Neutral/Negative Catalysts
- Strongly bearish technical trend: bearish MA stack and worsening MACD suggest downside momentum remains dominant.
- Options market is signaling stress: exceptionally high put-volume skew and very high IV percentile indicate traders are paying up for protection.
- Sector/news backdrop: private credit concerns are in focus (peer commentary like Ares earnings highlighting challenges), which can pressure BDC valuations.
- Earnings event risk (2026-02-18): with elevated IV, market expects turbulence; disappointing dividend/NII/credit marks could extend the drawdown.