Horizon Technology Finance Stock: A High Quality, 10.4% Yielding Tech-Focused BDC (HRZN)

Horizon Technological know-how Finance Company (NASDAQ:HRZN) endured a 24% valuation minimize in 2022, and the enterprise progress business is now truly worth buying at e book price.

Horizon Know-how Finance is a higher-yielding, technologies-concentrated BDC with a yield that lately surpassed 10%. To guidance its expansion, the small business development firm has a secured, personal debt-oriented investment portfolio.

Horizon Know-how Finance’s credit rating portfolio is performing well, and the stock could at some point trade at a greater guide worth multiple.

One more Gem In the BDC Sector

Business enterprise improvement businesses have suffered major valuation losses in 2022, owing to investors’ expectation that recession aspects will have an influence on the sector’s potential customers for guide value development.

In the course of recessions, it is a lot more hard for organization growth companies to make beneficial advancement in crucial metrics these kinds of as net financial investment income (owing to portfolio income force) and reserve value (because of to force on credit score good quality which tends to increase through recessions).

With that mentioned, I believe that it is time for dividend buyers to target BDCs that, because of to their credit general performance and floating charge exposure, have the likely to outperform the sector.

Horizon Technological innovation Finance is a regular-paying out specialty finance organization with a quickly increasing expense portfolio. The portfolio had 50 financial debt investments and 81 warrant positions as of March 31, 2022.

Personal debt investments manufactured by the BDC are normally Senior Time period Loans that deliver the BDC with a higher amount of cash defense. In March, the company’s personal debt, warrant, and equity positions were being valued at $515 million, and the BDC was invested at a 12.4% annualized common portfolio produce.

Horizon Technology Finance is an attention-grabbing dividend investment because it largely invests in growth-phase corporations in the technology, lifestyle science, health care info, and services industries, and it participates in the upside of people firms via equity and warrant positions.

Horizon Know-how Finance is comparable in numerous methods to Hercules Funds, one more BDC that seeks to capitalize on equity upside in unique know-how niches.

Horizon Technological innovation Finance has designed and nurtured a technologies-concentrate in undertaking cash, which is in which the BDC sees the biggest possibility for higher returns. The BDC is nicely-diversified and steers clear of cyclical industries that pose earnings and hard cash flow dangers. Biotechnology as an business accounts for 22% of the BDC’s overall business publicity.

NII Exceeds Distributions

Horizon Technological innovation Finance’s portfolio produced $1.41 for each share in internet expense earnings in 2021, although BDC paid out out $1.25 for every share, implying an 89% pay-out ratio. The dividend fork out-out ratio was 90% from 2019 to 2021, so investors can reasonably assume that the $.10 for every share regular dividend is sustainable.

Sail By means of The Next Curiosity Price Mountaineering Cycle With Horizon Technological know-how Finance

The central lender is aggressively increasing prices, earning now an excellent time to pick BDCs with the finest amount of money of floating fee publicity.

Horizon Technological know-how Finance structures its finance offers diligently to be certain 100% floating amount publicity, which indicates HRZN has a lot more floating rate exposure than the ordinary business enterprise advancement business in the sector.

This usually means that a important maximize in interest fees will gain Horizon Technologies Finance extra than other BDCs. Primarily based on the BDC’s desire sensitivity desk, a 200-foundation-level maximize in desire charges is anticipated to outcome in a $8.26 million boost in Horizon Engineering Finance’s internet belongings.

Buying and selling At Reserve Worth

Since of their similarities in qualified industries and deal structures, I think Hercules Funds is the greatest comparable for Horizon Know-how Finance. Hercules Money has a P/B ratio of 1.3x, owing to the BDC’s big accomplishment with its tech-targeted investment strategy that brings together desire payments with equity upside.

Simply because the market rewards HTGC for the consistency of its portfolio final results, the BDC trades at a premium to reserve price. Horizon Technological innovation Finance now has a P/B ratio of 1.0x, implying that HRZN may be a far better acquire than Hercules Money based mostly entirely on ebook price.

Are There Any Asset Good quality Challenges?

Suitable now, I will not see any important problems. Horizon Technology Finance had one particular personal loan that was earlier because of as of March 31, 2022. The charge of this investment decision was $11.9 million, and the reasonable price was $5.5 million. On a truthful worth basis, the non-accrual ratio was about 1%, based on the whole portfolio worth of $515 million.

Why Horizon Technological know-how Finance Could See A Lower Inventory Price tag

To get up-to-day data about Horizon Technology Finance’s portfolio functionality, traders must intently observe the BDC’s reserve price pattern and non-accrual ratio. With only 1 non-accrual financial commitment, I would say portfolio good quality is potent, but things can constantly adjust for the even worse, in particular if the BDC sector is destabilized by a recession.

My Conclusion

Now that Horizon Technological know-how Finance is buying and selling at book price, the proposition turns into far more captivating.

HRZN is 1 of the greatest bets in the BDC sector for soaring curiosity charges since it is 100% uncovered to floating rates.

The dividend is coated and fairly safe and sound, when non-accruals are saved to a least.

Horizon Technological know-how Finance is distinguished by its technological aim, and equity appreciation outcomes in the payment of specific dividends.