NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - December 18, 2007) - Prospect Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: PSEC)
("Prospect" or "Company") announced today that it has declared a second
fiscal quarter (for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008) dividend of
$0.395 per share.
This dividend marks the Company's thirteenth consecutive quarterly
increase. The dividend now represents an approximately 14.1% current
dividend yield based on the closing stock price for December 17, 2007. The
ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 26, 2007. The record date is
Friday, December 28, 2007. The payment date is Monday, January 7, 2008.
In addition, the Company estimates that its net investment income for the
current second fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2007, will be $0.42 to
$0.48 per share.
Separately, the Company announced today that it has initiated the
harvesting of certain gains within the portfolio. The Company's largest
100% controlled investment, Gas Solutions Holdings, Inc. ("Gas Solutions"),
has engaged RBC Capital Markets Corporation as a financial advisor to
explore strategic alternatives, including a potential sale. Gas Solutions,
a midstream gathering and processing business in East Texas, is currently
generating an asset-level annualized run-rate earnings before interest,
taxes, depreciation, and amortization ("EBITDA") of approximately $24.8
million, or approximately three times the EBITDA at the time when Prospect
purchased Gas Solutions. Prospect expects to conclude its harvesting
process with Gas Solutions during the next few months.
Prospect may seek to monetize other investments in early 2008, including
NRG Manufacturing, Inc. ("NRG"), which, inclusive of a small add-on
acquisition, has approximately tripled its pro forma trailing twelve month
EBITDA to approximately $12 million, compared to the EBITDA when Prospect
purchased NRG. In addition, Prospect on December 5, 2007 entered into a
binding agreement to sell its $8 million debt investment in Central
Illinois Energy, LLC, an ethanol project, as an 86% cash-on-cash
monetization, inclusive of interest and fees received to date.
"With Gas Solutions and NRG having delivered significant growth in
profitability, we believe that now is an opportune time to explore
strategic options to harvest gains for the shareholders of Prospect," said
John Barry, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Prospect. "In addition,
we chose to exit the ethanol market at a
value-maximizing price for us due to our growing fundamental concerns about
supply exceeding demand in that market."
Dividend History
Dividend Per Share Quarter Ended
$0.395 December 31, 2007
$0.3925 September 30, 2007
$0.39 June 30, 2007
$0.3875 March 31, 2007
$0.385 December 31, 2006
$0.38 September 30, 2006
$0.34 June 30, 2006
$0.30 March 31, 2006
$0.28 December 31, 2005
$0.20 September 30, 2005
$0.15 June 30, 2005
$0.125 March 31, 2005
$0.10 December 31, 2004
ABOUT PROSPECT CAPITAL CORPORATION
Prospect Capital Corporation (www.prospectstreet.com) is a closed-end
investment company that lends to and invests in private and microcap public
businesses. Prospect Capital's investment objective is to generate both
current income and capital appreciation through debt and equity
investments.
Prospect Capital has elected to be treated as a business development
company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"). We are
required to comply with a series of regulatory requirements under the 1940
Act as well as applicable NASDAQ, federal and state laws and regulations.
We have elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Failure to comply with any of the laws and
regulations that apply to Prospect Capital could have a material adverse
effect on Prospect Capital and its shareholders.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such
statements, other than statements of historical fact, are likely to be
affected by other unknowable future events and conditions, including
elements of the future that are or are not under the Company's control, and
that the Company may or may not have considered; accordingly, such
statements cannot be guarantees or assurances of any aspect of future
performance. Actual developments and results are highly likely to vary
materially from these estimates and projections of the future. Such
statements speak only as of the time when made, and the Company undertakes
no obligation to update any such statement now or in the future.