SuRo Capital Corp. Reports Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Net Asset Value of $11.84 per Share as of June 30, 2020


SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SuRo Capital Corp. (“SuRo Capital” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq:SSSS) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020.  Net assets totaled approximately $192.7 million, or $11.84 per share, at June 30, 2020, compared to $10.22 per share at March 31, 2020 and $10.75 per share at June 30, 2019.

“This quarter, SuRo Capital reported the highest dividend-adjusted net asset value per share in five years.  On July 29, 2020, we were pleased to declare a $0.15 per share dividend.  The quarter was highlighted by several significant financings for existing portfolio companies and investments in new opportunities,” said Mark Klein, President and Chief Executive Officer of SuRo Capital. “The companies in our portfolio demonstrated strong growth and resilience this quarter despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.  We believe our portfolio is well-positioned given the current market conditions.”

“We are also excited to announce the closing of two new investments during the second quarter: a $5.0 million equity investment in Rent the Runway, Inc. and a $6.9 million collateralized loan to Palantir Lending Trust.  SuRo Capital also made follow-on, pro rata investments in Lime during the second quarter and Coursera subsequent to quarter-end. We continue to see more opportunities to deploy capital in credit investments. We have also been exploring opportunities in pre-business combination private investments in public equity (“PIPEs”) associated with the special-purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) asset class.”

Investment Portfolio as of June 30, 2020

At June 30, 2020, SuRo Capital held positions in 24 portfolio companies with an aggregate fair value of approximately $199.0 million.  As a result of the Company’s continued strategy to increase the size of its investments in individual portfolio companies, SuRo Capital has consolidated its investment portfolio around its top positions.  The Company’s top five portfolio company investments accounted for approximately 68% of the total portfolio at fair value as of June 30, 2020.

Top Five Investments as of June 30, 2020

$ in millions Cost Basis Fair Value % of Total Portfolio
Coursera, Inc. $14.5 $49.9 25.1%
Course Hero, Inc.  5.0  33.2 16.7 
Palantir Technologies, Inc.  16.2  30.5 15.3 
Ozy Media, Inc.  10.9  11.3 5.7 
Nextdoor.com, Inc.  10.0  10.5 5.3 
Total (rounded) $56.6 $135.4 68.1%
          

Second Quarter 2020 Investment Portfolio Activity

During the three months ended June 30, 2020, SuRo Capital funded the following new and follow-on investments, excluding capitalized transaction costs:

Portfolio CompanyInvestmentTransaction DateInvestment
Neutron Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a Lime)Junior Preferred Convertible Note5/11/2020$0.5 million
Rent the Runway, Inc.Preferred Stock6/17/2020$5.0 million
Palantir Lending TrustCollateralized Loan6/19/2020$6.9 million
    

Subsequent to quarter-end, through August 5, 2020, SuRo Capital funded the following follow-on investment:

Portfolio CompanyInvestmentTransaction DateInvestment
Coursera, Inc.Preferred Shares, Series F7/15/2020$2.8 million
    

Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results

 Quarter Ended
June 30, 2020
Quarter Ended
June 30, 2019
   
 $ in millionsper share(1)$ in millionsper share(1)
     
Net investment loss (2)$(4.7)$(0.28)$(2.8)$(0.14)
     
Net realized gain/(loss) on investments (0.0) -  13.6  0.69 
     
Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of investments, net of tax effects 26.5  1.62  (11.4) (0.58)
     
Net increase/(decrease) in net assets resulting from operations – basic(3)$21.8 $1.34 $(0.7)$(0.03)
     
Repurchase of common stock(4) (3.6) 0.16  (0.7) 0.03 
     
Stock-based compensation(2) 2.0  0.12  -  - 
     
Increase/(decrease) in net asset value$20.2 $1.62 $(1.4)$0.00 
             

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  1. Based on weighted-average number of shares outstanding for the relevant period
  2. For the quarter ended June 30, 2020, this balance includes $2.0 million of accelerated recognition of compensation cost related to the cancellation of all vested and unvested options on April 28, 2020.
  3. Total may not sum, due to rounding.
  4. During the quarters ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, the Company repurchased 594,637 and 115,801 shares of SuRo Capital common stock, for approximately $3.6 million and $0.7 million in cash, respectively, under its Share Repurchase Program. The use of cash in connection with the repurchases decreased net asset value as of period end; however, the reduction in shares outstanding as of period end resulted in an increase in the net asset value per share.

Weighted-average common basic shares outstanding were approximately 16.4 million and 19.7 million for the quarters ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

SuRo Capital’s liquid assets were approximately $23.3 million as of June 30, 2020, consisting of cash and restricted cash.

Dividend Declaration for Second Quarter 2020

On July 29, 2020, SuRo Capital’s Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.15 per share payable on August 25, 2020 to the Company’s common stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 11, 2020. The dividend will be paid in cash.

Share Repurchase Program

During the quarter ended June 30, 2020, SuRo Capital repurchased 594,637 shares under its Share Repurchase Program for an aggregate purchase price of $3.6 million.  The dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased by the Company under the Share Repurchase Program is approximately $2.7 million.

Under the publicly announced Share Repurchase Program and the Modified Dutch Auction Tender Offer, as of August 5, 2020, the Company has repurchased 5,901,324 shares of its common stock for approximately $37.3 million since the Share Repurchase Program was announced in August 2017.

Conference Call and Webcast

Management will hold a conference call and webcast for investors on August 5, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET). The conference call access number for U.S. participants is 323-794-2093, and the conference call access number for participants outside the U.S. is 866-548-4713. The conference ID number for both access numbers is 3811592. Additionally, interested parties can listen to a live webcast of the call from the "Investor Relations" section of SuRo Capital’s website at www.surocap.com. An archived replay of the webcast will also be available for 12 months following the live presentation.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed until 5:00 p.m. PT (8:00 p.m. ET) on August 12, 2020 by dialing 888-203-1112 (U.S.) or +1 719-457-0820 (International) and using conference ID number 3811592.

Certain Information Regarding the Dividend

The date of declaration and amount of the dividend are subject to the sole discretion of SuRo Capital’s Board of Directors.  The aggregate amount of the dividend declared and paid by SuRo Capital will be fully taxable to stockholders.  The tax character of SuRo Capital’s dividends cannot be finally determined until the close of SuRo Capital’s taxable year (December 31).  SuRo Capital will report the actual tax characteristics of each year’s dividends annually to stockholders and the IRS on Form 1099-DIV subsequent to year-end.

Registered stockholders with questions regarding declared dividends may call American Stock Transfer at 800-937-5449.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included herein, including statements regarding SuRo Capital's beliefs, expectations, intentions or strategies for the future, may constitute "forward-looking statements".  SuRo Capital cautions you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these statements.  All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and any market volatility that may be detrimental to our business, our portfolio companies, our industry, and the global economy, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Risk factors, cautionary statements and other conditions which could cause SuRo Capital's actual results to differ from management's current expectations are contained in SuRo Capital's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. SuRo Capital undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this press release.

About SuRo Capital Corp.

SuRo Capital Corp. (Nasdaq:SSSS) is a publicly traded investment fund that seeks to invest in high-growth, venture-backed private companies. The fund seeks to create a portfolio of high-growth emerging private companies via a repeatable and disciplined investment approach, as well as to provide investors with access to such companies through its publicly traded common stock. SuRo Capital is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. Connect with the company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and at www.surocap.com

Contact
SuRo Capital Corp.
(650) 235-4769
IR@surocap.com

Media Contact
Bill Douglass
Gotham Communications, LLC
Communications@surocap.com

SURO CAPITAL CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES (UNAUDITED)

 June 30, 2020 December 31, 2019
ASSETS   
Investments at fair value:   
Non-controlled/non-affiliate investments (cost of $99,121,577 and $90,567,041, respectively)$168,700,422  $152,866,112 
Non-controlled/affiliate investments (cost of $52,857,243 and $52,857,243, respectively)29,438,698  37,944,268 
Controlled investments (cost of $7,161,412 and $7,161,412, respectively)860,198  775,198 
Total Portfolio Investments198,999,318  191,585,578 
Investments in U.S. Treasury bills (cost of $99,999,611 and $49,996,667, respectively)100,000,000  50,000,000 
Total Investments (cost of $259,139,843 and $200,582,363, respectively)298,999,318  241,585,578 
Cash22,385,073  44,861,263 
Restricted cash900,000   
Escrow proceeds receivable67,135  265,303 
Interest and dividends receivable70,274  84,630 
Deferred financing costs11,382  11,382 
Prepaid expenses and other assets(1)1,197,711  1,755,933 
Total Assets323,630,893  288,564,089 
LIABILITIES   
Accounts payable and accrued expenses(1)1,933,219  1,143,923 
Payable to executive officers  1,369,873 
Accrued interest payable475,000  475,000 
Dividends payable  2,107,709 
Payable for securities purchased89,499,611  44,746,660 
Income tax payable38,965   
4.75% Convertible Senior Notes due March 28, 2023(2)38,991,657  38,803,635 
Total Liabilities130,938,452  88,646,800 
    
Net Assets$192,692,441  $199,917,289 
NET ASSETS   
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share (100,000,000 authorized; 16,279,679 and 17,564,244 issued and outstanding, respectively)$162,797  $175,642 
Paid-in capital in excess of par173,199,798  178,550,374 
Accumulated net investment loss(33,351,303) (25,679,362)
Accumulated net realized gain on investments12,821,670  5,867,417 
Accumulated net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of investments39,859,479  41,003,218 
Net Assets$192,692,441  $199,917,289 
Net Asset Value Per Share$11.84  $11.38 
        

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  1. This balance includes a right of use asset and corresponding operating lease liability, respectively.
  2. As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the 4.75% Convertible Senior Notes due March 28, 2023 had a face value of $40,000,000.

SURO CAPITAL CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

 Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
 2020 2019 2020 2019
INVESTMENT INCOME       
Non-controlled/non-affiliate investments:       
Interest income$61,126  $198,175  $216,211  $336,672 
Dividend income    50,000   
Non-controlled/affiliate investments:      
Interest income/(reversal of interest income accrual)(49,612) 60,127  (29,184) 119,593 
Dividend income30,000    56,250   
Controlled investments:      
Interest income  29,650    58,937 
Dividend income200,000  200,000  200,000  200,000 
Total Investment Income241,514  487,952  493,277  715,202 
OPERATING EXPENSES      
Management fees(1)      848,723 
Reversal of incentive fee accrual(1)      (4,660,472)
Costs incurred under Administration Agreement(1)      306,084 
Compensation expense(2)3,005,524  469,944  3,930,440  632,108 
Directors’ fees111,250  86,250  222,500  172,500 
Professional fees678,472  1,310,028  1,817,838  3,371,950 
Interest expense568,627  600,205  1,142,027  1,204,373 
Income tax expense39,590  29,949  48,255  33,712 
Other expenses505,439  796,807  1,004,158  991,753 
Total Operating Expenses4,908,902  3,293,183  8,165,218  2,900,731 
Net Investment Loss(4,667,388) (2,805,231) (7,671,941) (2,185,529)
Realized Gains/(Losses) on Investments:     
Non-controlled/non-affiliated investments(23,987) 13,590,233  6,954,253  21,859,371 
Non-controlled/affiliate investments      (12,334,831)
Net Realized Gain/(Loss) on Investments(23,987) 13,590,233  6,954,253  9,524,540 
Change in Unrealized Appreciation/(Depreciation) of Investments:      
Non-controlled/non-affiliated investments24,821,654  (6,751,196) 7,276,832  10,277,147 
Non-controlled/affiliate investments1,569,843  (1,220,012) (8,505,571) 7,802,636 
Controlled investments130,698  (4,469,112) 85,000  (9,820,352)
Net Change in Unrealized Appreciation/(Depreciation) of Investments26,522,195  (12,440,320) (1,143,739) 8,259,431 
Provision for taxes on unrealized appreciation of investments  979,713    885,566 
Net Change in Net Assets Resulting from Operations$21,830,820  $(675,605) $(1,861,427) $16,484,008 
Net Change in Net Assets Resulting from Operations per Common Share:      
Basic$1.33  $(0.03) $(0.11) $0.84 
Diluted(3)$1.10  $(0.03) $(0.11) $0.70 
Weighted-Average Common Shares Outstanding   
Basic16,383,188  19,719,706  16,912,091  19,741,058 
Diluted(3)20,300,980  19,719,706  16,912,091  23,472,402 
            

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  1. This balance references a related-party transaction.
  2. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, this balance includes $1,962,431 of accelerated recognition of compensation cost related to the cancellation of unvested options on April 28, 2020.
  3. For the six months ended June 30, 2020 and the three months ended June 30, 2019, 3,917,792 and 3,731,344 potentially dilutive common shares, respectively, were excluded from the weighted-average common shares outstanding for diluted net increase in net assets resulting from operations per common share because the effect of these shares would have been anti-dilutive.

SURO CAPITAL CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (UNAUDITED)

 Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
 2020 2019 2020 2019
Per Basic Share Data       
Net asset value at beginning of the period$10.22  $10.75  $11.38  $9.89 
Net investment income/(loss)(1)(0.28) (0.14) (0.45) (0.11)
Net realized gain/(loss) on investments(1)  0.69  0.41  0.48 
Net change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of investments(1)1.62  (0.63) (0.07) 0.42 
Provision for taxes on unrealized appreciation of investments(1)  0.05    0.05 
Repurchases of common stock(1)0.16  0.03  0.45  0.02 
Stock-based compensation(1)0.12    0.12   
Net asset value at end of period$11.84  $10.75  $11.84  $10.75 
Per share market value at end of period$8.47  $6.40  $8.47  $6.40 
Total return based on market value(2)44.54% (15.57)% 29.31% 22.61%
Total return based on net asset value(2)15.85% % 4.04% 8.70%
Shares outstanding at end of period16,279,679  19,646,846  16,279,679  19,646,846 
Ratios/Supplemental Data:       
Net assets at end of period$192,692,441  $211,125,048  $192,692,441  $211,125,048 
Average net assets$169,877,812  $211,244,233  $184,435,968  $203,070,126 
Ratio of gross operating expenses to average net assets(3)8.19% 5.14% 7.83% 4.66%
Ratio of income tax provision to average net assets% (0.46)% % (0.44)%
Ratio of net operating expenses to average net assets(3)8.19% 4.68% 7.83% 4.22%
Ratio of net investment income/(loss) to average net assets(3)(7.61)% (5.39)% (7.29)% (2.18)%
Portfolio Turnover Ratio% % 5.88% 5.04%
            

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  1. Based on weighted-average number of shares outstanding for the relevant period.
  2. Total return based on market value is based on the change in market price per share between the opening and ending market values per share in the year.  Total return based on net asset value is based upon the change in net asset value per share between the opening and ending net asset values per share.
  3. Financial Highlights for periods of less than one year are annualized and the ratios of operating expenses to average net assets and net investment loss to average net assets are adjusted accordingly. Significant and material non-recurring expenses are not annualized. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company excluded $1,962,431 and $1,962,431, respectively of non-recurring expenses. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, the Company excluded $617,536 and $(1,769,820), respectively, of non-recurring expenses and did not annualize the income tax provision. Because the ratios are calculated for the Company’s common stock taken as a whole, an individual investor’s ratios may vary from these ratios.