STELLUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION PRICES REOPENING OF $50.0 MILLION OF 7.25% NOTES DUE 2030

Rhea-AI Summary

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation (NYSE: SCM) has priced a $50.0 million public offering of 7.25% notes due 2030. This offering represents an additional issuance to the company's existing $75.0 million notes issued in April 2025, bringing the total outstanding principal amount to $125.0 million.

The notes will be fungible and rank equally with the existing notes, sharing the same CUSIP number and terms. The offering is expected to close around September 25, 2025. Stellus plans to use the net proceeds to repay a portion of its $100.0 million 4.875% notes due 2026.

Positive

• Increased total notes offering to $125.0 million, demonstrating strong market demand
• Higher interest rate notes (7.25%) replacing lower rate debt (4.875%), indicating proactive debt management
• Multiple prominent financial institutions participating as underwriters, suggesting strong institutional support

Negative

• Higher interest rate of 7.25% on new notes compared to 4.875% on existing notes will increase interest expenses
• Additional debt issuance may impact company's leverage ratios

Insights

Fixed Income Analyst

Stellus is refinancing lower-rate debt with higher-rate notes, suggesting potential liquidity management despite increased interest costs.

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation is raising $50 million through a reopening of its 7.25% notes due 2030, bringing the total outstanding amount of this series to $125 million. The company plans to use proceeds to repay a portion of its $100 million in 4.875% notes due 2026.

This financing decision contains an interesting trade-off. Stellus is willingly taking on debt with a higher interest rate (7.25% vs. 4.875%) but with a longer maturity (2030 vs. 2026). This 2.375% rate differential represents a significant increase in interest expenses, suggesting the BDC is prioritizing extended debt maturity over short-term interest cost optimization.

The strategic rationale likely involves proactively addressing the upcoming 2026 maturity window while market conditions allow. This move extends Stellus's debt maturity profile, providing enhanced financial flexibility and reducing near-term refinancing risk. However, it comes at the cost of higher interest payments that will impact the company's spread income in a BDC model where net interest margin is crucial.

The successful placement of these additional notes suggests investor confidence in Stellus's credit quality, though the higher coupon reflects the current higher interest rate environment compared to when the 2026 notes were issued. The move appears to be a deliberate liability management strategy rather than capital raised for new investments.

HOUSTON, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stellus Capital Investment Corporation (NYSE: SCM) ("Stellus" or "the Company") today announced that it priced a public offering of $50.0 million aggregate principal amount of 7.25% notes due 2030 (the "Notes") on September 22, 2025.

The Notes are an additional issuance of the 7.25% notes due 2030 that Stellus issued on April 1, 2025 in an aggregate principal amount of $75.0 million (the "Existing Notes"). The Notes will be treated as a single series with the Existing Notes under the indenture and will have the same terms as the Existing Notes. The Notes will have the same CUSIP number and will be fungible and rank equally with the Existing Notes. Upon the issuance of the Notes, the outstanding aggregate principal amount of Stellus' 7.25% notes due 2030 will be $125.0 million. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and the Notes are expected to be delivered on or about September 25, 2025.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is acting as the lead book-running manager for this offering, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. are serving as lead managers for this offering, and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., Academy Securities Inc., East West Markets, LLC, and TCBI Securities, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Securities, are serving as co-managers for this offering.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to repay a portion of its 4.875% notes due 2026. As of September 19, 2025, Stellus had $100.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.875% notes due 2026 outstanding.

Investors are advised to consider carefully the investment objective, risks and charges and expenses of the Company before investing. The preliminary prospectus supplement dated September 22, 2025 and the accompanying prospectus dated August 6, 2025, each of which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), contain a description of these matters and other important information about the Company and should be read carefully before investing.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sale of the Notes referred to in this press release, in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. A registration statement (File No. 333-288252) relating to the Notes was filed and has been declared effective by the SEC.

This offering is being made solely by means of a written prospectus forming part of the effective registration statement and a related preliminary prospectus supplement, which may be obtained for free by visiting the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or from Raymond James & Associates, Inc., 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716, email: prospectus@raymondjames.com or by calling 800-248-8863.

About Stellus Capital Investment Corporation

The Company is an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified investment management company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Company's investment objective is to maximize the total return to its stockholders in the form of current income and capital appreciation by investing primarily in private lower middle-market companies (typically those with $5.0 million to $50.0 million of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)) through first lien (including unitranche), second lien, and unsecured debt financing, often with a corresponding equity investment. The Company's investment activities are managed by its investment adviser, Stellus Capital Management. To learn more about Stellus Capital Investment Corporation, visit www.stelluscapital.com under the "Public Investors" link.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements included herein may contain "forward-looking statements" which relate to future performance or financial condition. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in filings by the Company with the SEC including the final prospectus that will be filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release.

Contacts
Stellus Capital Investment Corporation
W. Todd Huskinson, (713) 292-5414
Chief Financial Officer
thuskinson@stelluscapital.com

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SOURCE Stellus Capital Investment Corporation

FAQ

What is the size and terms of Stellus Capital's (SCM) new notes offering?

Stellus Capital is offering $50.0 million of 7.25% notes due 2030, which will be added to their existing $75.0 million notes with the same terms, bringing the total to $125.0 million.

How will Stellus Capital (SCM) use the proceeds from the 2030 notes offering?

Stellus Capital plans to use the net proceeds to repay a portion of its $100.0 million 4.875% notes due 2026.

When will the new SCM notes offering close?

The notes offering is expected to close on or about September 25, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.

Who are the underwriters for Stellus Capital's 2030 notes offering?

Raymond James & Associates is the lead book-running manager, with Goldman Sachs, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, and Oppenheimer serving as lead managers, along with several co-managers.

What is the interest rate difference between SCM's new and existing notes?

The new 2030 notes carry an interest rate of 7.25%, while the existing notes being partially repaid have an interest rate of 4.875%, representing a 2.375% increase.