Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending (NYSE:NCDL) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.01 EPS

Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending (NYSE:NCDL) posted its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $26.36 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $49.60 million.

Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending Trading Down 3.6%

NYSE NCDL traded down $0.48 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $12.88. 565,408 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 289,028. Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending has a 52 week low of $12.76 and a 52 week high of $17.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $13.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.35. The stock has a market cap 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 11.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 31st. Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending’s payout ratio is presently 117.65%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective 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. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped 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 report on Wednesday, November 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $15.50.

Key Stories Impacting 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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending

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

About Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending

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.