Runway Growth Finance Corp. Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Source: GlobeNewswire
Runway Growth Finance Corp. Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Delivered Total and Net Investment Income of $36.7 million and $15.9 million, Respectively
Investment Portfolio of $1.1 billion
Conference Call Today, Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET

MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Runway Growth Finance Corp. (Nasdaq: RWAY) (“Runway Growth” or the “Company”), a leading provider of flexible capital solutions to late- and growth-stage companies seeking an alternative to raising equity, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

Third Quarter 2024 Highlights

  • Total investment income of $36.7 million
  • Net investment income of $15.9 million, or $0.41 per share
  • Net asset value of $13.39 per share
  • Dollar-weighted annualized yield on debt investments of 15.9%
  • Two investments completed in new portfolio companies, four investments with existing portfolio companies, and one investment with our joint venture, representing $75.3 million in funded investments
  • Aggregate proceeds of $75.0 million in a principal prepayment, $10.0 million from an assignment to our joint venture, and $0.6 million from scheduled amortizations
  • Repurchased 644,763 shares of the Company's common stock during the third quarter under previously authorized share repurchase program

Fourth Quarter 2024 Distributions

  • Declared fourth quarter 2024 regular dividend of $0.40 per share

“Runway Growth delivered strong financial performance in the third quarter, reporting sequential net investment income growth and solid originations,” said David Spreng, Founder and CEO of Runway Growth. “Additionally, we funded seven investments during the quarter, expanding our high-quality portfolio of late and growth stage companies. Subsequent to quarter end, RWAY’s investment adviser announced a business combination with BC Partners that will present the BDC with expanded origination opportunities, enhanced financing solutions, and continuity of leadership for years to come. As we near the end of 2024, we believe the Company is positioned to accelerate growth and drive long-term shareholder value.”

Third Quarter 2024 Operating Results

Total investment income for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 was $36.7 million, compared to $43.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Net investment income for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 was $15.9 million, or $0.41 per share, compared to $22.0 million, or $0.54 per share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

The Company's dollar-weighted annualized yield on average debt investments for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 was 15.9%. The Company calculates the yield on dollar-weighted debt investments for any period measured as (1) total investment-related income during the period divided by (2) the daily average of the fair value of debt investments, including investments on non-accrual status, outstanding during the period.

Total operating expenses for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 were $20.8 million, compared to $21.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Net realized gain (loss) on investments was zero for both quarters ended September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023.

For the quarter ended September 30, 2024, net change in unrealized gain on investments was $9.2 million, compared to a net change in unrealized loss on investments of $7.2 million for the comparable prior year period.

Portfolio and Investment Activity

As of September 30, 2024, Runway Growth’s investment portfolio had an aggregate fair value of approximately $1.07 billion in 57 portfolio companies, and was comprised of approximately $1.00 billion in term loans, 98.6% of which are senior secured loans, and $62.2 million in warrants and other equity-related investments.

During the third quarter of 2024, Runway Growth funded two investments in new portfolio companies and five investments in existing companies, representing $74.0 million in funded loans, net of upfront loan origination fees.

Total portfolio investment activity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 was as follows:

      
 Three Months Ended
September 30,
  Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
 2024  2023  2024  2023 
Beginning investment portfolio$1,063,324  $1,095,321  $1,067,009  $1,126,309 
Purchases of investments 74,004   41,987   174,029   105,527 
Purchases of U.S. Treasury Bills          34,974 
PIK interest 2,719   5,551   9,582   15,334 
Sales and prepayments of investments (84,900)  (126,770)  (144,661)  (225,671)
Scheduled repayments of investments (634)  (275)  (2,380)  (7,046)
Sales and maturities of U.S. Treasury Bills       (42,029)  (35,000)
Amortization of fixed income premiums or accretion of discounts 2,413   2,327   8,293   7,332 
Net realized gain (loss) on investments          (1,178)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments 9,174   (7,214)  (3,743)  (9,654)
Ending investment portfolio$1,066,100  $1,010,927  $1,066,100  $1,010,927 
                
                

Net Asset Value

As of September 30, 2024, net asset value (“NAV”) per share was $13.39, compared to $14.08 as of September 30, 2023. Total net assets at the end of the third quarter was $507.4 million, down 11% from $570.5 million as of September 30, 2023.

For the quarter ended September 30, 2024, net increase in net assets resulting from operations was $25.0 million, or $0.65 per share, compared to a net increase in net assets resulting from operations of $14.8 million, or $0.37 per share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had approximately $251.6 million in available liquidity, including unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $3.6 million and $248.0 million in available borrowing capacity under the Company’s credit facility, subject to existing terms, advance rates and regulatory and covenant requirements.

The Company ended the quarter with a core leverage ratio of approximately 108%, compared to 110% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Distributions

On November 5, 2024, the Company’s board of directors declared a regular quarterly distribution of $0.40 per share for the fourth quarter of 2024, payable on December 2, 2024, to stockholders of record as of November 18, 2024.

Recent Developments

The Company evaluated events subsequent to September 30, 2024 through November 12, 2024, the date the consolidated financial statements were issued.

On October 9, 2024, the Company received a full repayment of $8.0 million on its senior secured loan to Betterment Holdings, Inc.

On October 16, 2024, the Company sold its outstanding warrants for Dtex Systems, Inc. for proceeds of $1.9 million.

On October 31, 2024, the Company received a partial repayment of $2.1 million on its senior secured loan to FiscalNote Holdings, Inc.

On October 31, 2024, the Company received a full repayment of $18.5 million on its senior secured loans to Predactiv, Inc. (fka Sharethis, Inc.).

On October 31, 2024, the Company announced that Runway Growth Capital LLC ("RGC") entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger pursuant to which RGC Group Acquisition, LLC (the "New Owner"), a newly formed wholly owned subsidiary of BCP Special Opportunities Fund III, an affiliate of BC Partners Advisors L.P., will acquire RGC. The transaction will constitute a change of control of RGC, resulting in an assignment and subsequent termination of the Company's current investment advisory agreement with RGC (the "Current Advisory Agreement"). On October 29, 2024, the Board of Directors approved a proposed new investment advisory agreement (the "New Advisory Agreement") by and between the Company and RGC, the terms of which are identical to the Current Advisory Agreement. On November 1, 2024, the Company filed with the SEC, a preliminary proxy statement relating to a special meeting of the Company's stockholders, currently planned to be held on December 13, 2024, at which the Company will seek stockholder approval of the New Advisory Agreement. If approved, the New Advisory Agreement will take effect following the closing of the transaction between RGC and the New Owner.

On November 5, 2024, the Board of Directors declared a regular distribution of $0.40 per share for stockholders of record as of November 18, 2024 payable on or before December 2, 2024.

From October 1, 2024 through November 11, 2024, the Company repurchased 528,305 shares under the Third Repurchase Program.

Conference Call

Runway Growth will hold a conference call to discuss its third quarter ended September 30, 2024 financial results at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. To participate in the conference call or webcast, participants should register online at the Runway Investor Relations website. The earnings call can also be accessed through the following links:

A live webcast will be available in the investor section of the Company’s website, and will be archived for 90 days following the call.

About Runway Growth Finance Corp.

Runway Growth is a growing specialty finance company focused on providing flexible capital solutions to late- and growth-stage companies seeking an alternative to raising equity. Runway Growth is a closed-end investment fund that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Runway Growth is externally managed by Runway Growth Capital LLC, an established registered investment advisor that was formed in 2015 and led by industry veteran David Spreng. For more information, please visit www.runwaygrowth.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included herein may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance, condition or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in Runway Growth’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Runway Growth undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release.

Important Disclosures

Strategies described involve special risks that should be evaluated carefully before a decision is made to invest. Not all of the risks and other significant aspects of these strategies are discussed herein. Please see a more detailed discussion of these risk factors and other related risks in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K in the section entitled “Risk Factors”, which may be obtained on the Company’s website, www.runwaygrowth.com, or the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

IR Contacts:

Taylor Donahue, Prosek Partners, tdonahue@prosek.com

Thomas B. Raterman, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, tr@runwaygrowth.com

      
RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP.
Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
      
 September 30,
2024
  December 31,
2023
 
 (Unaudited)    
Assets       
Investments at fair value:       
Non-control/non-affiliate investments at fair value (cost of $1,044,022 and $1,005,024, respectively)$1,000,405  $972,604 
Affiliate investments at fair value (cost of $59,111 and $58,861, respectively) 58,969   51,456 
Control investments at fair value (cost of $6,550 and $950, respectively) 6,726   950 
Investment in U.S. Treasury Bills at fair value (cost of $0 and $42,014, respectively)    41,999 
Total investments at fair value (cost of $1,109,683 and $1,106,849, respectively) 1,066,100   1,067,009 
Cash and cash equivalents 3,617   2,970 
Interest and fees receivable 5,653   8,269 
Other assets 208   905 
Total assets 1,075,578   1,079,153 
Liabilities       
Debt:       
Credit facility 302,000   272,000 
2026 Notes 95,000   95,000 
2027 Notes 152,250   152,250 
Unamortized deferred financing costs (6,738)  (9,172)
Total debt, less unamortized deferred financing costs 542,512   510,078 
Incentive fees payable 14,930   12,500 
Interest payable 8,810   6,764 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 1,968   2,740 
Total liabilities 568,220   532,082 
Net assets       
Common stock, par value 414   414 
Additional paid-in capital 605,107   605,110 
Accumulated undistributed (overdistributed) earnings (57,169)  (47,637)
Treasury stock (40,994)  (10,816)
Total net assets$507,358  $547,071 
        
Shares of common stock outstanding ($0.01 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized) 37,902,532   40,509,269 
Net asset value per share$13.39  $13.50 
        
        



      
RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
      
 Three Months Ended
September 30,
  Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 
 2024 2023  2024  2023 
Investment income              
From non-control/non-affiliate investments:              
Interest income$32,253 $35,498  $97,643  $104,169 
Payment-in-kind interest income 2,757  5,195   9,294   15,416 
Dividend income   318      961 
Fee income 882  1,925   1,689   2,585 
From affiliate investments:              
Interest income 609  601   1,808   1,486 
Fee income   15      15 
Other income 150  227   419   352 
Total investment income 36,651  43,779   110,853   124,984 
Operating expenses              
Management fees 3,865  4,302   11,763   12,598 
Incentive fees 3,970  5,511   12,287   14,994 
Interest and other debt financing expenses 11,379  10,442   33,106   32,772 
Professional fees 528  466   1,443   1,504 
Administration agreement expenses 472  449   1,508   1,647 
Insurance expense 211  269   628   805 
Tax expense      2   50 
Other expenses 351  304   986   656 
Total operating expenses 20,776  21,743   61,723   65,026 
Net investment income 15,875  22,036   49,130   59,958 
Net realized and net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments              
Net realized gain (loss) on non-control/non-affiliate investments, including U.S. Treasury Bills         (1,178)
Net realized gain (loss) on investments, including U.S. Treasury Bills         (1,178)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on non-control/non-affiliate investments, including U.S. Treasury Bills 367  (7,624)  (11,182)  (7,507)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on affiliate investments 8,510  410   7,263   (5,679)
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on control investments 297     176   3,532 
Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments, including U.S. Treasury Bills 9,174  (7,214)  (3,743)  (9,654)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments 9,174  (7,214)  (3,743)  (10,832)
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations$25,049 $14,822  $45,387  $49,126 
Net investment income per common share (basic and diluted)$0.41 $0.54  $1.25  $1.48 
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations per common share (basic and diluted)$0.65 $0.37  $1.15  $1.21 
Weighted average shares outstanding (basic and diluted) 38,390,854  40,509,269   39,317,890   40,509,269