Portfolio Update - Ordinary Shares - 30 Sep 19

RNS Number : 4290U

NB Distressed Debt Invest. Fd. Ltd

25 November 2019

 

25 November 2019

NB Distressed Debt Investment Fund Limited

Portfolio Update - Ordinary Shares

NB Distressed Debt Investment Fund Limited's ("NBDDIF") primary objective is to provide investors with attractive risk-adjusted returns through long-biased, opportunistic stressed, distressed and special situation credit-related investments while seeking to limit downside risk.

NBDDIF's holdings are diversified across distressed, stressed and special situations investments, with a focus on senior debt backed by hard assets. The portfolio is managed by the Distressed Debt team at Neuberger Berman, which sits within what we believe is one of the largest and most experienced non-investment grade credit teams in the industry.

On 10 June 2013, the investment period of the NBDD Share Class ("NBDD") expired and the assets of NBDDIF attributable to the Ordinary Shares were placed into the harvest period. $132.8 million (equivalent to 107% of original capital) has been distributed (income by way of dividend and capital by way of redemption) to shareholders since the realisation phase for this share class began.

The Ordinary Share Class is one of three classes of shares in NBDDIF. The others are the Extended Life Share Class and the New Global Share Class, which both offered exposure to new opportunities in this asset class beyond 10 June 2013. The Extended Life Share Class was subject to an investment period which ended on 31 March 2015 and the New Global Share Class was subject to an investment period which ended on 31 March 2017. Separate factsheets are produced for those share classes.

Manager Commentary

NBDD is in the harvest period and the investment manager is working to restructure, reorganise, and realise exits for each investment to maximise the value of the portfolio for the shareholders. During the harvest period, the investment manager seeks a catalyst for each of the remaining investments that will allow for a realisation and return of capital and profits, if applicable. For regulatory reasons, the final 10% of the total return (NAV plus cumulative distributions) in respect of any class of participating shares in NBDDIF will be returned to shareholders with a final compulsory redemption of all of the outstanding shares of that class. As such, there will be no further distribution for NBDD until the final distribution to investors and the wind-down of the share class, currently expected in 2020.

The investment manager uses economic, industry and issuer specific data to estimate the gross realisable value in downside, base case and upside scenarios for each investment in the portfolio. It currently estimates the range of the aggregated realisable value for the investments in the portfolio is between 89% and 154% of the 30 September 2019 market values of these investments, with a base case of 124%.  Shareholders should, however, note that: (i) the realisable values of the investments are calculated on a gross basis and, in particular, do not reflect the investment manager's management fee and investment-related expenses; and (ii) this range of aggregate realisable values is an estimate only, and there is no guarantee that the value actually realised will be within this range. Further details on the risks relating to "forward looking information" are set out at the end of this announcement.

There was one exit during the quarter detailed below in the factsheet. The ratio of total value (capital distributions, dividends and current NAV) to original capital remains at 118%.

Portfolio Update

NBDD ended the quarter with NAV per share of $0.9261 as compared to $0.9364 at the end of June 2019. The NAV decreased by 1.10% in the quarter, principally driven by unrealised losses in private packaging and utility private equity investments partially offset by a rebound in Vistra public equity shares. During the harvest period, reorganised equities, including public equities, represent a larger percentage of NBDD's investments. More detail can be found below. At quarter-end, 92% of NBDD's NAV was invested in distressed assets (including cash in subsidiary accounts, receivables and net payables) with 8% held in cash net of payables.

The portfolio consists of 12 issuers across 8 sectors. The largest sector concentrations were in surface transportation, utilities, building & development and auto components.

Public Equity

In the harvest period the public equity portion of the portfolio increased as the result of debt-for-equity conversions. The NBDD portfolio currently includes the following public equity holdings:

ISSUER	MARKET VALUE AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2019 ($ millions)	% NAV
Vistra Energy Corp (f/k/a TECH)	2.8	19.4%
Five Point Holdings LLC	2.3	16.3%
Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc	0.2	1.2%
Star Bulk	0.1	0.5%
Total	4.9	33.9%

Notable events¹ below describe activity in the investments during the quarter and post quarter-end.

·      Pfleiderer - Post quarter-end, NBDD sold its holding of subordinated debt to the company sponsor at an attractive value in excess of NBDD's carrying value. Sales proceeds of approximately $0.4 million were at the base case estimate for this investment.

·      Vistra - The investment manager decided to retain the NBDD public equity position, but sell the NBDX position, because at this point in NBDD's harvest period there will be one single 10% distribution to wind down the asset class. The investment manager believes that the timetable to final distribution in NBDD permits more time to realize further upside which it believes Vistra may have.

Significant Value Change (approximately 0.5% of NBDD NAV or +/- $100,000)²

INDUSTRY	INSTRUMENT	3Q19 TOTAL RETURN ($ in millions)	MARKET VALUE ($ in millions)	QUARTERLY PRICE CHANGE	COMMENT
Vistra	Public Equity	$0.4	$2.8	+18%	Reported strong above consensus earnings
Utilities	Various	$(0.2)	$0.2	-57%	Reduced full year earnings guidance due to lower power prices
Packaging and Containers	Private Equity	$(0.4)	$1.0	-25%	Increasing leverage and continued challenge to improve profitability due to higher freight and energy costs.

Exits

There was one exit during the quarter. Inception to date, NBDD has experienced 44 exits with a total return of $42.8 million, weighted average IRR of 14% and weighted average ROR of 27%.

Exit 44 - Utilities

NBDD purchased second lien debt (which was repaid in full through another financing), mezzanine debt, and units of reorganised equity in a 1000MW combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in central California. At the time of the purchases we believed the plant benefitted from significant collateral coverage: the second lien and equity both traded at deep discounts to replacement value and the original construction cost of the plant.

Unfortunately, following our purchases, increased investment in renewable energy sources (specifically, solar, wind, and hydro) had a negative effect on California power prices and significantly impacted cash flow and liquidity. The company ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2016.  As the bankruptcy progressed it became clear that there was no value to distribute to the equity and mezzanine debt, and the prices declined to nearly zero in early 2017. The first lien debt holders took control of the asset, so there was no recovery to the securities we owned beyond the principal and interest already received over the life of the investment.

Cash invested was $3.7 million and cash received from coupon and principal repayments was $3.4 million. The total return on the investment was ($0.3) million over 107 months. The IRR was -3% and ROR was -8%.

EXIT	CASH INVESTED	CASH RECEIVED	TOTAL RETURN	IRR	ROR	MONTHS HELD
44	£3.7 million	£3.5 million	£(0.3) million	-3%	-8%	107

Partial Realisations

There was no activity during the quarter. The table below has been updated with current values.

PARTIAL REALISATION	SECTOR	QUARTER REPORTED	CASH INVESTED	CASH RECEIVED TO DATE	CURRENT VALUE OF INVESTMENT	TOTAL RETURN	CURRENT IRR	CURRENT ROR	MONTHS HELD
3	Containers & Packaging	2Q17	$2.0 million	$2.8 million	$0.1 million	$0.9 million	25%	48%	82
4	Containers & Packaging	2Q17	$2.6 million	$6.5 million	$1.0 million	$4.9 million	53%	191%	85

Distributions

As explained above, for regulatory reasons, the final 10% of the total return (NAV plus cumulative distributions) in respect of any class of participating shares in NBDDIF will be returned to shareholders with a final compulsory redemption of all of the outstanding shares of that class. The next distribution for NBDD will be the final distribution to investors and will wind down the share class. We believe there is material upside potential in four of our largest holdings and the timing of our last and final distribution is being pushed into the first half of 2020 in the hope of realising that upside. We will continue to update investors as we gain clarity on the realisations.

Factsheet

An accompanying factsheet on the information provided above can be found here http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/4290U_1-2019-11-22.pdf or on the Company's website www.nbddif.com. Neither the contents of the Company's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.

- ENDS -

For further information please contact:

KL Communications                Tel: [phone]

Charles Gorman                        [e-mail]

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Data as at 30 September 2019. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. All comments unless otherwise stated relate to NBDD.

Source: Bloomberg, except where otherwise stated.

1.   Notable corporate events may or may not result in an increase or decrease in the value of an NBDD investment or a change in NBDD's NAV per share. Please note that an investment may experience a change in value (positive or negative) during the quarter whether or not it was subject to a notable corporate event. Not all events involving existing investments are disclosed. In addition, certain corporate events may not have been disclosed due to confidentiality obligations.

2.   Industry categorisations determined by Neuberger Berman. Total Return determined by the Administrator and includes realised and unrealised gains and losses, expenses, FX gains and losses, and all income on investments according to US GAAP accounting. References in this factsheet to the market value of specific fund investments refers to the value determined in accordance with NBDD's valuation policy, which may include fair valued investments where third party prices are not available or are not considered accurate.

This document has been issued by NB Distressed Debt Investment Fund Limited (the "Company"), and should not be taken as an offer, invitation or inducement to engage in any investment activity and is solely for the purpose of providing information about the Company. This document does not constitute or form part of, and should not be construed as, any offer for sale or subscription of, or solicitation of any offer to buy or subscribe for, any share in the Company or securities in any other entity, in any jurisdiction.

The Company is a closed-ended investment company incorporated and registered in Guernsey and is governed under the provisions of the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008 (as amended), and the Registered Collective Investment Scheme Rules 2008 issued by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission ("GFSC"). It is a non-cellular company limited by shares and has been declared by the GFSC to be a registered closed-ended collective investment scheme. The Company's shares are admitted to trading on the Specialist Fund Segment of the London Stock Exchange's Main Market for listed securities.

Neuberger Berman Europe Limited ("NBEL"), the Company's Manager, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") and is registered in England and Wales, at Lansdowne House, 57 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6ER and is also a Registered Investment Adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in the U.S. and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

This document is presented solely for information purposes and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. We do not represent that this information, including any third party information, is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the Company or NBEL as a whole. All information is current as of the date of this material and is subject to change without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the Company and NBEL. 

There is no guarantee that any of the goals, targets or objectives described in this factsheet will be achieved. This factsheet may contain "forward-looking information" which can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "anticipate", "target", "project", "estimate", "intend", "continue" or "believe" or the negatives thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. Such statements are not purely historical in nature, and may include, among other things, projections, forecasts or estimates of cash flows, yields or returns, scenario analyses and proposed or expected portfolio composition. The forward-looking information contained herein is based upon certain assumptions about future events or conditions and is intended only to illustrate hypothetical results under those assumptions (not all of which will be specified herein). Not all relevant events or conditions may have been considered in developing such assumptions. The success or achievement of various results and objectives is dependent on a multitude of factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company and Neuberger Berman. Actual volatility and returns will depend on a variety of factors including overall market conditions and the ability of the Company and Neuberger Berman to implement its process, investment strategy and risk management policies. No representations are made as to the accuracy of such estimates or projections or that such projections will be realised. Actual events or conditions are unlikely to be consistent with, and may differ materially from, those assumed.

An investment in the Company involves risks, with the potential for above average risk, and is only suitable for people who are in a position to take such risks. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment or strategy is suitable for a particular investor. Each recipient of this document should make such investigations as it deems necessary to arrive at an independent evaluation of any investment, and should consult its own legal counsel and financial, actuarial, accounting, regulatory and tax advisers to evaluate any such investment. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. Investment in the Company should not constitute a substantial proportion of an investor's portfolio and may not be appropriate for all investors. Diversification and asset class allocation do not guarantee profit or protect against loss.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of current or future results. The value of investments may go down as well as up and investors may not get back any of the amount invested. The performance data does not take account of the commissions and costs incurred on the issue and redemption of units.

The value of investments designated in another currency may rise and fall due to exchange rate fluctuations in respect of the relevant currencies. Adverse movements in currency exchange rates can result in a decrease in return and a loss of capital.

Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each investor and may be subject to change, investors are therefore recommended to seek independent tax advice.

This document, and the information contained therein, is not for viewing, release, distribution or publication in or into the United States, Canada, Japan, South Africa or any other jurisdiction where applicable laws prohibit its release, distribution or publication, and will not be made available to any national, resident or citizen of the United States, Canada, Japan or South Africa. The distribution of this document in other jurisdictions may be restricted by law and persons into whose possession this document comes must inform themselves about, and observe, any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with the restrictions may constitute a violation of the federal securities law of the United States and the laws of other jurisdictions.

The Company's shares have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States. The shares may not be offered, sold, resold, pledged, delivered, distributed or otherwise transferred, directly or indirectly, into or within the United States, or to, or for the account or benefit of, US persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act). No public offering of the shares is being made in the United States.

The Company has not been and will not be registered under the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act") and, as such, holders of the shares will not be entitled to the benefits of the Investment Company Act. No offer, sale, resale, pledge, delivery, distribution or transfer of the shares may be made except under circumstances that will not result in the Company being required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. In addition, the shares are subject to restrictions on transferability and resale in certain jurisdictions and may not be transferred or resold except as permitted under applicable securities laws and regulations. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdictions.

The "Neuberger Berman" name and logo are registered service marks of Neuberger Berman Group LLC.

© 2019 Neuberger Berman Group LLC. All rights reserved.

 

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