Cash conversion efficiency is highly variable, evidenced by an OCF/NI ratio that swung from a low of 0.47 in 2025Q2 to a high of 1.75 in 2025Q4, often necessitating dividend payments that exceed quarterly operating cash flow.
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Dec'14 | Dec'13 | Dec'12 | Dec'11 |
|---|
| Cash from Operations | -23.22B | 180.28M | 187.25M | 191.97M | 71.83M | 112.62M | 135.97M | 118.11M | 133.42M | 84.29M | 83.33M | 60.23M | -148.83M | -289.63M | -430.1M | -182.13M |
| Operating CF Margin % | - | 50.05% | 52.05% | 51.91% | 38.38% | 42.3% | 57.76% | 53.57% | 74.98% | 55.29% | 47.59% | 60.09% | -138.11% | -376.51% | -921.2% | -3202.53% |
| Operating CF Growth % | -56020.64% | -3.72% | -2.46% | 167.25% | -36.22% | -17.17% | 15.13% | -11.48% | 58.28% | 1.15% | 38.36% | 140.47% | 48.61% | 32.66% | -136.15% | - |
| Net Income | 41.18B | 170.52M | 186.57M | 222.02M | 108.05M | 211.78M | 178.11M | 154.58M | 119.02M | 111.61M | 137.01M | 63.57M | 85.05M | 66.98M | 39.59M | 813.8K |
| Depreciation & Amortization | -4.64B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stock-Based Compensation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Taxes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Non-Cash Items | -18.73B | -3.71M | -12.43M | -54.84M | 32.11M | -101.9M | -59.8M | -44.47M | 458K | -23.32M | -51.62M | 20.05M | -255.57M | -358.87M | -465.99M | -182.99M |
| Working Capital Changes | 19.82M | 13.47M | 13.11M | 24.79M | -68.33M | 2.75M | 17.67M | 7.99M | 13.95M | -3.99M | -2.06M | -23.39M | 21.69M | 2.25M | -3.7M | 45.75K |
| Change in Receivables | -2.97M | -3.61M | -2.55M | -9.12M | -8.07M | -2.19M | 4.47M | -4.23M | -2.07M | 2.92M | 488K | -4.02M | -1.21M | -2.58M | -1.07M | -1.28M |
| Change in Inventory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Change in Payables | -2.44M | -6.91M | -3.82M | 6.35M | -6.59M | 16.99M | 1.71M | -1.03M | 4.58M | 35K | 1.71M | -397K | 3.13M | 2.2M | 4.24M | 1.28M |
| Cash from Investing | -162.66B | 221.29M | -232.74M | -428.76M | -296.37M | -110.17M | 9.1M | -496.15M | -14.23M | -1.91M | -125.18M | -243.74M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Capital Expenditures | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CapEx % of Revenue | 0% | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Acquisitions | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Investments | 3.31T | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36.68M | 47.92M | 56.51M | 135.92M | 65.86M | 63.5M | 41.64M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Investing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash from Financing | 32.59B | -409.24M | 47.62M | 236.34M | 234.21M | 241K | -145.94M | 381.61M | -115.28M | -81.68M | 40.33M | 183.52M | 147.77M | 131.28M | 448.23M | 325.82M |
| Debt Issued (Net) | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Equity Issued (Net) | 0 | 0 | 93.31M | 89.2M | -6.17M | 85.9M | 0 | 0 | 71.81M | 0 | 76.92M | -27K | 234.42M | 56.86M | 287.69M | 172.93M |
| Dividends Paid | -39.15B | -170.32M | -168.72M | -156.42M | -144.73M | -221.94M | -130.45M | -98.06M | -95.91M | -94.69M | -80.29M | -78.06M | -52.59M | -24.4M | -10.97M | 0 |
| Share Repurchases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -6.17M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.33M | -29K | 0 | 0 | 0 | -999 |
| Other Financing | 71.66B | -7.32M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.93M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net Change in Cash | 9.49B | -7.67M | 2.13M | -451K | 9.68M | 2.69M | -869K | 3.57M | 3.91M | 711K | 2.62M | -11.58M | 5.14M | -156.35M | 22.43M | 143.69M |
| Free Cash Flow | -23.22B | 180.28M | 187.25M | 191.97M | 71.83M | 112.62M | 135.97M | 118.11M | 133.42M | 84.29M | 83.33M | 60.23M | -148.83M | -289.63M | -430.1M | -182.13M |
| FCF Margin % | -25.38% | 50.05% | 52.05% | 51.91% | 38.38% | 42.3% | 57.76% | 53.57% | 74.98% | 55.29% | 47.59% | 60.09% | -138.11% | -376.51% | -921.2% | -3202.53% |
| FCF Growth % | -11788.93% | -3.72% | -2.46% | 167.25% | -36.22% | -17.17% | 15.13% | -11.48% | 58.28% | 1.15% | 38.36% | 140.47% | 48.61% | 32.66% | -136.15% | - |
| FCF per Share | -245.12 | 1.90 | 2.03 | 2.26 | 0.92 | 1.45 | 2.02 | 1.79 | 2.04 | 1.41 | 1.42 | 1.12 | -2.95 | -8.36 | -12.42 | -5.26 |
| FCF Conversion (FCF/Net Income) | -0.56x | 1.06x | 1.00x | 0.86x | 0.66x | 0.53x | 0.76x | 0.76x | 1.12x | 0.76x | 0.61x | 0.95x | -1.75x | -4.32x | -10.86x | -224.02x |
| Interest Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxes Paid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fee income volatility risk
As reported in quarterly financial filings, TSLX exhibits significant volatility in its OCF/NI ratio, which ranged from a low of 0.47 in 2025Q2 to a high of 1.75 in 2025Q4, indicating that reported net income is frequently decoupled from actual cash generation.
The frequent divergence between net income and operating cash flow suggests that non-cash accruals and fair value adjustments play a substantial role in the company's bottom-line reporting. Investors should monitor whether this variance stems from PIK interest recognition or timing differences in fee collections, as it complicates the assessment of true recurring earnings power.
Based on the provided cash flow data, TSLX's free cash flow margins have shown extreme instability, swinging from a negative 25.6% in 2026Q1 to a peak of 72.0% in 2025Q3, reflecting the lumpy nature of the company's specialty credit investment model.
The erratic FCF trajectory underscores the difficulty in forecasting cash availability for dividends, as the company's reliance on transactional fees creates unpredictable cash inflows. This inconsistency may necessitate a more conservative approach to dividend sustainability analysis, as the cash flow does not always track linearly with the reported net income.
According to historical cash flow statements, working capital changes have been a primary driver of quarterly cash flow variance, with swings as large as $21.4 million in 2023Q4, highlighting the impact of timing differences in interest and fee receipts on the company's liquidity profile.
The volatility in working capital suggests that TSLX's cash position is highly sensitive to the timing of borrower payments and the settlement of complex credit facilities. Analysts should investigate whether these fluctuations are indicative of temporary liquidity mismatches or structural delays in the collection of non-recurring fee income.
As reported in financial statements, TSLX consistently pays out dividends that often exceed quarterly operating cash flow, such as in 2025Q2 when dividends of $42.6 million were paid against only $27.7 million in operating cash flow, warranting further investigation into the source of these distributions.
The persistent gap between dividend payments and operating cash flow suggests that the company may be relying on balance sheet liquidity or capital recycling to maintain its payout levels. This practice warrants close scrutiny, as it may limit the company's ability to reinvest in new, high-yielding credit opportunities during periods of market stress.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying TSLX stock.
Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. (TSLX) generated $180.3M in net cash from operating activities in 2025. This reflects the cash generated directly from core business operations.
Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. (TSLX) generated $180.3M in free cash flow in 2025. Free cash flow is the cash left over after capital expenditures, which can be used to pay dividends, repurchase shares, or pay down debt.
Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. (TSLX) spent $0.0M on capital expenditures in 2025. CapEx represents the cash invested in physical assets like property, plant, and equipment to maintain or grow the business.
In 2025, Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. (TSLX) returned $170.3M to shareholders via cash dividends. This shows the company's commitment to returning capital to its equity investors.