has decreased," referring to the original 26% loan-to-value equity buffer in software investments, citing falling market multiples.

SUMMARY

BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. (NASDAQ:TCPC) emphasized executing its strategic priorities by reducing leverage, lowering nonaccruals, and increasing portfolio concentration in senior secured loans. The quarter saw significant portfolio repositioning, with over $135 million in exits and paydowns, contributing to a sharper decrease in net leverage but also causing a sequential drop in net investment income. A meaningful NAV decline resulted from concentrated markdowns in Job and Talent and software-related investments, with management highlighting AI-related disruption and market multiple compression as key drivers. All 2026 notes were fully repaid, leaving no near-term debt maturities and supporting balance sheet flexibility. Recent repurchases and new dividend declaration signaled ongoing capital returns to shareholders as the firm maintains a cautious stance on new originations and leverage.

• No incentive compensation was accrued in the period as cumulative total return did not exceed the hurdle rate.
• Repayments post-quarter, notably from AutoAlert, reflect ongoing progress in portfolio risk reduction and support management’s stated goals of deleveraging.
• Management signaled ongoing scrutiny of software investments, stating "we will continue to closely monitor our software investments," in light of market uncertainty and rapid technological change.
• The share repurchase program was reauthorized for up to $50 million, reinforcing discipline in capital allocation amid a lower average repurchase price after the period's end.

INDUSTRY GLOSSARY

• Nonaccruals: Investments where income recognition is suspended due to borrower financial distress.
• PIK (Payment-in-Kind) Interest: Interest paid in the form of additional securities rather than cash, increasing the principal owed.
• Loan-to-Value (LTV): Ratio of the loan amount to the appraised value of collateral, reflecting the degree of downside protection.
• Senior Secured Loan: Debt with priority claim on a borrower’s assets and cash flows, typically carrying lower risk.
• First-Lien Loan: Debt secured with the highest-priority claim on collateral in the capital structure.

Full Conference Call Transcript

Philip Tseng: Thank you, Alex. Thank you to our investors and analysts for joining us today. I will start with an overview of our first-quarter 2026 performance. Then Jason Mehring, our President, will cover portfolio and investment activity, and Erik Cuellar, our CFO, will walk through our financial results. I will come back with closing remarks before we open the call for questions. We are also joined today by Dan Worrell, our Co-CIO, who will be available to answer questions. In the first quarter, we executed against our strategic priorities, which are improving credit quality, further repositioning our investment portfolio, and strengthening our balance sheet.

We are deploying capital selectively into high-quality opportunities, leveraging the origination power of the PFS platform, while reducing average position sizes, increasing the portion of the portfolio in first-lien loans, and reducing leverage. While there is work to do, we are taking steps to drive value for our shareholders. One of the most important metrics for us is nonaccruals, and during this quarter, these declined to 2.8% of the portfolio at fair value and 7.6% at cost, down from 4% and 9.7%, respectively, last quarter. This improvement reflects the completion of the restructurings of ALPINE 4840 and Suited Connector, and the sale of Fishbowl.

Importantly, net leverage declined to 1.29x at quarter end, down from 1.41x last quarter, bringing it closer to our target range of 0.9x to 1.2x. The reduction in leverage was driven primarily by exits, partial paydowns, and proactive balance sheet management. Full exits and partial paydowns during the quarter totaled $135.3 million and included sizable payoffs of our investments in Team Services, James Purse, kart.com, and Eddie Bauer, with average position size of more than $28 million. Further, Team Services, our largest repayment during the period, was a second-lien position.

In addition to generating attractive returns, these repayments helped to reduce leverage, enhance diversification by lowering portfolio concentration, and supported our continued focus on increasing the percentage of the portfolio allocated to senior positions in the capital structure. Since quarter end, we received more than $50 million of additional paydowns, including approximately $13 million from AutoAlert, which was previously restructured and recently sold to a strategic buyer. While we still have equity in the combined company, we view this repayment as a positive outcome that meaningfully reduces our exposure while preserving potential upside.

At the end of the quarter, our portfolio had a fair market value of $1.4 billion invested across 139 companies in more than 20 industry sectors, with an average position size of $10 million. 91.8% of the portfolio was invested in senior secured loans, and 8.2% was in equity investments, and 94.4% of our debt investments were floating rate. Adjusted net investment income for the quarter was $0.21 per share, compared to $0.25 last quarter, primarily reflecting a smaller portfolio as paydowns outpaced investments, lower investment income, and higher expenses. Annualized net investment income ROE was 11.8%.

PIK interest income for the quarter was 8.5% of total investment income, down from 10.9% last quarter, and nearly 80% of PIK was from positions that contemplated PIK when the loans were underwritten. NAV declined 4.9% to $6.72 per share at quarter end, from $7.[inaudible] last quarter, reflecting $35 million of net portfolio markdowns during the quarter. Job and Talent, a staffing company, was the largest contributor to the markdowns at approximately $11 million, or 32% of the total markdowns during the quarter. Weaker operating performance during the quarter combined with lower industry-wide valuation multiples put pressure on the company's enterprise value. Our current exposure includes both a first-lien term loan and preferred equity.

The preferred equity drove a meaningful portion of this quarter's mark-to-market movement, given its greater sensitivity to changes in enterprise value. Separately, software-related investments also accounted for approximately $11 million, or 32% of total markdowns in the period. These reductions were driven primarily by valuation multiple compression, revised growth expectations, and AI-related disruption risk in certain subsectors. The balance of the NAV decline was attributable to unrealized loss across the portfolio related to wider market spreads and lower market multiples, in addition to borrower-specific factors. These markdowns were more spread out and hence limited in size per borrower, the largest of which was $2.8 million. Now I want to provide some perspective on our software portfolio.

As we mentioned on our last call, we do not view software as monolithic because some segments are fundamentally more resilient than others. We have considered the potential for AI disruption in our underwriting of potential software investments for some time now, and as a result, we have pursued businesses where we believe AI is more likely to enhance a company's offering rather than displace it. As of March 31, software represented 30.5% of the portfolio at fair value and was spread across 47 companies, with 95% in debt positions and the remaining 5% in equity. These companies had an LTV of approximately 26% at origination, providing a considerable equity cushion.

While public software companies have seen valuation reprice, we have not seen a corresponding decline in the operating performance of our private portfolio companies. That said, we will continue to closely monitor our software investments. Now I will turn the call over to Jason to discuss our portfolio, as well as our recent investment activity.

Jason A. Mehring: Thanks, Phil, and welcome, everyone. I will begin with some additional details on our portfolio composition. As Phil mentioned, we made continued progress in diversifying our portfolio and reducing the average position size of our investments. At the end of the first quarter, our five largest investments accounted for 24.9% of our portfolio. Investment income was broadly distributed, with more than 70% of our portfolio companies each contributing less than 1% of the total. New investments this quarter had an effective yield of approximately 8.3% versus 11.2% on those we exited, reflecting lower base rates and the impact of spread compression relative to when the repaid deals were booked.

As a result, our average portfolio yield declined from 11.1% last quarter to 10.9% at March 31. During the first quarter, we invested approximately $22.5 million across six new and two existing portfolio companies. Each of the new investments leveraged sourcing and underwriting capabilities across the broader BlackRock PFS platform. Originations were intentionally modest this quarter, as we prioritized paydowns and exits to strengthen our balance sheet and reduce leverage while being highly selective on new commitments. All new investments were in senior secured loans and reflect our continued focus on building a diverse portfolio that mitigates industry and individual concentration risk, while also being mindful of our goal to reduce leverage.

Turning to capital allocation, on 05/07/2026, our Board of Directors declared a second-quarter dividend of $0.17 per share, payable on June 30 to stockholders of record on June 16. We repurchased 0.505 million shares of BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. stock during the quarter at a weighted average share price of $4.51 and an additional 0.156 million shares subsequent to quarter end at a weighted average share price of $3.78. On 04/29/2026, our Board of Directors reapproved our stock repurchase plan to acquire up to $50 million in the aggregate of our common stock. Now I will turn the call over to Erik to discuss our financial results and capital and liquidity positioning.

Erik L. Cuellar: Thank you, Jason. I will begin with a review of our financial results for 2026. As detailed in our earnings press release, adjusted net investment income excludes the amortization of the accounting discount resulting from our merger with BCIC and is calculated in accordance with GAAP. A full reconciliation of adjusted net investment income to GAAP net investment income, as well as other non-GAAP financial metrics, is included in our earnings press release and 10-Q. Total investment income for the first quarter was $42.6 million, or $0.51 per share. This included recurring cash interest of $0.39, nonrecurring income of $0.03, recurring discount and fee amortization of $0.03, PIK income of $0.04, and dividend income of $0.02 per share.

Operating expenses for the first quarter were $0.29 per share, including $0.19 per share of interest and other debt expenses. Net investment income was $0.22 per share, and adjusted net investment income was $0.21 per share. As of 03/31/2026, our cumulative total return did not exceed the total return hurdle, and therefore, no incentive compensation was accrued for the first quarter. Net realized losses for the quarter were $32.7 million, or $0.39 per share, driven primarily by our sale of Fishbowl and restructuring of ALPINE 4840, which together accounted for approximately $30 million. Net unrealized losses were $2 million, or $0.02 per share.

This included $30.1 million in reversals of previously unrealized losses on Fishbowl and ALPINE 4840, which moved from unrealized to realized losses, as well as $32.1 million in net unrealized losses during the quarter, primarily due to the markdown on Job and Talent, along with smaller markdowns on positions in other legacy investments. The net decrease in net assets for the quarter was $16.3 million, or $0.19 per share. Now I will discuss our balance sheet and liquidity, which remains solid, reflecting our progress in reducing leverage during the quarter. During the first quarter, we repaid all $325 million of our 2026 notes. As a result, we have no material debt maturities due in the near term.

Total liquidity at the end of the first quarter was $358.6 million, including $164.1 million in available borrowings under our revolvers and $93.3 million in cash. The combined weighted average interest rate on debt outstanding was 5.77% as of 03/31/2026. Unfunded loan commitments represented 8.7% of our $1.4 billion investment portfolio, or $121 million, including $53.3 million in revolver commitments. Net regulatory leverage was 1.29x at quarter end, down from 1.41x in 2025, resulting in a total debt-to-equity leverage ratio of 1.65x. Subsequent to quarter end, our net regulatory leverage ratio improved to 1.23x as a result of paydowns. We expect to reduce leverage further over time as we exit additional investments as part of our portfolio repositioning.

We are well positioned to fund new investments with a diverse leverage program, which includes three low-cost credit facilities, an unsecured note issuance, and an SBA program. Now I will turn the call back to Phil for his closing remarks.

Philip Tseng: Thanks, Erik. Over the past year, and again in the first quarter, we continued to reposition our portfolio by reducing nonaccruals and deploying capital into new investments that align with our investment strategy. This repositioning is driving greater diversification, with an emphasis on senior secured first-lien loans with more granular position sizes and reduced concentration across individual credits and sectors. We have also strengthened our balance sheet and reduced leverage, which improves our flexibility as we look ahead. While we have made meaningful progress, we recognize there is more work to do, and we remain focused on disciplined execution.

As part of BlackRock's PFS platform, BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. benefits from expanded sourcing and origination, broader investment expertise and resources, and the ability to participate in larger transactions that many others do not see or do not have the capabilities to pursue. We believe this positions BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. for long-term success as the credit market continues to evolve. We appreciate your continued support. We will now open the call for questions. I will turn the call back to the operator.

Operator: Thank you. We will now open the call for questions. We will now begin the question and answer session. If you would like to ask a question, please press 1 to raise your hand. To withdraw your question, please press 1 again. We ask that you pick up your handset when asking a question to allow optimum sound quality. If you are muted locally, please remember to unmute your device. Please stand by while we compile the Q&A roster. Your first question comes from the line of Robert James Dodd from Raymond James. Your line is now open.

Robert James Dodd: Without going through line by line of various portfolio items, I just want to ask you a more general, conceptual question on one of my questions. The pace at which restructuring is occurring, you know, the work going on dealing with troubled assets, etc. Obviously, you are doing it as fast as you can, but how would you rank that in terms of how quick or hard or easy you thought it was going to be, say, six months ago, in terms of dealing with these assets?

Philip Tseng: Hey, Robert. Thank you for the question. I would say that we always expect restructuring and workouts to not take a linear pattern. As you know, each deal has its own idiosyncratic issues, whether that is company, product, competitive landscape, liquidity management, and so on. Sometimes they are great businesses with weaker balance sheets; their restructurings really benefit the company. So I would say that we did not really go in with any specific expectation. However, we are doing everything we can to actively manage through these restructurings, monetizations, and paydowns.

As you saw in the results, we have made meaningful progress in the quarter, having exited ALPINE 4840 and Suited Connector with respect to restructuring processes, and then also exiting Fishbowl and AutoAlert in terms of sales of those assets—not exiting the entire position because we did roll some of the equity—but we are doing what we can in terms of managing those processes.

Robert James Dodd: Fair enough. Appreciate that. Another one—this is a question about a specific position. Job and Talent was marked down this quarter; you said the round numbers are a third of the total markdowns. That is not actually my question. That business is positioned as an AI-enabled job and talent search business, so maybe AI enabling is not the fix-all in one context. On the other hand, what were the drivers, if you can give any information? You said there was some softness in the business and obviously pressure on enterprise values.

It is an AI-enabled business, so any context you can give us on the interaction between how that business is valued while being AI-enabled versus how AI is or is not helping or impacting that business? I am just trying to get a feel, because you do have a lot of other software businesses where the fear is AI, but then you have a business that is AI and it did not seem to help.

Jason A. Mehring: Hey, Robert. It is Jason. What I would say is, first and foremost, Job and Talent is a staffing and recruitment business. Those businesses typically have a tech-enabled element to them and have an ability to leverage AI and other emerging technologies and approaches to benefit their business. In this quarter, the cause of the drop in enterprise value is really more due to market valuation multiples, as opposed to something tied specifically to the business being challenged because of AI or otherwise. I would say the relative performance of the business was more of a modest contributor, as opposed to broader tech multiples.

Robert James Dodd: Got it. Thank you. And then on software, you said you had a 26% LTV at origination in your software book. Maybe you do not want to put an exact number on it, but I presume that 26 has moved fairly significantly if we put in valuations today. Can you use any relative scale? Has that 26 doubled, or—just kind of ballpark—how much have values moved on the assets that you have in the book?

Philip Tseng: The purpose of including that metric was to indicate how much cushion we underwrote to in those deals, being cognizant of software and AI as a risk. You are right, the market multiples have come down meaningfully, and so the cushion has come down as well. We do not have a number to disclose in terms of exactly how much, and it depends on the credit itself and what end market and what software functionality they are offering. I would say that the cushion certainly has decreased, but we feel like at 26% LTV, we are still in reasonably good shape.

Operator: Thank you for your questions. There are no further questions at this time. I will now turn the call back to Philip Tseng, Chairman, CEO, and Co-CIO, for closing remarks.

Philip Tseng: Thank you, operator, and thank you all for joining our call today. I would also like to thank our team for their continued hard work and dedication to BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. As always, please reach out with any questions.

Erik L. Cuellar: Thank you all.

Operator: This concludes today's call. Thank you for attending. You may now disconnect.

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