Eagle Point Credit Company Inc. (NYSE:ECC) (the “Company”) has today
published updated portfolio information summarizing the Company’s
industry exposure based on the underlying loan exposure of the CLOs in
which the Company invests.
As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s estimated top ten S&P industry
exposures were as follows:
S&P Industry Exposure
|
|
|
Business equipment & services
|
|
8.5%
|
Health care
|
|
7.7%
|
Electronics/electrical
|
|
6.4%
|
Leisure goods/activities/movies
|
|
5.8%
|
Oil and gas
|
|
5.4%
|
Lodging & casinos
|
|
4.5%
|
Telecommunications
|
|
4.4%
|
Financial intermediaries
|
|
4.3%
|
Chemicals & plastics
|
|
4.2%
|
Retailers (except food & drug)
|
|
4.2%
|
Source: Trustee reports for CLO securities in which the
Company is invested and information provided directly from the managers
of those CLOs. Exposures are determined by calculating the
aggregate principal balance of the underlying collateral held by the
Company’s CLO investments within the industries indicated and dividing
by the aggregate principal balance of all of those CLO vehicles’
underlying collateral (excluding cash) on a weighted average basis for
the Company’s investments in each of those CLO vehicles. Weighted
average exposures are estimated as of December 31, 2014 and exclude
certain recent CLO investments with missing or incomplete industry data.
Within the oil and gas industry, based on the most recent pricing
provided to the Company by its portfolio investments, the weighted
average price of the underlying loans was 91.54%. The Company believes
this pricing is indicative of a demand in the market for wider yields
and not a market expectation of near-term defaults.
As of the most recent pricing information available to the Company from
its portfolio investments, the total amount of the Company’s oil and gas
exposure with a weighted average price below 80% represents just 0.57%
of the Company’s overall loan exposure.
Upon a review of the Company’s current underlying loan exposure, the
Company currently anticipates no material change in its internal
estimates of IRR for the Company’s CLO equity positions.
In addition, the Company believes many of its CLO collateral managers
are taking advantage of the recent volatility in credit market pricing
to increase the spread and build the par value of their portfolios by
proactively trading and attractively reinvesting loan principal
repayments and sale proceeds. The Company believes these relative value
trades and accretive reinvestments during times of market volatility may
position its CLOs for higher future equity cash flows.
While the Company believes the spread widening on oil and gas-related
high yield credit is warranted, it is noted that senior secured loans
have much less oil and gas exposure than the high yield bond market.
Specifically, according to S&P Capital IQ, in December high yield bond
exposure to oil and gas-related credits is approximately 17% versus
approximately 5% for the senior secured loan market. Further, the
Company believes senior secured loan exposure provides greater
protection to creditors who enjoy a first-priority pledge on a company’s
assets as compared to high yield bond investors who are “second in line”
and often unsecured.
ABOUT EAGLE POINT CREDIT COMPANY INC.
The Company is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment
company. The Company’s investment objective is to generate high current
income and capital appreciation primarily through investment in equity
and junior debt tranches of collateralized loan obligations. The Company
is externally managed and advised by Eagle Point Credit Management LLC.
The principals of Eagle Point Credit Management LLC are Thomas P.
Majewski, Daniel W. Ko and Daniel M. Spinner. The Company makes certain
unaudited portfolio information available each month on its website (www.eaglepointcreditcompany.com).
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release may contain “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 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 in the prospectus and the Company’s other
filings with the SEC. The Company 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.
Source: Eagle Point Credit Company
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