Runway Growth Finance Corp. quarterly report, Q1 FY2019

Runway Growth Credit Fund Inc. - Q1 2019 Filing Summary

Business Context and Reporting Period

This Form 10-Q covers the quarterly period ended March 31, 2019. Runway Growth Credit Fund Inc. is an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end investment company regulated as a Business Development Company (BDC) and treated as a Regulated Investment Company (RIC). The Company invests primarily in senior secured term loans and warrants of small, fast-growing U.S. companies, with a focus on technology, healthcare, and business services sectors.

Key Financial Metrics

Metric Q1 2019 Q1 2018
Total Net Assets $237,984,453 $128,443,686
Net Asset Value (NAV) per Share $15.13 $14.82
Total Investment Income $12,150,329 $3,370,571
Net Investment Income $8,074,024 $1,679,724
Net Increase in Net Assets from Operations $5,833,514 $1,403,309
Net Investment Income per Share $0.55 $0.19
Net Increase in Net Assets per Share $0.40 $0.16
Total Investments at Fair Value $312,426,840 $304,208,317
Cash and Cash Equivalents $3,001,410 $3,896,824
Debt Outstanding (Credit Facilities) $6,750,000 $59,500,000
Reverse Repurchase Agreements $69,594,014 $79,560,129

Material Changes vs. Prior Period

  • Capital Deployment: Net assets increased significantly from $167.4 million to $238.0 million, driven by a $66 million capital drawdown in January 2019 and $4.9 million in dividend reinvestments.
  • Revenue Growth: Total investment income surged to $12.15 million from $3.37 million year-over-year, primarily due to a larger deployed portfolio and prepayment fees.
  • Expense Increase: Total operating expenses rose to $4.08 million from $1.69 million. This includes the recognition of $1.88 million in incentive fees (none in Q1 2018) and higher professional and overhead costs associated with portfolio growth.
  • Unrealized Losses: The Company recorded a net change in unrealized depreciation of $2.24 million, compared to $0.34 million in Q1 2018. This was driven by decreases in the fair value of warrants for Mojix, RedSeal, and zSpace.
  • Debt Reduction: The Company significantly reduced leverage, repaying $59.5 million in credit facility borrowings, leaving only $6.75 million outstanding.

Outlook, Risks, and Unusual Items

  • Dividends: The Company declared a dividend of $0.40 per share for Q1 2019. On May 2, 2019, a subsequent dividend of $0.45 per share was declared, payable May 21, 2019.
  • Subsequent Events:
    • RedSeal, Inc.: Experienced a liquidity event on April 9, 2019; the loan was repaid in full, and the associated warrant expired.
    • zSpace, Inc.: Partial exit on May 7, 2019, with full prepayment of loans and fees; warrants remain held.
    • New Investment: Funded $15.5 million of a $17 million commitment to Echo360, Inc. on May 4, 2019.
  • Risks: The portfolio is heavily concentrated in technology-related sectors (Application Software, Healthcare Technology, Data Processing), which are subject to volatility and rapid obsolescence. The Company utilizes Level 3 fair value measurements for the majority of its portfolio, requiring significant management judgment.
  • Unfunded Commitments: As of March 31, 2019, the Company had $23 million in unfunded loan commitments to six portfolio companies.

Key Facts for Investor Verification

  • Valuation Sensitivity: Verify the impact of the $2.24 million unrealized depreciation on NAV, specifically regarding the warrants for Mojix, RedSeal, and zSpace.
  • Liquidity Event Impact: Confirm the financial impact of the RedSeal exit and zSpace prepayment occurring immediately after the quarter-end.
  • Capital Drawdowns: Note the significant increase in share count (from ~11M to ~15.7M shares) due to the $66M capital call in January 2019.
  • Fee Structure: Review the incentive fee calculation, as $1.88 million was accrued in Q1 2019, significantly impacting net investment income compared to the prior year.
  • Debt Maturity: The remaining $6.75 million credit facility matures on September 19, 2019.