Main Street Capital CORP (MAIN) — payout ratio, two ways
Fiscal year ending 2025-12-31 · sector Investment company · payout ratios computed from SEC filings, not taken from a data vendor.
| Basis | Payout | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|
| GAAP earnings | 107.1% | Distorted by unrealised marks on the investment portfolio, which move with credit spreads rather than with distributable income. |
| Net investment income | 103.1% | What actually funds a BDC distribution. |
Spread between highest and lowest: 4 percentage points. Same filings, different denominators.
Coverage rating 39 / 100 — Strained. ? Peer standing · not rankedDirection 10/30Stability 19/20 Capped because the dividend exceeds what the basis that applies can fund.
Net investment income payout, last 6 years
| Fiscal year | Payout |
|---|---|
| 2025-12-31 | 103.1% |
| 2024-12-31 | 100.5% |
| 2023-12-31 | 89.3% |
| 2022-12-31 | 78.8% |
| 2021-12-31 | 93.4% |
| 2020-12-31 | 104.7% |
Coverage has deteriorated three years running — 78.8% to 103.1% — and the dividend now exceeds what the basis that applies can fund.
The arithmetic
- GAAP earnings — dividends declared per share $4.23 ÷ diluted EPS $3.95
Where the figures came from
- 10-K filed 2026-02-27 · accession
0001396440-26-000016
Every one is public at sec.gov and free to check. That is the point — you should not have to take my word for any of it.
Computed by an open pipeline reading SEC XBRL directly. If any number here looks wrong to you, tell me — that is more useful to me than agreement.