In this article, we will take a look at the 10 Best BDC Stocks to Buy Right Now.
Business development companies (BDCs) are publicly traded investment vehicles that lend to small and mid-sized US businesses, mostly through floating-rate loans. They are required to distribute most of their taxable income. That structure makes them a common choice for income-focused investors.
A report by VanEck noted that yields across asset classes tend to move with interest rate cycles. Even so, BDC yields have historically stayed within an attractive range across different rate environments. The MVIS BDC Index dividend yield has generally remained between about 8% and 12% over the past 14 years. This held even as the effective federal funds rate moved from near zero to above 5% and then lower again.
The report also explained that falling rates can reduce the income BDCs earn on floating-rate loans. At the same time, some of that impact is offset by lower borrowing costs and the credit spreads earned above base rates. Over time, BDCs have continued to generate income across different rate environments, especially when credit fundamentals are stable.
Looking at prior cycles, the 2019 rate cuts saw BDC price-to-book ratios hold near or above 1.0x as the economic backdrop remained supportive. The 2022 to 2023 rate-hiking cycle was more favorable for earnings. Floating-rate income increased, and credit fundamentals stayed firm.
The broader point is that interest rates are only one factor. Credit performance, borrower strength, and manager quality also shape outcomes. Periods where sentiment weakens have often been followed by recoveries once underlying credit trends stabilize.
Given this, we will take a look at some of the best BDC stocks to invest in.
Our Methodology:
For this list, we screened for BDC companies and picked companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. These companies are also popular among elite funds and analysts.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
10. Blackstone Secured Lending Fund (NYSE:BXSL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: N/A
On April 16, Keefe Bruyette lowered its price recommendation on Blackstone Secured Lending Fund (NYSE:BXSL) to $26 from $27. It reiterated an Outperform rating on the stock.
During the Q4 2025 earnings call, Brad Marshall, Trustee, Chairman, and Co-CEO, said the company delivered another solid quarter. He noted that net investment income was $0.80 per share, equal to an 11.8% annualized return on equity. Most of that income came from interest, with only a small portion from PIK or dividends. He also said the company paid a distribution of $0.77 per share. That payout was fully covered by earnings, with coverage at 104% of net investment income per share. In his view, this represented an 11.4% annualized yield based on NAV.
Regarding investments, he noted that activity increased during the quarter. He described Q4 as the firm’s second-most-active funding period since 2021. The portfolio expanded to 316 companies, including 13 new credit investments. These were completed at an average loan-to-value of 41% and spreads of roughly 500 basis points.
He also mentioned several key transactions, including investments in AmTrust, Mankind, IEM, and Saber Power, along with a co-led deal involving Jefferson, a digital aviation solutions company.
Blackstone Secured Lending Fund (NYSE:BXSL) is an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end investment company. Its main goal is to generate current income, with some focus on long-term capital appreciation. The firm invests at least 80% of its assets in secured debt.
9. Horizon Technology Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:HRZN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 6
On April 16, Horizon Technology Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:HRZN), an affiliate of Monroe Capital, announced that it provided a delayed draw senior credit facility of up to $25 million to Stellar Cyber, Inc. to support its continued growth.
Stellar Cyber has built an AI-native, open, and unified security operations platform. It helps organizations detect and respond to cyber threats more efficiently by bringing security data into a single environment. The platform is designed for managed security service providers and enterprise security teams, and it comes with more than 500 integrations with third-party security tools out of the box.
Through its MSSP partners, the company’s technology supports over 14,000 organizations across more than 50 countries. Stellar Cyber is backed by investors such as Highland Capital Partners, Susquehanna Ventures, and Valley Capital Partners.
Horizon Technology Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:HRZN) operates as a specialty finance company. It provides secured loans to venture capital-backed businesses in technology, life sciences, healthcare information and services, and sustainability.
