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

Horizon Technological know-how Finance Company (NASDAQ:HRZN) suffered a 24% valuation slash in 2022, and the enterprise growth enterprise is now truly worth obtaining at reserve worth.

Horizon Technological know-how Finance is a high-yielding, technologies-targeted BDC with a generate that just lately surpassed 10%. To assist its growth, the organization growth firm has a secured, debt-oriented financial commitment portfolio.

Horizon Know-how Finance’s credit rating portfolio is doing properly, and the inventory could at some point trade at a bigger e-book worth numerous.

A further Gem In the BDC Sector

Business enterprise progress companies have experienced substantial valuation losses in 2022, owing to investors’ expectation that economic downturn components will have an impression on the sector’s prospective buyers for guide value expansion.

In the course of recessions, it is much more complicated for enterprise development corporations to make beneficial advancement in essential metrics such as internet expense earnings (because of to portfolio income stress) and ebook worth (thanks to force on credit score excellent which tends to raise during recessions).

With that stated, I feel it is time for dividend traders to concentrate on BDCs that, thanks to their credit rating overall performance and floating fee exposure, have the possible to outperform the sector.

Horizon Engineering Finance is a regular monthly-paying out specialty finance company with a quickly increasing expenditure portfolio. The portfolio experienced 50 credit card debt investments and 81 warrant positions as of March 31, 2022.

Debt investments built by the BDC are ordinarily Senior Time period Loans that offer the BDC with a high stage of funds safety. In March, the company’s debt, warrant, and fairness positions had been valued at $515 million, and the BDC was invested at a 12.4% annualized regular portfolio generate.

Horizon Technologies Finance is an intriguing dividend financial investment for the reason that it mostly invests in enhancement-phase providers in the technology, everyday living science, health care details, and companies industries, and it participates in the upside of those people organizations by way of fairness and warrant positions.

Horizon Engineering Finance is equivalent in quite a few strategies to Hercules Money, yet another BDC that seeks to capitalize on equity upside in particular know-how niches.

Horizon Engineering Finance has produced and nurtured a technological know-how-concentration in undertaking funds, which is in which the BDC sees the best opportunity for higher returns. The BDC is properly-diversified and steers very clear of cyclical industries that pose earnings and income move risks. Biotechnology as an sector accounts for 22% of the BDC’s complete marketplace publicity.

NII Exceeds Distributions

Horizon Know-how Finance’s portfolio created $1.41 per share in net expense profits in 2021, although BDC paid out $1.25 for each share, implying an 89% spend-out ratio. The dividend pay out-out ratio was 90% from 2019 to 2021, so buyers can moderately think that the $.10 for every share monthly dividend is sustainable.

Sail By way of The Future Fascination Level Climbing Cycle With Horizon Know-how Finance

The central financial institution is aggressively elevating prices, earning now an exceptional time to pick BDCs with the best total of floating price exposure.

Horizon Technology Finance buildings its finance specials diligently to assure 100% floating rate exposure, which suggests HRZN has far more floating level exposure than the common organization enhancement business in the sector.

This indicates that a substantial maximize in fascination costs will advantage Horizon Technologies Finance more than other BDCs. Centered on the BDC’s fascination sensitivity table, a 200-basis-issue maximize in curiosity fees is anticipated to final result in a $8.26 million improve in Horizon Know-how Finance’s net belongings.

Trading At E book Benefit

Due to the fact of their similarities in focused industries and offer structures, I feel Hercules Capital is the best equivalent for Horizon Technologies Finance. Hercules Capital has a P/B ratio of 1.3x, owing to the BDC’s substantial good results with its tech-centered expenditure strategy that brings together fascination payments with equity upside.

Due to the fact the industry rewards HTGC for the consistency of its portfolio final results, the BDC trades at a high quality to e book price. Horizon Engineering Finance at the moment has a P/B ratio of 1.0x, implying that HRZN may be a superior purchase than Hercules Cash based exclusively on ebook worth.

Are There Any Asset High quality Complications?

Appropriate now, I really don’t see any big difficulties. Horizon Engineering Finance experienced 1 loan that was earlier owing as of March 31, 2022. The expense of this expenditure was $11.9 million, and the reasonable value was $5.5 million. On a truthful value foundation, the non-accrual ratio was about 1%, centered on the whole portfolio value of $515 million.

Why Horizon Technology Finance Could See A Decrease Inventory Rate

To acquire up-to-date info about Horizon Technological innovation Finance’s portfolio functionality, buyers ought to closely check the BDC’s guide value craze and non-accrual ratio. With only a person non-accrual expense, I would say portfolio top quality is potent, but points can generally change for the even worse, especially if the BDC sector is destabilized by a economic downturn.

My Conclusion

Now that Horizon Technologies Finance is investing at e book value, the proposition will become a lot more appealing.

HRZN is one particular of the finest bets in the BDC sector for climbing interest rates because it is 100% exposed to floating costs.

The dividend is included and moderately secure, while non-accruals are retained to a minimum amount.

Horizon Technologies Finance is distinguished by its technological concentration, and equity appreciation final results in the payment of specific dividends.