Strong Economic Return and NAV Growth
Ellington Credit Company generated an annualized economic return of nearly 20% net and grew NAV per share. This was driven by excellent performance across CLO equity and mezzanine investments, as well as the timely redeployment of capital following the April sale of legacy mortgage-related holdings.
CLO Portfolio Expansion
The CLO portfolio grew by 27% quarter-over-quarter to $317 million. New purchases amounted to $91 million, primarily in CLO debt. The company successfully completed the disposition of remaining mortgage-related investments with minimal NAV impact.
Projected Coverage of Monthly Distribution
At the current rate of deployment, the company projects that starting in September, the monthly net investment income will cover the $0.08 monthly distribution, indicating a close to fully invested position.
Active Trading and Opportunistic Gains
The company benefited from active trading during market volatility, leading to significant net realized and unrealized gains on U.S. debt and equity. This included the redemption at par of mezzanine positions bought at discounts and a beneficial reset of a CLO equity position.
Plans for Long-term Debt Issuance
Ellington Credit Company plans to issue long-term unsecured debt later this year, which is expected to be accretive to both GAAP earnings and net investment income, further expanding the CLO portfolio.