CION Investment Corporation (CION)

Executive Summary / Key Takeaways

• A Defensive Core with Opportunistic Flexibility: CION's portfolio is anchored by 80% first-lien senior secured debt, generating stable net investment income, while an opportunistic sleeve (up to 30% of assets) drives episodic but meaningful NAV appreciation through equity gains and discounted secondary purchases. This barbell strategy delivered Q3 2025 results where base NII covered the dividend even before accounting for one-time transactional gains.

• Active Capital Management at a Steep Discount: Despite solid credit performance, CION trades at 0.69x book value with a 14.3% dividend yield. Management has responded aggressively—refinancing over 80% of debt in late 2024, extending maturities to 2027, increasing the share repurchase authorization to $80 million, and shifting to monthly distributions in 2026. These actions signal conviction that the market valuation gap is unwarranted.

• Credit Quality Remains Resilient Amid Selective Origination: Non-accruals ticked up modestly to 1.8% of the portfolio, driven by tariff impacts on a single borrower (Trademark Global) and business model transitions at others, yet 98% of investments remain risk-rated 3 or better. In an environment suffering from the "hangover of record 2024 direct lending fundraising," CION's discipline allows it to invest in first-lien loans at SOFR plus 7%—spreads that remain attractive relative to the broader market.

• The Key Risk Is External Pressure, Not Internal Failure: The primary threat isn't credit deterioration but spread compression from intense competition among larger, better-capitalized peers like Ares Capital and Blue Owl . CION's smaller scale ($1.5 billion AUM) and external management structure create a higher cost base, limiting pricing power in a market where capital is chasing fewer quality deals.

• Two Variables Will Determine the Thesis: Whether CION can maintain its selective underwriting edge to preserve yields, and whether it can successfully monetize equity positions like Longview Power and Palmetto Solar to drive NAV growth. Success on both fronts could narrow the valuation discount; failure could trap the stock in a high-yield, low-growth equilibrium.

Setting the Scene: A BDC Built for Defensive Income with Hidden Upside

CION Investment Corporation, incorporated in Maryland on August 9, 2011, and commencing operations in December 2012, began as a traditional business development company focused on generating current income through senior secured debt investments in U.S. middle-market companies. From inception, management elected BDC and RIC status, establishing a tax-efficient structure for distributing income to shareholders. The company's early relationship with Apollo Investment Management (APO) as sub-adviser instilled a conservative underwriting culture that persists today, even after Apollo's transition to a 50% economic interest in the advisor in 2017 and the subsequent termination of the sub-advisory agreement.

This heritage matters because it explains CION's current positioning: a defensive, first-lien focused lender that has evolved to incorporate opportunistic elements without sacrificing credit discipline. When CION listed on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2021, the move wasn't merely about liquidity—it coincided with fee reductions and set the stage for a more active capital management strategy. The subsequent Tel Aviv Stock Exchange listing in 2023 and the NYSE listing of its 7.50% Notes due 2029 in October 2024 reflect a deliberate effort to diversify funding sources and reduce borrowing costs.

Today, CION operates in a middle-market lending environment characterized by spread compression and looser credit terms, fallout from what management calls the "hangover of record 2024 direct lending fundraising." Larger competitors like Ares Capital and Blue Owl Capital deployed massive capital inflows, creating a supply-demand imbalance that pressures yields. CION's response has been to become increasingly selective, passing on a historically high percentage of potential investments and focusing on opportunities within its existing portfolio where it can command premium pricing. This discipline allowed the company to invest in first-lien loans at SOFR plus 7% in Q3 2025—spreads that remain attractive relative to the broader private loan market.

The company's strategic evolution also includes a December 2021 shareholder approval to reduce the minimum asset coverage ratio from 200% to 150%, providing additional leverage capacity. Rather than aggressively ramping originations, CION has used this flexibility to optimize its capital structure, refinancing over 80% of its debt in the second half of 2024 and extending its weighted average maturity wall by three years through 2027. This balance sheet repositioning, combined with a steadily increasing share repurchase authorization (from $50 million in 2021 to $80 million in August 2025), demonstrates management's priority on per-share value creation over sheer asset growth.

Technology, Products, and Strategic Differentiation: The Barbell Approach

CION's investment strategy operates on a barbell model that balances defensive income generation with opportunistic upside. The core of the portfolio—80% of fair value as of September 30, 2025—consists of senior secured first-lien debt in companies with EBITDA of $75 million or less. These investments target experienced management teams with strong free cash flow and defensible competitive positions, emphasizing the top of the capital structure where recovery rates are highest in a downturn. The weighted average yield on these direct strategy first-lien investments was SOFR plus 7% in Q3 2025, a spread that reflects both credit quality and CION's selective approach.

The other side of the barbell—approximately 20% of the portfolio—houses the opportunistic sleeve, which includes equity positions, structured products, and secondary purchases of lightly syndicated first-lien loan tranches at discounts to par. This sleeve generated significant realized earnings in Q3 2025 from the consensual restructuring and refinancing of Juice Plus, an investment CION co-led that exemplifies its ability to acquire technically discounted paper and actively drive value through restructuring. The opportunistic strategy's weighted average yield reached SOFR plus 14% in Q3, while equity positions like Longview Power and Palmetto Solar appreciated meaningfully, driving the 2.5% quarter-over-quarter NAV increase to $14.86 per share.

Fee income represents a third, non-recurring revenue stream that amplifies returns during periods of high transaction activity. In Q3 2025, CION generated $9.63 million in fee income across 20 portfolio companies, including $5.08 million in commitment fees and $3.73 million in capital structuring fees. Management explicitly links transaction volume to earnings power, noting that increased M&A activity and refinancing events create "yield enhancement measures like MOICs, exit fees, and call protection." This fee income isn't predictable quarter-to-quarter, but it provides a material boost when market conditions are active, as they were in Q3.

Paid-in-kind (PIK) income, totaling $17.17 million in Q3 2025, requires careful analysis. While PIK can signal credit stress when used to defer cash payments from struggling borrowers, CION's PIK is largely structural rather than distress-driven. Approximately 67% of PIK investments are in portfolio companies risk-rated 1 or 2 (the highest quality categories), and 98% are rated 3 or better. The company uses PIK in highly structured first-lien investments—such as litigation finance portfolios—where flexible timing features align with strict cash flow sweeps upon settlements. This strategic use of PIK enhances yields without compromising credit quality, distinguishing it from the PIK-driven restructurings seen in distressed situations.

Financial Performance & Segment Dynamics: Evidence of Strategy Working

CION's Q3 2025 results provide clear evidence that the barbell strategy is delivering on its promise. Net asset value appreciated 2.5% sequentially to $14.86 per share, driven primarily by fair value increases in the equity portfolio—particularly Longview Power and Palmetto Solar. This NAV growth wasn't a one-off anomaly; it followed a 1.5% increase in Q2 and demonstrates the opportunistic sleeve's ability to generate capital appreciation even as the core debt portfolio provides stable income. The company's underlying portfolio companies showed mid-to-high single-digit LTM adjusted EBITDA growth, indicating fundamental health across the borrower base.

Net investment income in Q3 was strong enough to cover the $0.36 per share base dividend even before accounting for significant transactional gains from the Juice Plus restructuring. Management emphasized this point explicitly, stating that excluding the one-time income, NII would have still covered the dividend, reflecting the ongoing earnings power of the core portfolio. This matters because it validates the sustainability of the dividend without relying on episodic gains—a key concern for income-focused BDC investors. The dividend yield of 14.33% at current prices appears generous, but the 293.88% payout ratio is misleading; it includes the impact of non-cash PIK income and one-time gains. The more relevant metric is cash NII coverage, which management asserts is solid.

The balance sheet shows meaningful improvement. Net debt-to-equity declined to 1.28x at quarter-end from 1.39x in June 2025, providing additional cushion against credit losses and funding flexibility for new opportunities. Liquidity remains robust with $105 million in cash and short-term investments plus $100 million available under credit facilities. The debt mix—63% unsecured and 75% floating rate—provides a natural hedge against rising rates while enhancing financial flexibility. Unsecured debt doesn't encumber specific assets, giving CION more optionality to pledge collateral for better terms on secured facilities if needed.

Credit quality, while slightly deteriorating, remains within acceptable parameters. Non-accruals increased to 1.80% of the portfolio at fair value, up from 1.3% in Q2, reflecting the addition of two new names: a first-lien investment in Trademark Global, whose operations were materially impacted by tariffs, and a second-lien investment in Aspira, affected by a new generation of subscription products. These additions were partially offset by the removal of a second-lien investment in Seqirus that was sold. The increase is notable but not alarming—CION's non-accrual level remains well below the 3-5% levels that would signal systemic underwriting problems. Moreover, investments risk-rated 4 or 5 comprise just 2.4% of the portfolio, and the overall risk distribution shows 85.7% rated 2 (similar risk to origination) and 10.4% rated 3 (increased risk but full return expected).

Outlook, Management Guidance, and Execution Risk

Management's commentary reveals a cautious but constructive outlook for the coming quarters. The pipeline for Q4 2025 and into 2026 is described as "more robust than we've seen this year," with broader-based activity and a noticeable pickup in M&A driving transaction flow. This is a meaningful shift from the first half of 2025, when origination was more subdued. Spreads on new investments remain "pretty consistent with what we've done in the past" and focused on "traditional middle-market type spreads," suggesting CION is maintaining pricing discipline rather than chasing yield.

A key strategic initiative is the shift from quarterly to monthly base distributions beginning in January 2026. Management frames this as aligning with shareholder preferences and reflecting confidence in the portfolio's consistent performance. While the timing of payments doesn't change the fundamental economics, it signals management's belief that the dividend is sustainable and that more frequent distributions will be appreciated by the income-focused investor base. This move also differentiates CION from many peers that pay quarterly.

Management has committed to providing "comparable guidance on any similar anticipated transactional income" in future quarters, acknowledging that episodic gains from opportunistic investments can create earnings volatility. This transparency is important for managing investor expectations, particularly when one-time events like the Juice Plus restructuring meaningfully boost quarterly results. The guidance suggests that while opportunistic income is unpredictable, management has visibility into a pipeline of potential restructurings and secondary opportunities that could provide ongoing supplemental earnings.

The competitive environment remains challenging. Management explicitly references the "hangover of record 2024 direct lending fundraising" as creating a supply-demand imbalance that pressures spreads and credit terms. Larger BDCs and private credit funds raised enormous amounts of capital last year, and that money is now being deployed aggressively, often with looser documentation and lower spreads. CION's response is to remain highly selective, focusing on incremental opportunities within its existing portfolio where it has proprietary insights and relationships. This approach preserves credit quality but may limit asset growth, creating a trade-off between scale and selectivity.

Risks and Asymmetries: What Could Break the Thesis

The most material risk to CION's investment thesis isn't credit deterioration—it's margin compression from intense competition. The record fundraising in 2024 has created a capital overhang that continues to pressure spreads across the middle-market lending landscape. While CION's selectivity allowed it to invest at SOFR plus 7% in Q3, there's no guarantee these spreads will hold if the competitive environment worsens. Larger peers like Ares Capital and Blue Owl can afford to take lower spreads due to their scale and lower cost of capital, potentially crowding out smaller players from the best deals. If CION is forced to either accept lower yields or shrink its origination volume, net investment income could stagnate or decline, putting pressure on the dividend.

A second key risk is the external management structure. Unlike internally managed peers such as Main Street Capital , CION pays management fees to CION Investment Management, LLC, which creates a higher expense ratio that directly reduces net investment income. While the joint venture structure with Apollo historically provided access to deal flow and expertise, it also means CION bears a cost burden that internal managers don't. In a spread-compressed environment, this cost disadvantage becomes more pronounced, as there's less margin to absorb fees before hitting the dividend coverage threshold.

The increase in non-accruals, while modest, bears watching. The addition of Trademark Global to non-accrual status due to tariff impacts highlights a broader risk: CION's portfolio companies, while U.S.-focused, are not immune to trade policy shifts. Approximately 6% of the portfolio is classified as having the highest tariff risk, being heavily dependent on China with limited near-term ability to shift sourcing. If trade tensions escalate, more portfolio companies could face margin pressure that leads to non-accrual status. Similarly, investments like Aspira and Anthem Sports show that business model transitions—whether to subscription products or advertising-driven revenue—can create temporary cash flow disruptions that result in non-accrual classification.

On the positive side, an asymmetry exists in the opportunistic sleeve. If CION successfully monetizes equity positions like Longview Power (which is being redeveloped from a coal to a gas plant to serve data center demand) or Palmetto Solar, the NAV upside could be substantial. The Juice Plus restructuring demonstrated the earnings potential of this strategy, generating significant realized gains in Q3. While these outcomes are episodic by nature, they provide a potential catalyst for NAV growth that isn't dependent on spread-based income.

Valuation Context: Pricing in Excessive Pessimism

At $10.19 per share, CION trades at a 31% discount to its September 30, 2025 book value of $14.86 per share. This price-to-book ratio of 0.69x stands in stark contrast to larger peers: Ares Capital (ARCC) trades at 1.04x book, Golub Capital (GBDC) at 0.92x, Blue Owl (OBDC) at 0.88x, and Main Street Capital (MAIN) at 1.90x. Only CION and a few other smaller BDCs trade at such steep discounts, suggesting the market is pricing in either higher credit losses, lower earnings power, or structural disadvantages.

The dividend yield of 14.33% appears unsustainable at first glance, particularly with a reported payout ratio of 293.88%. However, this ratio is distorted by non-cash PIK income and one-time transactional gains. More relevant is management's assertion that core NII covers the base $0.36 quarterly dividend. If we annualize the Q3 NII performance and adjust for recurring fee income, the payout ratio on cash earnings is likely in the 90-100% range—tight but manageable. The shift to monthly distributions in 2026 will test this coverage more frequently, but also demonstrates management's confidence.

From a balance sheet perspective, CION's debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40x is modestly higher than ARCC's 1.09x and MAIN's 0.74x, but lower than the 1.25x at OBDC and 1.23x at GBDC. The company's net debt-to-equity of 1.28x as of Q3 shows improvement, and the increasing proportion of unsecured debt (63% of total) provides flexibility. With $105 million in cash and $100 million in undrawn credit facilities against unfunded commitments of $48.7 million, liquidity is adequate for near-term needs.

Enterprise value stands at $1.61 billion versus a market cap of $530.8 million, reflecting the leveraged nature of BDCs. The price-to-sales ratio of 14.09x is less meaningful for a BDC than for an operating company; more relevant is the yield on the investment portfolio, which stood at 9.31% in Q3. This yield, combined with the potential for equity upside, suggests the market may be overly punitive in its valuation.

Conclusion: A Compelling Risk-Reward for Selective Income Investors

CION Investment Corporation presents a compelling, albeit nuanced, investment case for those seeking high income with embedded upside optionality. The barbell strategy—anchoring 80% of the portfolio in defensive first-lien debt while maintaining flexibility to pursue opportunistic gains—has proven its worth in Q3 2025. Net investment income covered the base dividend without relying on one-time events, while equity appreciation and restructuring gains drove meaningful NAV growth. This dual-engine approach distinguishes CION from pure-play lenders that depend solely on spread income.

The valuation discount to book value appears excessive given the portfolio's credit quality and management's proactive capital allocation. While the external management structure creates a cost disadvantage relative to internally managed peers, the company's selective underwriting and active portfolio management have kept non-accruals at manageable levels even in a challenging environment. The refinancing of over 80% of debt in 2024, the increase in share repurchase authorization to $80 million, and the shift to monthly distributions all signal management's conviction that the stock is undervalued.

The thesis hinges on two variables: CION's ability to maintain pricing discipline amid intense competition from larger BDCs, and its success in monetizing equity positions to drive NAV growth. If management can continue investing at SOFR plus 7% or better while selectively harvesting gains from opportunistic investments, the 31% discount to book value should narrow, providing both income and capital appreciation. However, if spread compression forces yield acceptance below 6% or if equity positions fail to appreciate, the stock could remain range-bound, offering only the generous but static dividend yield.

For investors comfortable with the risks of a smaller-scale, externally managed BDC, CION offers an attractive combination of defensive income generation and opportunistic upside—rarely available at such a steep discount to tangible book value. The key is monitoring quarterly origination spreads, non-accrual trends, and realized gains from the opportunistic sleeve to confirm that the barbell strategy continues delivering on its promise.