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Company

SARATOGA INVESTMENT CORP.

Ticker
SAR
Sector
Industry
Report date
July 7, 2026
Valye AI Score

100

Very high visibility
Recent developments
Recent developments summary

Recent news highlights include multiple reminders of upcoming ex-dividend dates and dividend runs, earnings call transcripts for Q3 and Q4 2026, confirmation of meeting Q4 earnings estimates, and a $100 million note offering priced in early 2026.

Recent developments:
  • Saratoga Investment Corp. announced upcoming ex-dividend dates and dividend runs in multiple news articles in mid-2026 [N1][N2][N3][N7].
  • The company released Q3 and Q4 2026 earnings call transcripts and confirmed meeting Q4 earnings estimates in May 2026 [N4][N5][N6].
  • In January 2026, Saratoga priced a public offering of $100 million 7.50% notes due 2031 [N8].
Overview

Saratoga Investment Corp. operates as a specialty finance company providing tailored financing solutions to U.S. middle-market businesses with EBITDA between $2 million and $50 million. The company primarily invests in senior and unitranche leveraged loans, mezzanine debt, and equity of private middle-market companies, focusing on transactions such as ownership changes, acquisitions, recapitalizations, and growth initiatives. Its investment activities are managed externally by Saratoga Investment Advisors, LLC. The portfolio is diversified, with a significant portion in first lien term loans, and includes opportunistic investments up to 30% of the portfolio. The company uses leverage through credit facilities and public notes to enhance returns. Saratoga regularly repurchases shares under an extended repurchase plan and pays dividends to shareholders. The company is subject to various risks including those related to leverage, market conditions, and investment liquidity.

Executive summary

Saratoga Investment Corp. is a specialty finance company focused on providing customized financing solutions to U.S. middle-market companies primarily through senior and unitranche leveraged loans, mezzanine debt, and equity investments. The company is externally managed by Saratoga Investment Advisors, LLC. As of February 28, 2026, the portfolio was diversified across first lien term loans, second lien loans, unsecured loans, structured finance securities, and equity interests, with a weighted average yield of approximately 9.6%. The company employs leverage to enhance returns, with various credit facilities and public notes outstanding. Financial figures (if any) are summarized from the latest available SEC filings and are provided for informational purposes only — not financial advice. As of May 31, 2026, Saratoga reported a net loss of $6.9 million and had cash and equivalents of $46.1 million. The company faces risks related to leverage, interest rate fluctuations, economic conditions affecting portfolio companies, liquidity, and investment risks in subordinated notes and equity securities. Recent news highlights include dividend announcements, earnings call transcripts, and a $100 million note offering priced in early 2026.

Scenarios for SAR

Bull case model:

Saratoga Investment Corp. benefits from a focused investment strategy targeting middle-market companies with EBITDA between $2 million and $50 million, providing customized financing solutions that can generate attractive risk-adjusted returns. The portfolio's diversification across senior secured loans, mezzanine debt, and equity interests, combined with a weighted average yield of approximately 9.6%, supports income generation. The company's leverage strategy can amplify returns when market conditions are favorable. The external management by Saratoga Investment Advisors, affiliated with a private equity firm, provides specialized expertise. Recent capital raising through note offerings and share repurchases indicate active capital management.

Bear case model:

The company faces risks from its use of leverage, which magnifies potential losses and may increase financial risk. Economic downturns or disruptions in capital markets could impair portfolio companies' ability to repay loans, leading to increased delinquencies and losses. Investments in subordinated notes and equity securities carry higher risk and volatility. The company's incentive fee structure may encourage risk-taking by the advisor. Liquidity constraints and market volatility could impact the company's ability to finance new investments or maintain distributions. Regulatory and market uncertainties, including interest rate fluctuations and credit market disruptions, pose additional challenges.

Moat:

Saratoga Investment Corp.'s moat is based on its specialized focus on U.S. middle-market companies, leveraging expertise from its external manager affiliated with a middle-market private equity firm. Its investment strategy targets senior secured loans and mezzanine debt with collateral coverage, providing some downside protection. The company's ability to structure customized financing solutions and its diversified portfolio across various debt and equity instruments contribute to its competitive positioning. Additionally, its access to capital markets through credit facilities and public notes supports its investment capacity. However, the company operates in a competitive and risk-sensitive market with exposure to economic cycles and credit risks inherent in middle-market lending.

Risks overview
Risks summary
Leverage magnifies investment risk and financial volatility, combined with credit and market risks affecting portfolio companies, represent the primary risks to the company's business and financial condition.
Risks details:

• Leverage Risk: The company employs leverage which magnifies potential gains and losses, increasing investment risk and potentially impacting distributions and debt servicing.
• Credit and Market Risk: Economic downturns, capital market disruptions, and inflation may adversely affect portfolio companies' ability to repay loans and impact investment valuations.
• Investment Concentration and Liquidity Risk: A significant portion of investments are in subordinated notes and equity securities, which carry higher risk and may lack liquidity.
• Advisor Incentive Fee Structure: Incentive fees payable to the investment advisor may be earned even during periods of net loss, potentially encouraging riskier investment behavior.
• Regulatory and Compliance Risk: The company must maintain qualifying assets to comply with regulations applicable to business development companies, with potential restrictions on investment activities.

FINAL FORECAST FOR SAR

Final take one line
Saratoga Investment Corp. is a specialty finance company with a diversified middle-market loan portfolio, employing leverage and facing risks typical of its sector including credit, market, and liquidity risks.
Final take 12 to 24 month view

Business trends: Continued focus on middle-market lending with a diversified portfolio including leveraged loans, mezzanine debt, and opportunistic investments; active capital management through debt offerings and share repurchases.
Execution milestones: Maintaining regulatory compliance as a BDC, managing leverage and portfolio credit quality, meeting dividend and earnings announcements, and executing note offerings.
Key risks: Leverage magnifying losses, economic and credit market volatility impacting portfolio companies, liquidity constraints, and incentive fee structures potentially encouraging risk-taking.

Valye AI Visibility Research Score

Very high visibility

Visibility score reflects the breadth and consistency of available disclosure across SEC filings, recent public reporting, and baseline business context (research-only; not investment advice).

100
LLM visibility overview
LLM Visibility known facts
  • Saratoga Investment Corp. is a specialty finance company providing customized financing solutions to U.S. middle-market businesses with EBITDA between $2 million and $50 million through direct lending and loan syndicates [S1].
  • The company primarily invests in senior and unitranche leveraged loans, mezzanine debt, and to a lesser extent equity issued by private U.S. middle-market companies [S1].
  • Investments generally finance change of ownership transactions, strategic acquisitions, recapitalizations, and growth initiatives in partnership with business owners, management teams, and financial sponsors [S1].
  • The investment activities are externally managed by Saratoga Investment Advisors, LLC, affiliated with Saratoga Partners, a middle-market private equity firm [S1].
  • Portfolio composition as of February 28, 2026, included 82.1% first lien term loans, 3.9% second lien term loans, 1.5% unsecured loans, 4.9% structured finance securities, and 7.6% equity interests [S1].
  • Weighted average yield on investments was approximately 9.6% as of February 28, 2026, with total return based on market value of 1.54% and NAV per share return of 7.50% for the same period [S1].
  • Approximately 100% of first lien debt investments were fully collateralized based on enterprise value assessments as of February 28, 2026 [S1].
  • The company may invest up to 30% of its portfolio in opportunistic investments including distressed debt, foreign debt, private equity, joint ventures, and structured finance vehicles [S1].
  • Saratoga CLO investment represents a first loss position in a portfolio of predominantly senior secured first lien term loans, subject to unique risks [S1, S6].
  • As of May 31, 2026, the company had cash and equivalents of $46.1 million and reported a net loss of $6.9 million for the quarter, with basic and diluted EPS of -$0.42 [S2].
  • The company employs leverage, borrowing from banks and issuing senior debt securities secured by liens on assets, which magnifies potential gains and losses [S1, S4].
  • Outstanding borrowings include various credit facilities and public notes with fixed interest rates and maturities ranging from 2025 to 2031 [S1].
  • The company has a share repurchase plan extended through January 15, 2027, with over 1 million shares repurchased as of May 31, 2026 [S2].
  • No defaults on senior securities were reported as of the latest filings [S2].
  • The company pays incentive fees to its investment advisor based on net investment income and realized capital gains, with some risk of fees being paid even during net losses [S1, S19, S20].
  • The company faces risks including leverage magnifying losses, interest rate changes, economic downturns affecting portfolio companies, liquidity constraints, and risks related to investments in subordinated notes and equity securities [S1, S4, S14, S15].
  • The company regularly declares and pays dividends, with recent news highlighting upcoming ex-dividend dates and dividend runs [N1, N2, N3, N7].
  • Recent news includes earnings call transcripts and reports confirming the company met Q4 earnings estimates [N4, N5, N6].
  • The company priced a $100 million public offering of 7.50% notes due 2031 in January 2026 [N8].
Sources
Sources - Context summary

Generated 2026-07-07

Sources - Earning calls
Sources - Other context
Sources - SEC Filings
  • S1 | 2026-05-05 | 10-K
  • S2 | 2026-07-07 | 10-Q
Sources - News headlines
  • N1 | 2026-07-02 | www.nasdaq.com | Reminder - Saratoga Investment (SAR) Goes Ex-Dividend Soon | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/reminder-saratoga-investment-sar-goes-ex-dividend-soon
  • N2 | 2026-06-21 | www.nasdaq.com | Upcoming Dividend Run For SAR? | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/upcoming-dividend-run-sar-0
  • N3 | 2026-05-20 | www.nasdaq.com | Upcoming Dividend Run For SAR? | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/upcoming-dividend-run-sar
  • N4 | 2026-05-07 | www.nasdaq.com | Saratoga (SAR) Q3 2026 Earnings Transcript | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/saratoga-sar-q3-2026-earnings-transcript
  • N5 | 2026-05-06 | www.nasdaq.com | Saratoga (SAR) Q4 2026 Earnings Call Transcript | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/saratoga-sar-q4-2026-earnings-call-transcript
  • N6 | 2026-05-06 | www.nasdaq.com | Saratoga Investment (SAR) Meets Q4 Earnings Estimates | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/saratoga-investment-sar-meets-q4-earnings-estimates
  • N7 | 2026-04-06 | www.nasdaq.com | SAR Ex-Dividend Reminder - 4/7/26 | https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/sar-ex-dividend-reminder-4-7-26
  • N8 | 2026-01-30 | www.globenewswire.com | Saratoga Investment Corp. Prices Public Offering of $100 Million 7.50% Notes Due 2031 | https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/01/30/3229520/0/en/Saratoga-Investment-Corp-Prices-Public-Offering-of-100-Million-7-50-Notes-Due-2031.html
Important legal disclaimer

This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, financial, legal or tax advice, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security. The Valye AI Score is a model-based estimate derived from public information and is subject to change without notice. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information herein. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should conduct their own research and consult a qualified financial adviser before making any investment decisions.

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