Tearsheet

Sixth Street Specialty Lending (TSLX)


Market Price (12/20/2025): $21.55 | Market Cap: $2.0 Bil
Sector: Financials | Industry: Asset Management & Custody Banks

Sixth Street Specialty Lending (TSLX)


Market Price (12/20/2025): $21.55
Market Cap: $2.0 Bil
Sector: Financials
Industry: Asset Management & Custody Banks

Investment Highlights Why It Matters Which of these 2 stories sounds closer for this stock?

1. Generates cash flow

The stock generated 4% or more of the share price (called cash flow yield), and shows moderate 10-15% or more growth.

2. Riding a trend

Think Tesla during the pandemic of 2020 when EVs were riding a cultural high, or Nvidia in the current AI boom, or even Figma. These companies don’t have enough yield, or, enough growth, or both - however - they are riding a trend. They have momentum. These can be more volatile - they don’t have the floor of strong cash flow


0 Attractive yield
Total YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 18%, Dividend Yield is 8.3%, ERPEquity Risk Premium (ERP) = Total Yield - Risk Free Rate, Reflects the premium above risk free assets offered by the investment. is 14%, FCF Yield is 15%
Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -19%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -3.3%
Debt is significant
Net D/ENet Debt/Equity. Debt net of cash. Negative indicates net cash. Equity is taken as the Market Capitalization is 87%
1 Attractive cash flow generation
CFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 123%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 123%
  Weak revenue growth
Rev Chg LTMRevenue Change % Last Twelve Months (LTM) is -4.9%, Rev Chg QQuarterly Revenue Change % is -3.3%
2 Low stock price volatility
Vol 12M is 21%
  Key risks
TSLX key risks include [1] maintaining a debt-to-equity ratio that is slightly above the industry average.
3 Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include Digital & Alternative Assets. Themes include Private Credit.
  
0 Attractive yield
Total YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 18%, Dividend Yield is 8.3%, ERPEquity Risk Premium (ERP) = Total Yield - Risk Free Rate, Reflects the premium above risk free assets offered by the investment. is 14%, FCF Yield is 15%
1 Attractive cash flow generation
CFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 123%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 123%
2 Low stock price volatility
Vol 12M is 21%
3 Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include Digital & Alternative Assets. Themes include Private Credit.
4 Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -19%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -3.3%
5 Debt is significant
Net D/ENet Debt/Equity. Debt net of cash. Negative indicates net cash. Equity is taken as the Market Capitalization is 87%
6 Weak revenue growth
Rev Chg LTMRevenue Change % Last Twelve Months (LTM) is -4.9%, Rev Chg QQuarterly Revenue Change % is -3.3%
7 Key risks
TSLX key risks include [1] maintaining a debt-to-equity ratio that is slightly above the industry average.

Valuation, Metrics & Events

TSLX Stock


Why The Stock Moved


Qualitative Assessment

AI Generated Analysis | Feedback

Here are the key points for why Sixth Street Specialty Lending (TSLX) stock moved by -8% during the approximate time period from August 31, 2025, to December 20, 2025: 1. Reduced Supplemental Dividends and Dividend Sustainability Concerns. The company's total dividend payment for December 2025, including a lower supplemental distribution, was noted as the lowest declared since March 2023, raising questions about the sustainability of future dividend payments if interest rates continue to decline. An earlier June 2025 article also highlighted a potential reduction in the base dividend, prompting investor concerns about capital preservation. 2. Pressure on Net Investment Income (NII) Due to Interest Rate Dynamics. Sixth Street Specialty Lending's high allocation to floating-rate debt (96.3%) led to pressure on yields as interest rates began to decline, resulting in an 8.5% year-over-year decrease in net investment income by December 2025. This reflected a broader trend in the Business Development Company (BDC) sector, where anticipated and actual minor Fed rate cuts contributed to sector-wide weakness.

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Stock Movement Drivers

Return vs. Risk


Price Returns Compared

 202020212022202320242025Total [1]
Returns
TSLX Return10%32%-16%35%11%12%104%
Peers Return-10%32%24%-5%
S&P 500 Return16%27%-19%24%23%16%112%

Monthly Win Rates [3]
TSLX Win Rate67%75%42%58%67%58% 
Peers Win Rate80%43%72%73%50% 
S&P 500 Win Rate58%75%42%67%75%73% 

Max Drawdowns [4]
TSLX Max Drawdown-46%-1%-26%-2%-1%-8% 
Peers Max Drawdown-20%-4%-2%-17% 
S&P 500 Max Drawdown-31%-1%-25%-1%-2%-15% 


[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: ARCC, FSK, GBDC, BXSL, HTGC.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/19/2025 (YTD)

How Low Can It Go

Unique KeyEventTSLXS&P 500
2022 Inflation Shock2022 Inflation Shock  
2022 Inflation Shock% Loss% Loss-33.5%-25.4%
2022 Inflation Shock% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven50.5%34.1%
2022 Inflation ShockTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven1,008 days464 days
2020 Covid Pandemic2020 Covid Pandemic  
2020 Covid Pandemic% Loss% Loss-51.5%-33.9%
2020 Covid Pandemic% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven106.0%51.3%
2020 Covid PandemicTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven473 days148 days
2018 Correction2018 Correction  
2018 Correction% Loss% Loss-17.3%-19.8%
2018 Correction% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven20.9%24.7%
2018 CorrectionTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven575 days120 days

Compare to VRTS, SLRC, DHIL, GEG, BLKS


In The Past

Sixth Street Specialty Lending's stock fell -33.5% during the 2022 Inflation Shock from a high on 1/12/2022. A -33.5% loss requires a 50.5% gain to breakeven.

Preserve Wealth

Limiting losses and compounding gains is essential to preserving wealth over time.

Asset Allocation

Actively managed asset allocation strategies protect wealth. Learn more.

About Sixth Street Specialty Lending (TSLX)

Better Bets than Sixth Street Specialty Lending (TSLX)

Latest Trefis Analyses

Trade Ideas

Select past ideas related to TSLX. For more, see Trefis Trade Ideas.

Unique KeyDateTickerCompanyCategoryTrade Strategy6M Fwd Rtn12M Fwd Rtn12M Max DD
WU_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025WUWestern UnionDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
13.5%13.5%-0.4%
COIN_11212025_Monopoly_xInd_xCD_Getting_Cheaper11212025COINCoinbase GlobalMonopolyMY | Getting CheaperMonopoly-Like with P/S Decline
Large cap with monopoly-like margins or cash flow generation and getting cheaper based on P/S multiple
2.0%2.0%-0.5%
PYPL_11142025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11142025PYPLPayPalDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
-4.8%-4.8%-7.5%
V_11142025_Monopoly_xInd_xCD_Getting_Cheaper11142025VVisaMonopolyMY | Getting CheaperMonopoly-Like with P/S Decline
Large cap with monopoly-like margins or cash flow generation and getting cheaper based on P/S multiple
5.8%5.8%-2.7%
WD_11072025_Dip_Buyer_ValueBuy11072025WDWalker & DunlopDip BuyDB | P/E OPMDip Buy with Low PE and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with tame PE and meaningfully high operating margin
-12.1%-12.1%-12.1%
Unique KeyDateTickerCompanyCategoryTrade Strategy6M Fwd Rtn12M Fwd Rtn12M Max DD
WU_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025WUWestern UnionDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
13.5%13.5%-0.4%
COIN_11212025_Monopoly_xInd_xCD_Getting_Cheaper11212025COINCoinbase GlobalMonopolyMY | Getting CheaperMonopoly-Like with P/S Decline
Large cap with monopoly-like margins or cash flow generation and getting cheaper based on P/S multiple
2.0%2.0%-0.5%
PYPL_11142025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11142025PYPLPayPalDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
-4.8%-4.8%-7.5%
V_11142025_Monopoly_xInd_xCD_Getting_Cheaper11142025VVisaMonopolyMY | Getting CheaperMonopoly-Like with P/S Decline
Large cap with monopoly-like margins or cash flow generation and getting cheaper based on P/S multiple
5.8%5.8%-2.7%
WD_11072025_Dip_Buyer_ValueBuy11072025WDWalker & DunlopDip BuyDB | P/E OPMDip Buy with Low PE and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with tame PE and meaningfully high operating margin
-12.1%-12.1%-12.1%

Recent Active Movers

Recent Active Movers

More From Trefis

Peer Comparisons for Sixth Street Specialty Lending

Peers to compare with:

Financials

TSLXARCCFSKGBDCBXSLHTGCMedian
NameSixth St.Ares Cap.FS KKR C.Golub Ca.Blacksto.Hercules. 
Mkt Price21.5919.9414.6913.4627.3718.5119.23
Mkt Cap2.014.14.13.66.33.33.8
Rev LTM2411,551362408647405406
Op Inc LTM-------
FCF LTM297-1,5581,375-114-1,133-399-257
FCF 3Y Avg33-1,0891,459142-710-162-65
CFO LTM297-1,5581,375-114-1,133-399-257
CFO 3Y Avg33-1,0891,459142-710-162-64

Growth & Margins

TSLXARCCFSKGBDCBXSLHTGCMedian
NameSixth St.Ares Cap.FS KKR C.Golub Ca.Blacksto.Hercules. 
Rev Chg LTM-4.9%-11.2%-39.6%52.3%-10.7%-1.5%-7.8%
Rev Chg 3Y Avg34.3%20.8%61.4%39.8%21.1%67.7%37.0%
Rev Chg Q-3.3%5.5%34.1%10.7%-9.3%60.5%8.1%
QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM-0.8%1.6%19.1%2.5%-2.3%15.6%2.1%
Op Mgn LTM-------
Op Mgn 3Y Avg-------
QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM-------
CFO/Rev LTM123.1%-100.5%379.8%-27.9%-175.2%-98.7%-63.3%
CFO/Rev 3Y Avg15.7%-63.3%274.7%57.3%-95.5%-40.9%-12.6%
FCF/Rev LTM123.1%-100.5%379.8%-27.9%-175.2%-98.7%-63.3%
FCF/Rev 3Y Avg15.7%-63.3%274.7%57.3%-95.5%-41.1%-12.7%

Valuation

TSLXARCCFSKGBDCBXSLHTGCMedian
NameSixth St.Ares Cap.FS KKR C.Golub Ca.Blacksto.Hercules. 
Mkt Cap2.014.14.13.66.33.33.8
P/S8.49.111.48.89.88.29.0
P/EBIT-------
P/E10.610.415.19.510.510.810.6
P/CFO6.9-9.13.0-31.6-5.6-8.4-7.0
Total Yield17.7%18.5%25.7%20.8%20.0%18.9%19.5%
Dividend Yield8.3%8.8%19.1%10.3%10.5%9.6%9.9%
FCF Yield 3Y Avg1.0%-7.6%29.1%4.4%-10.7%-5.2%-2.1%
D/E0.91.11.81.41.20.61.2
Net D/E0.91.01.71.41.20.61.1

Returns

TSLXARCCFSKGBDCBXSLHTGCMedian
NameSixth St.Ares Cap.FS KKR C.Golub Ca.Blacksto.Hercules. 
1M Rtn6.2%4.5%0.6%2.4%4.0%6.3%4.3%
3M Rtn-6.5%-5.3%-3.1%-3.4%1.7%-2.6%-3.3%
6M Rtn-2.7%-2.9%-22.2%-2.7%-7.5%8.1%-2.8%
12M Rtn13.5%3.2%-19.2%0.5%-4.9%7.5%1.8%
3Y Rtn72.8%43.9%33.7%44.9%66.2%96.5%55.6%
1M Excs Rtn3.3%1.6%-2.3%-0.5%1.1%3.4%1.4%
3M Excs Rtn-6.7%-4.6%-2.3%-3.4%1.2%-2.8%-3.1%
6M Excs Rtn-14.9%-16.3%-34.4%-13.7%-20.1%-4.0%-15.6%
12M Excs Rtn1.2%-10.6%-32.4%-12.9%-17.7%-6.3%-11.7%
3Y Excs Rtn-3.3%-29.5%-41.1%-27.2%-9.5%18.3%-18.3%

Financials

Segment Financials

Revenue by Segment

$ Mil20242023202220212020
Investment Activity463252350301278
Total463252350301278


Price Behavior

Short Interest

Short Interest: As Of Date11282025
Short Interest: Shares Quantity2,851,929
Short Interest: % Change Since 11152025-4.0%
Average Daily Volume414,627
Days-to-Cover Short Interest6.88
Basic Shares Quantity94,245,993
Short % of Basic Shares3.0%

Earnings Returns History

Expand for More

 Forward Returns
Earnings Date1D Returns5D Returns21D Returns
11/4/2025-2.1%-4.5%0.0%
7/30/20252.6%1.4%2.7%
4/30/2025-1.0%0.5%12.5%
2/13/20252.2%4.5%-0.1%
11/5/20240.3%0.9%6.7%
7/31/2024-0.1%-2.7%1.5%
5/1/2024-4.1%-2.6%1.3%
2/15/20240.0%0.7%-2.4%
...
SUMMARY STATS   
# Positive161516
# Negative898
Median Positive2.1%1.2%3.2%
Median Negative-0.8%-2.2%-2.3%
Max Positive5.4%11.3%23.7%
Max Negative-4.1%-4.5%-37.3%

SEC Filings

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Report DateFiling DateFiling
93020251104202510-Q 9/30/2025
6302025730202510-Q 6/30/2025
3312025430202510-Q 3/31/2025
12312024213202510-K 12/31/2024
93020241105202410-Q 9/30/2024
6302024731202410-Q 6/30/2024
3312024501202410-Q 3/31/2024
12312023215202410-K 12/31/2023
93020231102202310-Q 9/30/2023
6302023803202310-Q 6/30/2023
3312023508202310-Q 3/31/2023
12312022216202310-K 12/31/2022
93020221101202210-Q 9/30/2022
6302022802202210-Q 6/30/2022
3312022503202210-Q 3/31/2022
12312021217202210-K 12/31/2021

Insider Activity

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 OwnerTitleFiling DateActionPriceSharesTransacted
Value
Value of
Held Shares
Form
0Stanley Robert J.Co-CEO11202025Buy20.8510,000208,500519,317Form