Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending (NYSE:NCDL) Issues Earnings Results

Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending (NYSE:NCDL) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.01, Zacks reports. Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending had a return on equity of 10.41% and a net margin of 31.57%.The firm had revenue of $26.36 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.60 million.

Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending Stock Performance

Shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending stock traded down $0.48 on Friday, reaching $12.88. 565,408 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 289,028. The company has a 50 day moving average of $13.60 and a 200 day moving average of $14.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.65. Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending has a 52 week low of $12.76 and a 52 week high of $17.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $636.14 million, a PE ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 0.40.

Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 31st. Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending’s payout ratio is presently 117.65%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, February 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending from $16.00 to $15.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $15.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NCDL. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending by 190.2% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,573 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending in the third quarter worth about $38,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending by 33.0% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 4,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 1,118 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending in the third quarter valued at approximately $80,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $108,000.

Trending Headlines about Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending

Here are the key news stories impacting Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.36/share (ex-div March 31, payable Apr 28), implying a ~10.8% yield — supports income-focused investor demand. Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Company/press releases and some coverage report net investment income/EPS of $0.44 for Q4, modestly beating consensus and highlighting ongoing income generation and a reported ROE (~11%). Q4 Beat Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Management hosted an earnings call with a published transcript and presentation; these provide details on portfolio performance, NAV dynamics and outlook — useful for assessing credit quality and distribution sustainability. Earnings Highlights Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered its price target from $16 to $15 and set a “market perform” rating — a downgrade that can weigh on sentiment and short-term flow. Analyst Note
• Negative Sentiment: Some market reports show mixed/contradictory Q4 metrics (one source reported EPS of $0.32 and revenue well below expectations at ~$26.4M versus ~$49.6M), raising questions on reporting differences and near-term earnings clarity. That uncertainty likely contributed to the sell-off. Earnings/Metrics Report

Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending Company Profile

Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending (NYSE:NCDL) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide shareholders with attractive risk-adjusted returns through a diversified portfolio of direct lending instruments. Established in early 2022, NCDL focuses on privately negotiated debt investments in middle-market companies, primarily within the United States. The fund offers investors access to a segment of the credit markets that has historically been less correlated with public debt markets, aiming to capture yield premiums associated with private lending.

The fund’s investment strategy centers on senior secured loans, unitranche financings and selectively structured mezzanine debt.