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New Mountain Finance (NMFC)
NASDAQ:NMFC

New Mountain Finance (NMFC) AI Stock Analysis

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NMFC

New Mountain Finance

(NASDAQ:NMFC)

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Neutral 61 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:61Neutral
Price Target:
$8.50
â–²(6.38% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/25/26
The score is driven mainly by moderately solid financial performance (strong cash generation and generally solid profitability, but with declining revenue and data-quality/volatility concerns). Technicals are notably weak and weigh on the rating, while valuation is supportive due to the moderate P/E and high yield. Earnings-call takeaways are mixed: proactive steps to improve portfolio quality and fees are offset by NAV pressure and sale-related marks/fees.
Positive Factors
Consistent free cash flow
NMFC shows durable cash-generation capacity with positive free cash flow each year and a large 2025 rebound. Reliable FCF underpins sustainable distributions, repurchases and reinvestment into higher‑quality, cash‑paying loans, improving financial flexibility over the next several quarters.
Proactive capital actions and fee alignment
Management executed structural actions — a large secondary sale to cut concentration and PIK, a permanent incentive-fee reduction to 15%, and ongoing buybacks. These moves materially lower leverage, reduce fee drag and improve cash yield sustainability and risk profile beyond the immediate quarter.
Conservative portfolio credit profile
High internal green ratings, low non‑accruals and a shift toward senior‑oriented loans (now ~81% pro forma) indicate durable credit discipline. A mostly senior, cash‑paying portfolio supports stable investment income and lowers default sensitivity over a multi‑quarter horizon.
Negative Factors
NAV pressure from marks and sale haircut
Material NAV markdowns and a realized sale at a ~6% discount crystallize losses and reduce book value. That structural NAV pressure constrains headroom for dividend increases, limits equity cushion for credit stress and may require several quarters of outperformance to rebuild book value.
Declining revenue and reporting volatility
Sustained top‑line weakness and inconsistent reported line items undermine visibility into recurring investment income trends. Revenue declines compress long‑term earnings power and, combined with volatile reporting, make forecasting distributions and capital deployment less reliable over the next several quarters.
Idiosyncratic concentration losses
A few concentrated underperformers drove most of the NAV hit, demonstrating idiosyncratic risk in the portfolio. Restructurings and equity markdowns can lead to prolonged non‑cash losses and slower recovery of capital, pressuring NAV and income durability over multiple quarters.

New Mountain Finance (NMFC) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

New Mountain Finance Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionNew Mountain Finance Corporation (Nasdaq: NMFC), a business development company is a private equity / buyouts and loan fund specializes in directly investing and lending to middle market companies in defensive growth industries. The fund prefers investing in buyout and middle market companies. It also makes investments in debt securities at all levels of the capital structure including first and second lien debt, unsecured notes and mezzanine securities. In some cases, its investments may also include equity interests. It targets energy, specialty chemicals and materials, trading companies and distributors, commercial printing, diversified support services, education services, environmental and facilities services, office services and supplies, media, distributors, health care services, health care facilities, application software, business services, systems software, federal services, distribution and logistics, interactive home entertainment, telecommunication services, hydroelectric power generation, electric power generation by fossil fuels, electric power generation by nuclear fuels, health care technology, and security and alarm services. The fund seeks to invest in United States of America. It seeks to invest between $10 million and $50 million per transaction. The firm invests through both primary originations and open-market secondary purchases. It invests in companies with EBITDA between $10 million and $200 million and target investments up to a $125 million hold size. The fund seeks a majority stake in its portfolio companies.
How the Company Makes MoneyNew Mountain Finance generates revenue primarily through interest income from the loans and debt securities it holds in its investment portfolio. The company typically invests in senior secured loans, which offer higher yields compared to traditional fixed-income investments. Additionally, NMFC may earn management fees for managing its investment portfolio, as well as potential performance fees based on the returns generated for its investors. The company also benefits from strategic partnerships with private equity firms and financial institutions, which can enhance deal flow and provide access to quality investment opportunities. The overall revenue model is designed to capitalize on the interest earned from investments, providing a steady stream of income while also focusing on capital appreciation.

New Mountain Finance Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 24, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 11, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call conveyed a constructive and proactive tone: management demonstrated that Q4 dividend was fully covered (adjusted NII $0.32), executed significant strategic actions (a $477M sale at 94% of marks) to reduce concentration, lower PIK exposure (expected -20%–25%), and improve the balance sheet (pro forma leverage ~0.9x). They also committed to permanent incentive fee alignment (15%) and retained strong liquidity and repurchase activity. Offsetting these positives were a Q4 NAV decline (-4.5% q/q), concentrated markdowns (Edmentum and Affordable Care driving most of the NAV hit), modestly lower investment income (-4% q/q), and a small sale-related haircut (~6%) plus ~$7M of transaction fees. Overall, management’s actions and healthy recurring cash income mitigate the recent mark-driven headwinds and position the company to improve portfolio composition and earnings over time.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Dividend Coverage and Near-Term Payout
Adjusted net investment income (NII) for Q4 was $0.32 per share, which covered the $0.32 per share dividend paid on December 31. The Board declared a $0.32 dividend payable March 31, 2026 (record March 17).
Fee Alignment and Manager Support
Manager utilized the dividend protection program to reduce the incentive fee from 20% to 15% through end-2026, announced an intent to permanently reduce to 15% thereafter, and provided an additional voluntary fee waiver of $2.4 million.
Large Secondary Sale to Improve Portfolio Composition
Signed agreement to sell ~$477 million of concentrated and harder-to-value assets at 94% of 12/31/25 marks (6% discount). Pro forma the sale, top-5 positions fall to ~14% of portfolio (from higher), senior-oriented assets rise to 81% (from 75%), and pro forma leverage falls to ~0.9x from 1.21x.
Recurring and Cash Income Mix
97% of total investment income in Q4 was recurring; 77% of investment income was paid in cash and 15% was PIK. In 2025 YTD, the company collected ~$35 million of previously accrued PIK in cash.
Planned Reduction in PIK Exposure
Management expects PIK income to decrease ~20%–25% as proceeds are redeployed to more senior, cash-paying first-lien assets; ~37% of the sold portfolio generated PIK prior to the transaction.
Strong Credit/Portfolio Health Metrics
Approximately 95% of the loan portfolio is green rated on the internal heat map; only ~3.2% is orange and no names are red. Non-accruals remain low at 1.4% of portfolio fair value. Two investments improved in rating in the quarter, and no names worsened.
Balance Sheet Liquidity and Capital Actions
Portfolio fair value $2.8 billion; total assets $2.9 billion. Total borrowing capacity ~$2.3 billion with ~ $650 million available on revolvers (as of Jan 30), covering $210 million unfunded commitments. Repurchased ~$52 million of shares in 2025 and ~$15 million YTD 2026; board authorized ~$80 million additional buybacks.
Long-Term Dividend & Yield Outlook
With the permanent incentive fee reduction to 15% management expects a long-term sustainable dividend of roughly $0.25 per quarter (beginning Q2 2026), implying ~ $1.00/year equating to a ~9% yield on pro forma book value and ~12% yield on current share price.
Negative Updates
Quarterly NAV Decline
Net asset value (NAV) declined to $11.52 per share at 12/31/25 from $12.06 the prior quarter, a reduction of ~4.5% quarter-over-quarter. The company also expects the 94% sale price to initially reduce book value by another ~$0.35 to ~$11.17 per share pro forma.
Edmentum Equity Mark Down
Edmentum was the largest driver of the NAV decline (about two-thirds of Q4 decline). Common equity marking was reduced to $5 million (from a significantly higher peak during COVID). NMFC still holds $27 million in subordinated notes and $9 million of preferred equity at par, but equity value impairment materially pressured NAV.
Underperforming Portfolio Companies and Restructurings
Affordable Care (specialty dental practice mgmt) materially underperformed and represented ~20% of the Q4 NAV decline; management expects a likely restructuring (debt-for-equity). Affordable Care's preferred equity and DCA first-lien were moved to non-accrual; DCA expected back on accrual in Q2.
Decline in Quarterly Investment Income
Total investment income for Q4 was $77 million, down ~4% versus prior quarter. Total net expenses were $44 million, down ~5% versus prior quarter (inclusive of fee waiver), indicating some near-term earnings pressure.
Sale-Related Costs and Discount
The secondary sale, while strategic, was executed at a ~6% discount to internal marks and will incur estimated fees and expenses of ~$7 million, which will impact reported results/expense recognition near-term and lower book value pro forma.
Market Valuation Disconnect
Management highlighted that NMFC shares trade materially below NAV (stock trading around roughly ~$8 vs. book ~$11.5), signaling a significant market valuation discount despite the company’s restructuring and capital actions.
Company Guidance
The company guided that it will pay a Q1 dividend of $0.32 per share on March 31, continue its dividend protection by reducing the incentive fee to 15% through the end of 2026 (and intends to keep 15% permanently thereafter), and expects a long‑term sustainable dividend of roughly $0.25 per quarter beginning Q2 2026 (based on about $0.27 of quarterly net investment income), noting $1 per year would equal a ~9% yield on pro forma book value and ~12% on the current share price; pro forma for the announced $477 million asset sale (to close in March) — at 94% of 12/31/25 marks — NAV is expected to fall from $11.52 to ≈$11.17 (a ≈$0.35 impact), leverage should decline to ~0.9x from 1.21x, senior‑oriented assets should rise to 81% from 75%, top‑5 concentration to ~14%, PIK income is expected to decrease 20–25% (with ~41% of pro‑forma PIK from Benevis and UniTek), and the firm highlighted other cash/earnings levers including potential accretive buybacks (repurchased ~$52M in 2025 and ~$15M YTD with ~$80M authorization remaining), redeployment into first‑lien loans, and targeted loan purchases — all against current metrics of Q4 adjusted NII of $0.32/share, total investment income of $77M, net expenses of $44M, an effective incentive fee of 8.4%, 97% recurring income, 77% cash income/15% PIK, 95% of the portfolio rated green, non‑accruals at 1.4%, $2.8B of investments, $2.9B total assets, $1.2B NAV, $1.5B statutory debt, $2.3B total borrowing capacity with ~$650M revolver availability and $210M unfunded commitments.

New Mountain Finance Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Fundamentals are moderately strong: profitability has been solid and free cash flow is consistently positive with a large 2025 rebound. Offsetting this, revenue has been declining recently and multiple line-item inconsistencies/zeros plus unusual leverage swings reduce confidence in reported trends.
Income Statement
61
Positive
Profitability is solid, with net profit margins consistently strong (roughly low-20% to mid-40% across 2020–2025), and net income holding up well despite softer top-line trends. However, revenue has been weak recently (down ~17% in 2025 and slightly negative in 2023–2024), and several profitability line items show inconsistencies/zeros (notably 2025 gross profit/EBIT/EBITDA), which reduces confidence in trend quality.
Balance Sheet
58
Neutral
Leverage and returns look acceptable overall: return on equity has been positive and generally healthy (~5%–15%), and debt-to-equity was around ~1.35–1.51 from 2020–2024. The main concern is volatility in reported debt levels, with 2025 showing a dramatically lower debt-to-equity (~0.17) versus prior years, suggesting a major capital structure change (or data inconsistency) that makes balance-sheet trend analysis less clean.
Cash Flow
74
Positive
Cash generation is a clear positive: free cash flow is positive each year and matches operating cash flow in the data, with a very large step-up in 2025 (operating/free cash flow ~$379M vs ~$42M in 2024). Cash flow coverage of net income is also strong where observable (free cash flow to net income shown as 1.0). The key weakness is volatility—operating cash flow fell sharply in 2024 before rebounding—and one cash-flow coverage field is reported as 0.0 in 2025, limiting consistency.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue370.24M329.83M341.98M347.33M267.10M
Gross Profit309.67M123.78M374.84M89.09M203.65M
EBITDA303.66M116.88M0.0083.83M207.41M
Net Income16.49M113.44M135.34M74.73M201.40M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets2.90B3.25B3.16B3.35B3.30B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments80.72M80.32M70.09M71.19M58.08M
Total Debt1.67B1.84B1.79B1.98B1.91B
Total Liabilities1.71B1.89B1.83B2.03B1.95B
Stockholders Equity1.18B1.35B1.32B1.31B1.32B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow378.98M42.00M76.00M70.12M51.69M
Operating Cash Flow378.98M42.00M76.00M70.12M51.69M
Investing Cash Flow314.24M0.00256.80M-36.92M-68.01M
Financing Cash Flow-389.98M-31.36M-333.96M-19.69M-4.53M

New Mountain Finance Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price7.99
Price Trends
50DMA
8.69
Negative
100DMA
8.93
Negative
200DMA
9.32
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.25
Positive
RSI
41.52
Neutral
STOCH
35.56
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For NMFC, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 7.99 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 8.14, below the 50-day MA of 8.69, and below the 200-day MA of 9.32, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.25 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 41.52 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 35.56 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for NMFC.

New Mountain Finance Risk Analysis

New Mountain Finance disclosed 97 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. New Mountain Finance reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

New Mountain Finance Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
72
Outperform
$814.75M8.248.75%13.18%-26.08%-27.65%
68
Neutral
$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
66
Neutral
$1.24B7.6114.15%13.53%33.44%25.22%
61
Neutral
$805.44M58.661.30%14.17%36.15%-38.59%
60
Neutral
$785.93M10.976.74%13.63%-8.23%-35.72%
58
Neutral
$807.95M8.739.31%10.80%-6.30%-6.92%
54
Neutral
$815.57M23.583.44%13.64%36.91%-48.79%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
NMFC
New Mountain Finance
7.99
-1.97
-19.78%
PFLT
Pennantpark
8.22
-1.58
-16.14%
SLRC
SLR Investment Corp.
14.81
-1.06
-6.68%
CGBD
Carlyle Secured Lending Inc
11.12
-4.60
-29.26%
BCSF
Bain Capital Specialty Finance
12.56
-3.12
-19.90%
TRIN
Trinity Capital
14.90
1.22
8.89%

New Mountain Finance Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures
New Mountain Finance Details Dividend Cut and Asset Sale
Negative
Feb 24, 2026

On February 24, 2026, New Mountain Finance Corporation reported fourth-quarter 2025 net investment income of $33.0 million, or $0.32 per share, matching the prior year’s quarter, while net asset value per share declined to $11.52 from $12.06 at September 30, 2025. The company’s portfolio stood at $2.76 billion across 114 companies, with roughly 80% in senior-oriented assets and about 95% rated green on its internal heatmap, reflecting management’s emphasis on credit quality.

The board declared a first-quarter 2026 distribution of $0.32 per share, payable March 31, 2026 to shareholders of record on March 17, 2026, and signaled a planned reduction of the dividend to $0.25 per share from the second quarter to align with lower base rates, tighter spreads and a more senior asset mix. NMFC also agreed to sell $477 million of assets at 94% of year-end fair value to diversify the portfolio, cut PIK income and enhance financial flexibility, while voluntarily cutting its incentive fee structure and continuing share repurchases, moves that underscore management’s focus on shareholder returns and balance-sheet strength.

The most recent analyst rating on (NMFC) stock is a Buy with a $10.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on New Mountain Finance stock, see the NMFC Stock Forecast page.

Executive/Board Changes
New Mountain Finance refreshes board with director transition
Positive
Jan 16, 2026

On January 15, 2026, New Mountain Finance Corporation announced the retirement of long-serving independent director Alfred F. Hurley Jr., who had sat on the board since 2010 and was credited by the chairman with providing high-quality strategic, market and financial guidance to the firm’s debt-focused investment business. To fill the vacancy, the board appointed veteran private equity and corporate finance executive John P. Malfettone as a director effective the same day, adding him to all key board committees and drawing on his extensive experience at firms including Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Oak Hill Capital Partners and GE, as well as his existing roles within New Mountain affiliates, signaling continuity and depth in the company’s governance and oversight of its credit investing activities.

The most recent analyst rating on (NMFC) stock is a Sell with a $9.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on New Mountain Finance stock, see the NMFC Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Feb 25, 2026