REG - Blackstone Loan Fin - Results of Shareholder Consultation

Blackstone Loan FinancingAnnouncement

17/03/2023 07:00

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RNS Number : 2976T  Blackstone Loan Financing Limited  17 March 2023

 

17 March 2023

 

Blackstone Loan Financing Limited

(the "Company")

Results of Shareholder Consultation

 

On 26 January 2023, the Company announced it would undertake a shareholder
consultation on potential policy amendments in light of the prevailing and
persistent discount to net asset value ("NAV") at which the Company's shares
trade and with a view to broadening investor interest in the Company's shares
and maximising shareholder total return.  Since that announcement the Board,
the Investment Adviser and/or the Company's joint financial advisers and
brokers have consulted with shareholders and incorporated the view of
Blackstone, which together represent 78% of the share capital of the
Company.

 

The shareholder consultation set out to cover the following topics:
reinvestment/distribution of excess net income including expanding the
Company's remit to enable direct primary market investment and a potential
exit opportunity.  During the consultations the topic of the Company's NAV
valuation methodology was also discussed.  This announcement covers the
results of the shareholder consultation and a summary of proposals.

 

Reinvestment/Distribution of Excess Net Income

In general, the shareholders consulted were comfortable with the current
approach taken to the allocation of excess net income between reinvestment,
dividend distribution and share buybacks.  It was however recognised that
there are times when reinvestment by the Company into BCF may be unattractive
but direct investment in primary market CLOs managed and controlled by the
Investment Adviser may still be attractive.  At present the Company is unable
to make such direct investments.  The Board believes such flexibility to be
in the interests of shareholders and will propose a change to the Company's
investment policy to allow such investment to be put forward at the time of
the Company's Annual General Meeting ("AGM") expected to be held in July.
  Further details will be set out in the Notice of AGM.

 

Potential Exit Opportunity

The shareholder consultation discussed various potential exit opportunities.
There was variation in feedback with no consensus whether such an exit
opportunity should be offered.  In general, there was no consensus for the
creation of a run-off share class to sit alongside a continuing share class
given the potential reduced liquidity of both such share classes.  There was
some appetite, but not consensus, for the entire fund being placed into run
off.

As at 31 January 2023, 67% of the Company's assets were in CLO securities
which must be held to maturity under EU retention regulations.  Any run-off
of the Company, in whole or part, would therefore take place over a number of
years as the portfolio matures.  There was concern from a number of
shareholders that the slow decline of the Company's asset base over such an
extended timeframe may reduce shareholder liquidity.

The Board and its advisers have evaluated shareholder feedback, considered
these issues at length and sought to balance various views whilst cognisant of
the evergreen nature of the Company.  In summary, the Board does not
currently believe that an immediate exit opportunity would be in the best
interests of the Company and shareholders as a whole.  The Board will
continue to monitor the situation and consult with shareholders, and if there
is no significant improvement in the discount the Board will consider putting
forward a continuation vote alongside the AGM in 2024.   In the period
between now and the 2024 AGM, the Board will continue to use all tools at its
disposal, principally its buyback policy, in an effort to mitigate the
discount while taking into account the market environment for CLOs.

 

Valuation Methodology

At the Initial Public Offering of the Company in July 2014 the Company adopted
a mark to market valuation methodology for all its assets.  In the March 2016
Placing Programme prospectus the valuation methodology for CLO equity tranches
was amended to that of mark to model.  During the shareholder consultation a
number of shareholders expressed concern that the mark to model approach,
whilst reflective of the hold to maturity nature of retention assets, was not
a good benchmark for assessing current market risk and therefore whether the
Company's shares are trading at discount or premium to the risk of the
underlying assets.  The Board is considering these points and believes there
is merit in adopting a mark to market valuation methodology at a time when the
NAV derived from both methodologies are broadly aligned.  The Company will
make a further announcement at the time of any change in valuation approach.

 

The Board thanks all those shareholders it was able to consult with for their
time.

 

The information contained within this announcement constitutes inside
information.

The person responsible for arranging for the release of this announcement on
behalf of the Company is Priya Mooroogen of BNP Paribas S.A., Jersey Branch,
Company Secretary.

Enquiries:

 

 Blackstone Loan Financing Limited                 via BNP Paribas

 Charlotte Valeur, Chair

 BNP Paribas                                       01534 709189 / 813967

 Singer Capital Markets                            020 7496 3000

 James Maxwell / Alaina Wong (Corporate Finance)

 Alan Geeves / Sam Greatrex (Sales)

 Winterflood Investment Trusts                     020 3100 0000

 Neil Langford (Corporate Finance)

 Darren Willis (Sales)

 

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