MONTCLAIR, N.J., July 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 180 Degree Capital Corp. (“180 Degree Capital”) (NASDAQ: TURN), noted today that the average discount between its estimated daily net asset value per share (“NAV”) and its daily closing stock price during June 2024 and year-to-date through the end of June 2024, were approximately 16% and 19%, respectively.1 This discount was approximately 16% on June 28, 2024, last trading date in the month.
As previously disclosed in a press release on November 13, 2023, 180 Degree Capital’s Board of Directors has set two measurement periods of 1) January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024, and 2) January 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025, in which it will evaluate the average discount between TURN’s estimated daily NAV and its closing stock price pursuant to a Discount Management Program. Should TURN’s common stock trade at an average daily discount to NAV of more than 12% during either of these measurement periods, 180 Degree Capital’s Board will consider all available options at the end of each measurement period including, but not limited to, a significant expansion of 180 Degree Capital’s current stock buyback program of up to $5 million, cash distributions reflecting a return of capital to shareholders, or a tender offer.
“June 2024 and the second quarter of 2024 overall continued to be tough for microcapitalization stocks and the majority of 180 Degree Capital’s holdings,” said Kevin M. Rendino, Chief Executive Officer of 180 Degree Capital. “The market is dominated by just a few mega cap holdings and this period reminds me very much of the dot.com bubble of 1999 and 2000. Along that line, our friends at 22V Research recently noted, ‘Relative to the S&P the drawdown in the Russell is now a 0.3rd %tile event at -42.7%. The only drawdown worse occurred in 1999. And it wasn’t worse by much.’ I know that at some point, just like then, the market will broaden out which we believe will allow many of our companies to generate significant upside in value. You will note the continued purchase of our stock by our management team during the quarter. We wouldn’t do that if we didn’t believe our NAV had significant upside in the not too distant future.”
“We are encouraged by the prospects for many of our portfolio holdings in the second half of 2024 based on what we believe are meaningful potential catalysts that could drive significant appreciation in value for our holdings,” continued Mr. Rendino. “We saw the first of these catalysts with our portfolio holding Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (SNCR), that announced on Friday, June 28, 2024, the retirement of its outstanding preferred stock and a portion of its outstanding debt, both at discounts to full value. This deleveraging coupled with a reduction in the interest rate for its remaining debt will provide meaningful cost savings for SNCR. This development was well received by public market investors and SNCR closed up over 18% for the day. We believe there are additional value-creating catalysts for SNCR, including, but not limited to, the receipt of a $28 million tax refund currently expected in late Q3 2024 or early Q4 2024. We have identified similar types of catalysts for all of our holdings that serve as the basis for our investment thesis in each. While it often takes longer than we would like for these catalysts to occur, our permanent capital affords the ability to remain invested if we believe such catalysts will occur.”
“SNCR is also a perfect example of how we use constructive activism to help companies achieve value-creating catalysts,” continued Daniel B. Wolfe, President of 180 Degree Capital. “We are on SNCR’s Board of Directors and are an active member of its committee tasked with opportunistically retiring its preferred stock. With comScore, Inc. (SCOR), we nominated and successfully negotiated the addition of Matthew McLaughlin to SCOR’s Board of Directors. We are currently working on other efforts of constructive activism with some of our other holdings that could lead to the nomination of directors and/or driving strategic alternatives processes. In short, we do not and will not sit back hoping that catalysts occur that could drive appreciation in value. We are actively working with management teams and boards of directors to make them happen. We historically said this would be a major focus of our efforts in 2024, and that remains where we are spending significant time and attention.”
About 180 Degree Capital Corp.
180 Degree Capital Corp. is a publicly traded registered closed-end fund focused on investing in and providing value-added assistance through constructive activism to what we believe are substantially undervalued small, publicly traded companies that have potential for significant turnarounds. Our goal is that the result of our constructive activism leads to a reversal in direction for the share price of these investee companies, i.e., a 180-degree turn. Detailed information about 180 and its holdings can be found on its website at www.180degreecapital.com.
Press Contact:
Daniel B. Wolfe
Robert E. Bigelow
180 Degree Capital Corp.
973-746-4500
ir@180degreecapital.com
Mo Shafroth
RF Binder
Morrison.shafroth@rfbinder.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to the inherent uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions. These statements reflect the Company's current beliefs, and a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in this press release. Please see the Company's securities filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more detailed discussion of the risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's business and other significant factors that could affect the Company's actual results. Except as otherwise required by Federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or uncertainties. The reference and link to the website www.180degreecapital.com has been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such website is not incorporated by reference into this press release. 180 is not responsible for the contents of third-party websites.
1. Daily estimated NAVs used for the discount calculation outside of quarter-end dates are determined as prescribed in 180’s Valuation Procedures for Level 3 assets. Non-investment-related assets and liabilities used to determine estimated daily NAV are those reported as of the end of the prior quarter.
