Prospect Capital Reduces Its Distribution

As we have long expected and predicted, Prospect Capital (ticker: PSEC) has reduced its dividend distribution level. Our skepticism about the company's ability to maintain its policy of ever increasing dividends was based upon the very substantial gap between Prospect's Net Investment Income Per Share and the dividend: 11 cents a share. That's after Prospect harvested many of the benefits of acquiring Patriot Capital at a discount, as well as getting the one time benefit of repricing three loans last quarter. Here's the language from the last Earnings Report which explains this item: During the three months ended March 31, 2010, we repriced our loans to Aircraft Fasteners International, LLC ("AFI"), Prince Mineral Company, Inc. ("Prince") and R-O-M Corporation ("ROM"). The revised terms were more favorable than the original terms and increased the present value of the future cash flows. In accordance with ASC 320-20-35, the cost bases of the new loans were recorded at par value, resulting in $6.7 million of accelerated original purchase discount recognized as interest income.... Read more

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