Carlyle Secured Lending Emphasizes Ongoing First Lien Strategy and $0.40 Dividend Policy Amid 30% Increase in Deal Flow
Management Insights: Carlyle Secured Lending Inc. (CGBD) reported a net investment income of $0.37 per share for Q3 2025, with a fourth quarter dividend declared at $0.40 per share. The company experienced strong investment activity, funding $260 million in new and existing borrowers, while total investments increased from $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion.
Market Outlook: Management anticipates continued growth in deal flow, supported by declining base rates and resilient economic expectations, despite facing tight market spreads that pressure returns on new investments. They expect earnings to trough in the near term before recovering as new joint ventures scale.
Financial Performance: Total investment income remained stable at $67 million, with total expenses slightly increasing to $40 million. Nonaccruals decreased to 1.6% of total investments at cost, indicating improved credit quality within the portfolio.
Strategic Developments: Leadership changes are on the horizon, with new hires aimed at enhancing the origination function. Management emphasized a defensive strategy focused on first lien loans, while maintaining a commitment to portfolio resilience and dividend sustainability amidst market challenges.
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- Earnings Announcement Schedule: Carlyle Secured Lending will release its financial results for Q4 and full year 2025 on February 24, 2026, followed by a conference call on February 25 at 11:00 AM ET, enhancing transparency and investor confidence through detailed financial insights.
- Webcast Availability: The conference call will be accessible via a public webcast on the company's website, ensuring that all investors can obtain real-time financial information, thereby improving communication efficiency and reinforcing market trust.
- Company Background: Founded in 2013, Carlyle Secured Lending focuses on providing directly originated financing solutions, particularly senior secured loans to middle-market companies in the U.S., highlighting its expertise and market positioning in the SME financing sector.
- Management Team Strength: The company is externally managed by Carlyle Global Credit Investment Management, an SEC-registered investment adviser with extensive industry experience and robust capital management capabilities, providing solid support for the company's ongoing growth.

Management Insights: Carlyle Secured Lending Inc. (CGBD) reported a net investment income of $0.37 per share for Q3 2025, with a fourth quarter dividend declared at $0.40 per share. The company experienced strong investment activity, funding $260 million in new and existing borrowers, while total investments increased from $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion.
Market Outlook: Management anticipates continued growth in deal flow, supported by declining base rates and resilient economic expectations, despite facing tight market spreads that pressure returns on new investments. They expect earnings to trough in the near term before recovering as new joint ventures scale.
Financial Performance: Total investment income remained stable at $67 million, with total expenses slightly increasing to $40 million. Nonaccruals decreased to 1.6% of total investments at cost, indicating improved credit quality within the portfolio.
Strategic Developments: Leadership changes are on the horizon, with new hires aimed at enhancing the origination function. Management emphasized a defensive strategy focused on first lien loans, while maintaining a commitment to portfolio resilience and dividend sustainability amidst market challenges.
Dividend Declaration: Carlyle Secured Lending (CGBD) announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, consistent with previous payments, with a forward yield of 12.83%.
Payment Details: The dividend is payable on January 16 for shareholders of record as of December 31, with the ex-dividend date also on December 31.
Financial Performance: CGBD reported a non-GAAP net investment income (NII) of $0.38, which fell short of expectations by $0.01.
Market Outlook: There are concerns regarding macroeconomic uncertainty affecting Carlyle Secured Lending, leading to a rating downgrade despite a current discount to NAV and an 11.6% dividend yield.

Earnings Performance: Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. (CGBD) reported quarterly earnings of $0.38 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.39, and showing a decline from $0.49 per share a year ago. The company has only surpassed consensus EPS estimates once in the last four quarters.
Revenue Results: The company generated revenues of $44.2 million for the quarter, falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.68%, but showing an increase from $39.08 million year-over-year. Carlyle has exceeded revenue estimates twice in the past four quarters.
Stock Outlook: Carlyle Secured Lending shares have decreased by approximately 29.6% since the start of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's 16.5% gain. The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating expected underperformance in the near future.
Industry Context: The Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry, to which Carlyle belongs, is ranked in the bottom 22% of Zacks industries, suggesting a challenging environment. Investors are advised to monitor earnings estimate revisions, which can significantly influence stock performance.

Q3 Financial Performance: Carlyle Secured Lending reported a Q3 Non-GAAP NII of $0.38, missing expectations by $0.01, while the net asset value per common share decreased by 0.4% to $16.36.
Investment Value: The total fair value of Carlyle's investments increased to $2.4 billion as of September 30, 2025.
Market Sentiment: There are concerns regarding macroeconomic uncertainty, leading to a rating downgrade despite a high dividend yield of 11.6%.
Future Outlook: Discussions are ongoing about whether the current situation represents a bottom for Carlyle Secured Lending, with various analyses and earnings previews being conducted.
Acquisition Announcement: Cygnet Energy Ltd. has agreed to acquire Kiwetinohk Energy Corp. for C$24.75 per share, totaling approximately C$1.4 billion.
Production Capacity: Post-acquisition, Cygnet will manage over 44,000 boe/d of liquids-weighted production from the Duvernay and Montney formations.
Funding Partners: The acquisition will be financed by NGP Energy Capital Management and The Carlyle Group, with ARC Financial Corp. rolling over some of its KEC shares into Cygnet.
Market Performance: KEC shares closed at C$22.42 in Toronto prior to the acquisition announcement.







