BlackRock Kelso Capital Corporation Stock Upgraded (BKCC)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- BlackRock Kelso Capital Corporation (Nasdaq:BKCC) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its increase in stock price during the past year, robust revenue growth, good cash flow from operations, expanding profit margins and increase in net income. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had somewhat disappointing return on equity.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The stock has risen over the past year as investors have generally rewarded the company for its earnings growth and other positive factors like the ones we have cited in this report. Turning our attention to the future direction of the stock, it goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market. However, in any other environment, this stock still has good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year.
• Despite its growing revenue, the company underperformed as compared with the industry average of 26.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 22.5%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share.
• Net operating cash flow has significantly increased by 287.44% to $74.61 million when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORP has also vastly surpassed the industry average cash flow growth rate of -308.25%.
• The gross profit margin for BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORP is currently very high, coming in at 73.10%. Regardless of BKCC's high profit margin, it has managed to decrease from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, BKCC's net profit margin of 35.20% significantly outperformed against the industry.
• The company, on the basis of net income growth from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed compared to the Capital Markets industry average, but is greater than that of the S&P 500. The net income increased by 10.8% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $12.94 million to $14.33 million.

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BlackRock Kelso Capital Corporation is a private equity firm specializing in investments in middle market companies. The firm invests in all industries. The company has a P/E ratio of 11.7, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. BlackRock Kelso has a market cap of $731.7 million and is part of the financial sector and financial services industry. Shares are up 21.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

You can view the full BlackRock Kelso Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

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