Horizon Technology Stock: Put This 10.4% Yield On Your Radar (NASDAQ:HRZN)

Large-produce investing has admittedly turn into somewhat uncomplicated in recent months, with even some blue-chip names these kinds of as Altria (MO) throwing off a in the vicinity of 9% generate. It truly is uncomplicated to become jaded, even so, as a single could take that this is the new norm, specially taking into consideration the present inflationary setting.

If historical past is of any indicator, having said that, it really is that higher dividends could not last eternally, and that now may be a superior time to buy more of one’s beloved shares even though also diversifying into other revenue resources.

This delivers me to Horizon Technology Finance (NASDAQ:HRZN), which now yields 10.4%, just after owning fallen from the $16 level just before this 12 months to just $11.55 at current. In this write-up, I highlight what would make HRZN a possibly superior cash flow portfolio diversifier, so let’s get started off.

Why HRZN?

Horizon Know-how Finance is an externally-managed BDC that provides secured loans to venture cash and personal fairness backed expansion businesses in the technologies, existence science, and healthcare facts and expert services industries.

HRZN’s portfolio is perfectly-well balanced by business, with 41% of portfolio honest value allotted to technology, 43% to lifestyle science, 12% to sustainability, and the remaining 3% to health care info systems. As proven beneath, most of HRZN’s portfolio is allocated to businesses in the much less risky growth and later stages, signaling maturity and extra line of sight.

This approach has served HRZN perfectly, as shown by its powerful complete returns about the earlier 5 several years, with a 105% complete return from 3/31/2017 to 3/31/2022, beating the 33% total return of the ETRACS BDC Index, as shown underneath.

Meanwhile, HRZN is seeing solid fundamental fundamentals, with a large 14.9% ordinary financial debt portfolio produce around the trailing 12 months, whilst this has cooled a bit to a continue to strong 12.4% for the duration of the first quarter. HRZN is also observing remarkable portfolio progress of 36% more than the previous yr, to $515 million.

Additionally, HRZN maintains a low danger profile, thinking of that its borrowers have on average a minimal 20% financial loan to benefit ratio, comparing favorably to the 80% LTV average for mid-market financial loans.

This reduced-chance strategy is reflected by the fact that HRZN has just one investment decision, MacuLogix, on non-accrual, with administration expecting for it to solve by itself in excess of the present-day and up coming quarter though injecting a tiny total of liquidity to make it take place. Moreover, management estimates that nearly 96% of the portfolio carries a safe 3-score or better.

Notably, HRZN is at the moment underneath-earning its $.30 quarterly dividend fee (paid every month) with $.26 NII for every share for the duration of the very first quarter, getting to do with seasonably light-weight prepayments. However, HRZN has a great deal of cushioning to address its dividend charge, with $.47 for every share of undistributed spillover cash flow from prior portfolio liquidity gatherings.

It also has a huge addressable marketplace and a great deal of firepower to fund its pipeline, with a lower .9x debt to equity ratio, sitting effectively below the 2.0x statutory limit. This was mirrored by management in the course of the current convention get in touch with:

Our advisor continues to improve the Horizon platform with further hires and advertising and marketing customers of its staff into important management positions, making certain we stay on system to deliver upcoming advancement and ongoing profitability.

The gains of the Horizon platform include things like: an expanded lending platform and the ability of the Horizon brand name to accessibility a much larger range of investment decision possibilities, a pipeline of investments that has by no means been bigger, increased potential to execute on a backlog of commitments and new alternatives and an expert that is cycle-tested and fully well prepared to regulate by means of possible macro or financial headwinds.

In the vicinity of-term risks to HRZN include the downturn in progress, namely tech, shares because the start of the year, and this may well have a adverse impact on HRZN’s portfolio worth. Nevertheless, this may well be short term, and delayed liquidity occasions these kinds of as an IPO or buyout may possibly consequence in heightened demand from customers for HRZN’s loans, as portfolio corporations may well want to stay clear of dilutive equity sales to undertaking funds and non-public equity companies.

Finally, the new share cost weakness has produced HRZN extra desirable. It currently carries a rate to ebook value of .99x, sitting perfectly down below its selection over the previous 3 decades, outside the house the early pandemic time period. Promote side analysts have an regular cost concentrate on of $14.13, implying a opportunity one-calendar year 33% full return which include dividends.

Investor Takeaway

Horizon Technological innovation Finance is a compact but developing BDC that has viewed amazing complete returns over the past 5 several years, prior to the the latest downturn. It is benefiting from powerful underlying fundamentals, with strong portfolio development and yield. With the the latest share price tag weakness, HRZN appears to be an eye-catching acquire for substantial revenue investors in search of month-to-month dividends and funds appreciation possible.