Small business marketplace lender OnDeck is adding Credit Suisse to its financing toolbox with a $200 million revolving debt facility.
Under terms of the deal, OnDeck has access to $125 million, and another $75 million “at the discretion of the lenders.”
“OnDeck intends to initially use a portion of this facility, together with other available funds, to optionally prepay in full without penalty or premium, the existing $100 million Prime OnDeck Receivable Trust, LLC facility which was scheduled to expire in June 2017,” the company said. “As a result, OnDeck will benefit from obtaining additional funding capacity through December 2018.”
The trust being prepaid was funded by Bank of America, an OnDeck spokesman told Bank Innovation. That deal had been announced August 2015 during the second quarter earnings call.
On Deck, which focuses on small business lending, has been dealt rough justice since its initial public offering one year ago. The company sold $200 million of shares priced at $20 and closed nearly 40% higher on the first day of trading. But the marketplace for online lending grew more and more crowded — and then Lending Club revealed its CEO had been fired after irregularities had been discovered in its lending portfolio. Since early May, the stock has traded below $5, and now stands near its all-time low at $4.26, down four cents on Monday. Raising funds for loans has gotten tougher.
“This transaction marks a continuation of our financing strategy to diversify funding sources, extend debt maturities, and create additional funding capacity to pave the way for future loan growth,” said Howard Katzenberg, chief financial officer at OnDeck.
At the JPMorgan investor conference last month, CEO Noah Breslow said OnDeck had originated $5 billion in loans and had $1.1 billion under management both on and off balance sheet. In the past year, he said OnDeck “did a strategic channel shift — away from advisors and direct to customers.” In the last quarter, 80% of the business came from strategic partners vs 20% from funding advisors, he said. OnDeck has a partnership with with JPMorgan Chase to speed up the lending process for bank customers.
OnDeck CFO Howard Katzenberg emphasized the company’s ongoing access to credit — a concern among investors as interest in loan purchases wanes. “We have a very good track record for scaling the funding capacity to date,” Katzenberg said at the conference.
Analysts haven’t been impressed so far. Frisco Fastball reported last month that only two of 18 analysts rate OnDeck as a buy; only one has the chutzpah to rate it a sell, and 15 did the classic Wall Street non-sell sell rating of “hold.”
After reporting mixed third quarter earnings, Jefferies maintained its hold on the lender while lowering its price target. Analyst Brian Fitzgerald noted originations rose and interest income also rose, “offsetting a decline in the sale of loans.” But, he states, “macro headwinds and soft credit environment remain an ongoing concern.”