Gladstone Investment Corporation Reports Financial Results for the Third Quarter Ended December 31, 2009

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 8, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

  --  Net Investment Income was $3.1 million, or $0.14 per common share
  --  Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations was $4.4 million,
      or $0.20 per common share

Gladstone Investment Corp. (Nasdaq:GAIN) (the "Company") today announced earnings for the third quarter ended December 31, 2009. All per share references are per basic and diluted weighted average common share outstanding, unless otherwise noted.

Net Investment Income for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 was $3.1 million, or $0.14 per common share, as compared to $3.6 million, or $0.16 per common share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008, a decrease in Net Investment Income of 14.3%. Net Investment Income for the nine months ended December 31, 2009 was $7.9 million, or $0.36 per common share, as compared to $10.4 million, or $0.49 per common share, for the nine months ended December 31, 2008, a decrease in Net Investment Income of 24.3%. The decrease in Net Investment Income was primarily driven by a reduction of the Company's investment portfolio as a result of the sale of the majority of its senior syndicated loans (primarily to pay off its prior line of credit) during the nine months ended December 31, 2009, partially offset by decreased interest expense on lower outstanding borrowings when compared to the prior year periods.

Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2009 was $4.4 million, or $0.20 per common share, as compared to $3.9 million, or $0.18 per common share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2008, an increase in Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations of 12.2%. Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations for the nine months ended December 31, 2009 was $31.7 million, or $1.44 per common share, as compared to $7.5 million, or $0.35 per common share, for the nine months ended December 31, 2008, an increase in Net Decrease in Net Assets Resulting from Operations of $24.2 million, and an increase of $1.09 per common share. These differences for both the three and nine month periods ended December 31, 2009, as compared to their respective prior year periods, were due to continuing devaluations, primarily in the Company's equity holdings of its Control investments. The total net losses on investments, including all realized and unrealized gains and losses, for the three and nine month periods ended December 31, 2009 were approximately $7.5 million and $39.6 million, respectively, as compared to total net losses on investments of $7.5 million and $17.9 million, respectively, for the three and nine month periods ended December 31, 2008.

Due to continued depreciation in the Company's investments, the entire portfolio was fair valued at approximately 83% of its cost as of December 31, 2009. The net unrealized depreciation of the Company's investments does not have an impact on its current ability to pay distributions to stockholders, although it may be an indication of future realized losses, which could ultimately reduce the Company's income available for distribution to stockholders.

Total assets were $278.3 million at December 31, 2009, as compared to $326.8 million at March 31, 2009. Net asset value was $7.93 per actual common share outstanding at December 31, 2009, as compared to $9.73 per actual common share outstanding at March 31, 2009.

The annualized weighted average yield on the Company's portfolio, excluding cash and cash equivalents, was 10.68% for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, as compared to 8.76% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008. The weighted average yield varies from period to period based on the current stated interest rate on interest-bearing investments and the amounts of loans for which interest is not being accrued. The increase in the weighted average yield for the current quarter resulted primarily from the Company's sale of lower interest-bearing senior syndicated loans during the nine months ended December 31, 2009. The effect of continuing reductions in LIBOR has been mitigated by the presence of a rate floor or fixed rate on most of the remaining loans held in the Company's portfolio as of December 31, 2009.

During the third quarter ended December 31, 2009, the Company reported the following significant activity:

  --  Completed the sales of one senior syndicated loan and a portion of
      another senior syndicated loan. As a result of these sales, the Company
      received approximately $5.5 million in aggregate net proceeds and
      recorded a corresponding net loss of approximately $1.3 million. The
      proceeds from these sales were used to pay down borrowings on the
      Company's credit facility;
  --  Refinanced its revolving line of credit with Chase Holdings II Corp. to
      a third party; the outstanding balance of $3.5 million, plus accrued
      interest, was repaid in full, and the proceeds were used to pay down
      borrowings on the Company's credit facility.
  --  One of the Company's portfolio companies entered into an agreement with
      an investment banker to act as an advisor in assessing strategic
      investment alternatives;
  --  A. Stucki Holding Corp. declared and paid accrued cash dividends on its
      preferred stock, of which the Company received approximately $953,000,
      and the proceeds were used to pay down borrowings on the Company's
      credit facility;
  --  Assumed 100% ownership of Mathey Investments, Inc., disbursing
      approximately $282,000 to buy out Mathey's previous stockholders;
  --  Purchased $85.0 million of short-term United States Treasury securities
      (the "Treasury Securities") from Jefferies & Company, Inc. ("Jefferies")
      with $10.0 million in funds drawn on the Company's credit facility and
      the proceeds from a $75.0 million short-term loan from Jefferies, with
      an effective annual interest rate of approximately 0.59%, that matured
      on January 7, 2010 (the "Short-Term Loan"); and
  --  Paid monthly distributions of $0.04 per share for each of the months of
      October, November and December 2009.

At December 31, 2009, the Company held four Non-Control/Non-Affiliate investments, eight Control investments and four Affiliate investments. Additionally, approximately 50% of the aggregate fair value of the Company's investment portfolio at December 31, 2009 was comprised of senior term debt, approximately 37% was senior subordinated term debt and approximately 13% was preferred and common equity securities, as outlined in the following table:


                                       December 31, 2009
                                      ------------------

                                                  Fair
  (in thousands)                        Cost     Value
  ----------------------------------  --------  --------

  Senior Term Debt                    $103,154   $93,161
  Senior Subordinated Term Debt         77,424    70,479
  Preferred & Common Equity
   Securities                           45,322    23,746
                                      --------  --------

  Total Investments                   $225,900  $187,386
                                      ========  ========

"We will strive to maintain our portfolio mix of mezzanine and equity investments and hope to grow our overall investment portfolio over the long term. While we continue to worry about the economy which is reflected in our limited investment activity over the past year, we believe there are increased opportunities for new investments. Our goal continues to be the maintenance and consistency of our distributions to stockholders," said Dave Dullum, President.

Subsequent to December 31, 2009:

  --  The Company repaid the Short-Term Loan in full and repaid the amount
      drawn on the credit facility upon maturity of the Treasury Securities;
  --  The Company declared monthly cash distributions of $0.04 per common
      share for each of the months of January, February and March 2010.

The financial statements below are without footnotes so readers should obtain and carefully review the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, including the footnotes to the financial statements contained therein. The Company has filed the Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") today, which can be retrieved from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or from the Company's website at www.GladstoneInvestment.com. A paper copy can be obtained free of charge by writing to the Company at 1521 Westbranch Drive, Suite 200, McLean, VA 22102.

The Company will hold a conference call Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 8:30 am EST. Please call (877) 407-8031 to enter the conference. An operator will monitor the call and set a queue for questions. A replay of the conference call will be available through March 9, 2010. To hear the replay, please dial (877) 660-6853, access playback account 286 and use ID code 342045. The replay will be available approximately two hours after the call concludes.

The live audio broadcast of Gladstone Investment's quarterly conference call will be available online at www.GladstoneInvestment.com and www.investorcalendar.com. The event will be archived and available for replay on the Company's website through May 9, 2010.

Gladstone Investment Corporation is an investment company that seeks to make debt and equity investments in small and medium-sized private businesses in the U.S. in connection with buyouts and other recapitalizations. For more information please visit the Company's website at http://www.GladstoneInvestment.com.

The statements in this press release regarding the Company's ability to maintain the portfolio mix of investments, to grow the overall investment portfolio and to continue its current rate of distributions to stockholders are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements inherently involve certain risks and uncertainties, although they are based on the Company's current plans that are believed to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the duration and potential future effects of the current economic downturn on the Company and its portfolio companies, the Company's ability to raise additional capital, the Company's ability to renew or extend its credit facility, the Company's ability to maintain its status as a regulated investment company and the Company's ability to generate net investment income. Additional factors that may cause the Company's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements also include those factors listed under the caption "Risk Factors" of the Company's prospectus as filed with the SEC on October 14, 2009 and the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2009, as filed with the SEC on February 8, 2010. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

             GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
     CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF ASSETS AND
                        LIABILITIES
     (DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE
                         AMOUNTS)

                                   December     March
                                      31,         31,

                                     2009        2009
                                  -----------  --------
                                  (Unaudited)
  ASSETS
  Cash and cash equivalents           $87,872    $7,236
  Investments at fair value
   Non-Control/Non-Affiliate
    investments (Cost of $22,902
    and $134,836, respectively)        19,404    94,740
   Control investments (Cost of
    $150,107 and $150,081,
    respectively)                     130,955   166,163
   Affiliate investments (Cost
    of $52,891 and $64,028,
    respectively)                      37,027    53,027
                                  -----------  --------
    Total investments (Cost of
     $225,900 and $348,945,
     respectively)                    187,386   313,930
  Interest receivable                   1,373     1,500
  Due from Custodian                      766     2,706
  Deferred financing fees                 512     1,167
  Prepaid assets                          300       172

  Other assets                             70       132
                                  -----------  --------

  TOTAL ASSETS                       $278,279  $326,843
                                  ===========  ========

  LIABILITIES
  Accounts payable and accrued
   expenses                              $200    $1,283
  Fee due to Administrator                156       179
  Fees due to Adviser                     793       187
  Short-term loan                      75,000        --
  Borrowings under line of
   credit at fair value (Cost of
   $26,750 and $110,265,
   respectively)                       26,883   110,265

  Other liabilities                       246       127
                                  -----------  --------

  TOTAL LIABILITIES                   103,278   112,041
                                  -----------  --------

  NET ASSETS                         $175,001  $214,802
                                  ===========  ========

  ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS:
  Common stock, $0.001 par
   value, 100,000,000 shares
   authorized, 22,080,133
  shares issued and outstanding
   at December 31, 2009 and
   March31, 2009                          $22       $22
  Capital in excess of par value      264,576   257,361
  Net unrealized depreciation of
   investment portfolio              (38,514)  (35,015)
  Net unrealized depreciation of
   derivative                            (34)      (53)
  Net unrealized appreciation of
   borrowings under line of
   credit                               (133)        --
  Accumulated net investment
   loss                              (50,916)   (7,513)
                                  -----------  --------

  TOTAL NET ASSETS                   $175,001  $214,802
                                  ===========  ========

  NET ASSETS PER SHARE                  $7.93     $9.73
                                  ===========  ========
                             GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
                     CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                 (DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
                                       (UNAUDITED)

                                        Three Months Ended        Nine Months Ended

                                           December 31,              December 31,
                                      ----------------------  -------------------------

                                         2009        2008        2009        2008
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
  INVESTMENT INCOME
   Interest income
    Non-Control/Non-Affiliate
     investments                            $489      $2,339      $1,840      $6,797
    Control investments                    2,856       3,068       8,593       8,372
    Affiliate investments                  1,605       1,478       4,533       3,938

    Cash and cash equivalents                  1          21           1          67
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
     Total interest income                 4,951       6,906      14,967      19,174

   Other income                              970          96       1,066         682
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

     Total investment income               5,921       7,002      16,033      19,856
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

  EXPENSES
   Loan servicing fee                        886       1,258       2,892       3,769
   Base management fee                       113         442         588       1,303
   Incentive fee                             588          --         588          --
   Administration fee                        156         195         527         642
   Interest expense                          385       1,823       1,640       4,009
   Amortization of deferred finance
    costs                                    436          46       1,187         324
   Professional fees                         182          69         502         383
   Stockholder related costs                  49         112         276         413
   Insurance expense                          71          57         190         165
   Directors' fees                            48          50         147         145

   Other                                      61          57         198         246
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
    Expenses before credit from
     Adviser                               2,975       4,109       8,735      11,399
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

  Credit to base management fee            (127)       (694)       (591)     (1,964)
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
     Total expenses net of credit to
      base management fee                  2,848       3,415       8,144       9,435
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

  NET INVESTMENT INCOME                    3,073       3,587       7,889      10,421
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

  REALIZED AND UNREALIZED (LOSS)
   GAIN ON:
   Realized loss on sale of
    Non-Control/Non-Affiliate
    investments                          (1,318)          --    (35,922)     (4,215)
   Realized loss on termination of
    derivative                                --          --        (53)          --
   Net unrealized appreciation
    (depreciation) of
    Non-Control/Non-Affiliate
    investments                            1,383     (6,988)      36,597     (7,714)
   Net unrealized (depreciation)
    appreciation of Control
    investments                          (8,853)       1,755    (35,234)       7,728
   Net unrealized appreciation
    (depreciation) of Affiliate
    investments                            1,257     (2,294)     (4,862)    (13,687)
   Net unrealized (depreciation)
    appreciation of derivative               (7)          --          19          --
   Net unrealized depreciation
    (appreciation) of borrowings
    under line of credit                      45          --       (133)          --
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
     Net loss on investments and
      borrowings under line of
      credit                             (7,493)     (7,527)    (39,588)    (17,888)
                                      ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

  NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS
   RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS            $(4,420)    $(3,940)   $(31,699)    $(7,467)
                                      ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

  NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS
   RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS PER
   COMMON SHARE:

    Basic and Diluted                    $(0.20)     $(0.18)     $(1.44)     $(0.35)
                                      ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

  SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
   OUTSTANDING:
    Basic and diluted weighted
     average shares                   22,080,133  22,080,133  22,080,133  21,367,871
                             GLADSTONE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
                                   FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
           (DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AND PER UNIT AMOUNTS)
                                       (UNAUDITED)


                                           Three Months Ended       Nine Months Ended
                                              December 31,            December 31,
                                         ----------------------  ----------------------

                                            2009        2008        2009        2008
                                         ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

  Per Share Data (1)
  -------------------------------------
   Net asset value at beginning of
    period                                    $8.24      $10.57       $9.73      $12.47

   Income from investment operations:
    Net investment income (2)                  0.14        0.16        0.36        0.49
    Realized loss on sale of
     investments (2)                         (0.06)          --      (1.63)      (0.20)
    Net unrealized depreciation of
     investments (2)                         (0.28)      (0.34)      (0.16)      (0.64)
    Net unrealized appreciation of
     borrowings on line of credit (2)            --          --      (0.01)          --
                                         ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

   Total from investment operations          (0.20)      (0.18)      (1.44)      (0.35)
                                         ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

   Distributions from:

    Net investment income                    (0.12)      (0.24)      (0.36)      (0.72)
                                         ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
   Total distributions (3)                   (0.12)      (0.24)      (0.36)      (0.72)

   Effect of shelf offering:
    Shelf registration offering costs          0.01          --          --      (0.03)
    Effect of distribution of stock
     rights offering after record date
     (4)                                         --          --          --      (1.22)
                                         ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------

   Total effect of shelf offering              0.01          --          --      (1.25)
                                         ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------


   Net asset value at end of period           $7.93      $10.15       $7.93      $10.15
                                         ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

   Per share market value at beginning
    of period                                 $4.83       $6.81       $3.67       $9.32
   Per share market value at end of
    period                                     4.56        4.91        4.56        4.91
   Total Return (5)                         (3.18)%    (19.59)%      34.06%    (41.23)%
   Shares outstanding at end of period   22,080,133  22,080,133  22,080,133  22,080,133


  Statement of Assets and Liabilities
   Data:
  -------------------------------------
   Net assets at end of period             $175,001    $224,117    $175,001    $224,117
   Average net assets (6)                   179,155     229,256     194,783     232,053


  Senior Securities Data:
  -------------------------------------
   Borrowings under line of credit and
    short-term loan                        $101,883    $117,864    $101,883    $117,864
   Asset coverage ratio (7)                    270%        290%        270%        290%
   Asset coverage per unit (8)               $2,704      $2,901      $2,704      $2,901


  Ratios/Supplemental Data:
  -------------------------------------
   Ratio of expenses to average net
    assets (9), (10)                          6.64%       7.17%       5.98%       6.55%
   Ratio of net expenses to average net
    assets (9), (11)                          6.36%       5.96%       5.57%       5.42%
   Ratio of net investment income to
    average net assets (9)                    6.86%       6.26%       5.40%       5.99%
   (1)  Based on actual shares outstanding at the end of the corresponding period.
   (2)  Based on weighted average basic per share data.
        Distributions are determined based on taxable income calculated in accordance with income tax regulations which
         may differ from amounts determined under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
   (3)   America.
        The effect of distributions from the stock rights offering after the record date represents the effect on net
   (4)   asset value of issuing additional shares after the record date of a distribution.
        Total return equals the change in the market value of the Company's common stock from the beginning of the
         period, taking into account dividends reinvested in accordance with the terms of our dividend reinvestment
   (5)   plan.
   (6)  Calculated using the average of the balance of net assets at the end of each month of the reporting period.
        As a business development company, the Company is generally required to maintain a ratio of at least 200% of
   (7)   total assets, less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, to total borrowings.
        Asset coverage per unit is the ratio of the carrying value of the Company's total consolidated assets, less all
         liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, to the aggregate amount of senior securities
         representing indebtedness. Asset coverage per unit is expressed in terms of dollar amounts per $1 thousand of
   (8)   indebtedness.
   (9)  Amounts are annualized.
  (10)  Ratio of expenses to average net assets is computed using expenses before credits from the Adviser.
        Ratio of net expenses to average net assets is computed using total expenses net of credits to the management
  (11)   fee.
CONTACT: Gladstone Investment Corp.
         Investor Relations
         703-287-5839