Cash conversion efficiency is strained, highlighted by the 2026Q4 period where $14.4M in dividend distributions significantly outpaced the $9.0M generated in operating cash flow.
| Metric | Feb'26 | Feb'25 | Feb'24 | Feb'23 | Feb'22 | Feb'21 | Feb'20 | Feb'19 | Feb'18 | Feb'17 | Feb'16 | Feb'15 | Feb'14 | Feb'13 | Feb'12 | Feb'11 | Feb'10 | Feb'09 | Feb'08 | Feb'07 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | 36.84M | 197.54M | -157.21M | -130.37M | -203.13M | -62.35M | -15.14M | -39.98M | -30.78M | 6.74M | -18.64M | -36.6M | -29.53M | -36.81M | -22.71M | 28.28M | 21.18M | 36.51M | -167.08M | 0 |
| Operating CF Margin % | 28.02% | 209.78% | -226.05% | -186.64% | -262.23% | -156.21% | -19.34% | -105.45% | -92.19% | 24.93% | -76.85% | -166.33% | -161.78% | -185.24% | -124.69% | 126.41% | -746.13% | 156.12% | -781.28% | - |
| Operating CF Growth % | -81.35% | 225.66% | -20.58% | 35.82% | -225.81% | -311.67% | 62.12% | -29.9% | -556.65% | 136.15% | 49.07% | -23.95% | 19.78% | -62.09% | -180.31% | 33.53% | -42.01% | 121.85% | - | - |
| Net Income | 36.6M | 28.09M | 8.93M | 24.68M | 45.74M | 14.78M | 55.74M | 18.51M | 17.68M | 11.39M | 11.65M | 11.01M | 8.74M | 14.6M | 13.28M | 16.96M | -10.46M | -21.32M | -5.45M | -130K |
| Depreciation & Amortization | 0 | 5.03M | 0 | 3.59M | 4.42B | 1.37M | 1.34M | 1.19M | 990.03M | 829.48M | 913.77M | 929.77M | 903.29M | 482.31M | 674.72M | 397.16M | 10.16M | 193.46K | 502.47K | 0 |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -673.65K | 0 | 0 | -1.03M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -874.34K | 162.61M | -159.99M | -151.87M | -4.68B | -67.98M | -81.42M | -57.56M | -1.04B | -835.65M | -956.32M | -978.42M | -953.15M | -541.54M | -689.37M | -390.03M | 20.01M | 53.96M | -157.16M | 0 |
| Working Capital Changes | 1.11M | 1.81M | -6.15M | -6.76M | 10.46M | -10.52M | 9.2M | -1.09M | 587.24K | 1.53M | 12.26M | 1.04M | 11.59M | 7.83M | -21.34M | 4.18M | 1.47M | 3.67M | -4.97M | 130K |
| Change in Receivables | 227.89K | 2.95M | -1.78M | -3.5M | -7.25B | 8.52B | -2.56B | -2.68M | 253.04M | 1.19B | -300M | 80.65K | 1.82B | -1.76B | -59.51M | 1.81M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | 708.89K | -1.68M | -3.66M | -419.74K | -751.04M | 727.94M | -1.14B | 0 | 215.46M | 0 | 73.14M | 493.51K | 389.53M | -269.91M | -14.53K | -199.37K | 0 | -12.88M | 608.42M | 0 |
| Cash from Investing | -124.87M | 0 | 0 | 2.25B | -55.08B | -78.08B | -19.89B | -198.66B | -41.39B | 7.03B | -41.02B | -31.61B | -49.47B | -50.11B | -5.11B | 22.96B | 0 | 20.93B | -172.23B | 0 |
| Capital Expenditures | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CapEx % of Revenue | - | - | - | 0% | - | 0% | 0% | - | - | - | 132.84% | 98.69% | 209.96% | - | 0% | 0% | - | 0% | 0% | - |
| Acquisitions | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Investments | 1.11B | 978.08M | 1.14B | 972.59M | 817.57M | 554.31M | 485.63M | 402.02M | 342.69M | 250.53M | 271.17M | 223.51M | 186.28M | 0 | 95.36M | 80.04M | 89.37M | 118.91M | 188.49M | 0 |
| Other Investing | 0 | -110.64B | 215.83B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -15.19B | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | -94.91M | -33.32M | 101.64M | 173.58M | 226.09M | 52.81M | -7.5M | 88.3M | 22.47M | 8.31M | 19.19M | 35.19M | 32.67M | 35.63M | 13.3M | -20.89M | -24.18M | -31.23M | 168.16M | 0 |
| Debt Issued (Net) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 18.67M | 32.75M | 46.86M | -10.82M | 24.29M | -3.61M | 85.9M | 30.85M | 7.76M | -3.33M | -356.79K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15M | 0 | 0 | 108.75M | 0 |
| Dividends Paid | -52.36M | -40.75M | -32.05M | -22.67M | -18.16M | -11.27M | -17M | -12.01M | -9.01M | -6.79M | -7.91M | -1.43M | -2.51M | -3.3M | -1.97M | -1.18M | -2.07M | -11.77M | -9.62M | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | -54.31K | 0 | -2.16M | -10.82M | -2.55M | -3.61M | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.33M | -356.79K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Financing | 569.32K | 2.35M | -5.17M | -10.68M | -10.79M | -3.75K | -1.95M | -2.88M | -1.28M | -3.23M | -1.1M | -1.97M | -2.82M | -1.37M | -235.45K | -185.14K | -103.58K | 0 | -8.2M | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | -182.94M | 164.22M | -55.57M | 43.21M | 22.96M | -9.54M | -22.64M | 48.32M | -8.31M | 15.05M | 552.12K | -1.41M | 3.14M | -1.18M | -9.41M | 7.38M | -3M | 5.28M | 1.07M | 0 |
| Free Cash Flow | 36.84M | 197.54M | -157.21M | -130.37M | -203.13M | -62.35M | -15.14M | -39.98M | -30.78M | 6.74M | -18.64M | -36.6M | -29.53M | -36.81M | -22.71M | 28.28M | 21.18M | 36.51M | -167.08M | 0 |
| FCF Margin % | 28.02% | 209.78% | -226.05% | -186.64% | -262.23% | -156.21% | -19.34% | -105.45% | -92.19% | 24.93% | -76.85% | -166.33% | -161.78% | -185.24% | -124.69% | 126.41% | -746.13% | 156.12% | -781.28% | - |
| FCF Growth % | -81.35% | 225.66% | -20.58% | 35.82% | -225.81% | -311.67% | 62.12% | -29.9% | -556.65% | 136.15% | 49.07% | -23.95% | 19.78% | -62.09% | -180.31% | 33.53% | -42.01% | 121.85% | - | - |
| FCF per Share | 2.32 | 14.20 | -12.41 | -10.90 | -17.73 | -5.57 | -1.63 | -5.67 | -5.11 | 1.17 | -3.34 | -6.80 | -6.00 | -8.95 | -6.61 | 11.60 | 19.95 | 44.04 | -215.26 | - |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | 1.01x | 7.03x | -17.60x | -5.28x | -4.44x | -4.22x | -0.27x | -2.16x | -1.74x | 0.59x | -1.60x | -3.32x | -3.47x | -2.62x | -1.71x | 1.67x | -2.02x | -1.71x | 30.65x | - |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.27M | 2.63M | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 140.32K | 88.95K | 0 | 0 |
Portfolio Valuation Volatility
As reported in recent financial statements, Saratoga Investment Corp's operating cash flow frequently diverges from net income, with the OCF/NI ratio reaching an extreme 29.43 in 2025Q4, suggesting that non-cash valuation adjustments are significantly distorting the firm's reported earnings relative to actual cash inflows.
The persistent volatility in the OCF/NI ratio indicates that GAAP net income is a poor proxy for the company's underlying cash-generating capacity. Investors should monitor this gap closely, as it suggests that reported profitability is heavily influenced by unrealized portfolio mark-to-market swings rather than recurring interest income.
Based on the provided cash flow data, Saratoga's free cash flow trajectory remains highly inconsistent, swinging from a peak of $94.2M in 2025Q3 to a negative $19.9M in 2025Q4, which highlights the inherent instability in the firm's ability to sustain consistent cash distributions.
The lack of a stable FCF trend suggests that the firm's cash position is susceptible to the timing of investment exits and portfolio repayments. This variability may complicate the sustainability of dividend payments, as the firm appears to rely on lumpy cash inflows to cover its obligations.
According to historical cash flow records, Saratoga's dividend payments have frequently exceeded operating cash flow, such as in 2026Q4 when $14.4M was distributed against only $9.0M in operating cash, indicating a potential reliance on external financing or balance sheet liquidity to maintain payouts.
This pattern of dividend distributions exceeding operating cash flow warrants further investigation into the firm's long-term capital allocation strategy. It appears that the company may be prioritizing shareholder returns at the expense of internal cash accumulation, which could limit its flexibility during periods of credit stress.
As evidenced by the $7.2M swing in working capital during 2026Q1, Saratoga's cash flow is periodically impacted by shifts in current assets and liabilities, which may reflect the timing of interest accruals and the settlement of fee-related receivables within the investment portfolio.
These fluctuations suggest that the firm's cash position is sensitive to the operational timing of its underlying middle-market borrowers. Analysts should consider whether these working capital movements represent temporary timing differences or a more structural delay in the conversion of interest income into actual cash.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying SAZ stock.
Saratoga Investment Corp 8.50% (SAZ) generated $36.8M in net cash from operating activities in 2026. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Saratoga Investment Corp 8.50% (SAZ) generated $36.8M in free cash flow in 2026. Free cash flow is the cash left over after capital expenditures, which can be used to pay dividends, repurchase shares, or pay down debt.
Saratoga Investment Corp 8.50% (SAZ) spent $0.0M on capital expenditures in 2026. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2026, Saratoga Investment Corp 8.50% (SAZ) returned $52.4M to shareholders via cash dividends and spent $0.1M on share repurchases. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.