Putnam BDC Income ETF

PBDC

Market cap $260M

The BDC sector is slowly rebounding, but still faces looming dividend cuts as NII per share declines with lower base rates and spread compression. Average BDC base dividend coverage is 100%, and debt-to-equity is 1.22x, leaving little margin for sustaining current payouts without asset sales or leverage. Dividend cuts of 15-20% are likely sector-wide but remain acceptable given prevailing yields (as long as non-accruals do not get involved).

Leading blue-chip dividend growth stocks appear to be untouchable, until you zoom out and see what's changed. A small shift in the macro could turn today's favorites into tomorrow's regrets. I detail why I'm walking away before most investors even notice the risk.

Business Development Company prices are down due to rate cuts and unwarranted credit fears. Credit quality is strong; non-accruals remain historically low. Tax efficiency improves starting in 2026 (Section 199a dividends).

BDCs have had a rough year so far. Yet, Q3 earnings data points indicate that the tide could be turning. While there are some tangible improvements in BDC business environment, many risks remain open.

Putnam BDC Income ETF (PBDC) offers a 10.1% dividend yield, providing high income and diversified exposure to top-quality BDCs. PBDC's active management avoids underperforming BDCs, outperforming the broader BDC ETF (BIZD) with a 67.5% total return since inception. The ETF mitigates risks from dividend cuts and portfolio deterioration, making it suitable for income-focused investors seeking stability.

Putnam BDC Income ETF is an actively-managed BDC ETF. It currently yields 10.1%, significantly more than most equities, bonds, and other asset classes. Although Federal Reserve cuts are an important headwind for the fund, I'm overall bullish, and dividends have fared quite well from previous cuts too.

Steven Bavaria, from Inside the Income Factory, discusses credit assets like high-yield bonds, senior loans, and BDCs for stable, high-yield income, favoring closed-end funds for their resilience and discounts. Expense ratios for BDC ETFs like PBDC appear high due to accounting rules, but actual fund expenses are low—professional management adds only about 0.4%.

PBDC remains the best ETF for BDC exposure, but its heavy tilt toward large-cap, first-lien BDCs is increasingly problematic. Rising competition and likely interest rate cuts threaten earnings and dividends for PBDC's top holdings like ARCC, OBDC, and BXSL. LMM and equity-oriented BDCs, such as TRIN and FDUS, offer better risk-reward and dividend coverage in the current environment.

PBDC, the only actively managed BDC ETF, continues to outperform its passive peer BIZD across multiple timeframes, justifying its higher expense ratio. Active management allows PBDC to be more selective, targeting smaller, less liquid BDCs and avoiding weaker names, enhancing returns over passive alternatives. Despite sector risks and macroeconomic headwinds, BDCs remain attractive due to strong cash flows from elevated interest rates and selective security choice.

Putnam BDC Income ETF offers a 9.4% yield and diversified exposure to top U.S. business development companies, mitigating individual BDC risks. The ETF's portfolio includes high-quality BDCs like Blue Owl, Ares Capital, and Blackstone Secured Lending, supporting both income and NAV growth. Compared to the larger VanEck BDC Income ETF, PBDC provides similar diversification with strong performance since inception and growing assets under management.