HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital NYSE: HASI reported a strong start to 2026, with President and CEO Jeff Lipson telling investors that first-quarter adjusted earnings per share rose to $0.77 and adjusted return on equity reached 15.7%, the highest quarterly level in the company’s history.
Lipson said adjusted recurring net investment income increased 29% year over year to $101 million, while managed assets rose 13% to $16.4 billion. The company reaffirmed its 2028 guidance of $3.50 to $3.60 in adjusted earnings per share and adjusted ROE of 17%.
“We continue to execute on our 2026 business plan,” Lipson said, adding that the quarter’s results came despite volatility in energy and credit markets. He cited geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, including the Iran war, oil price volatility, jet fuel availability issues, rising U.S. power prices and credit and liquidity challenges in private credit markets.
Lipson said those conditions reinforced the company’s investment thesis around renewable energy, noting that operational renewable projects have minimal operating costs, do not require fuel supply and can provide cost certainty. He also said HASI’s model offers investors “low risk, diversified exposure to growth in U.S. energy transition infrastructure” supported by project cash flows.
Investment Activity and Portfolio Growth
HASI closed more than $460 million in new transactions during the quarter that will be held at CCH1 and on its balance sheet, according to Lipson. Total investment volume for the quarter was $637 million, keeping the company on pace for its previously discussed 2026 expectation of $2 billion to $3 billion.
The company said fee-generating assets increased 130% year over year to $1.1 billion. New asset yields on portfolio transactions closed during the quarter remained above 10.5% for the eighth consecutive quarter, while the portfolio yield rose 90 basis points year over year to 9.2%.
Lipson said HASI’s 12-month pipeline remains above $6.5 billion, supported by end-market dynamics such as consolidation and continued power demand. During the question-and-answer portion, Lipson said the grid-connected pipeline is strong and consists largely of programmatic partners HASI has worked with before. He said the majority of that pipeline is preferred equity in solar projects.
Neogenyx Joint Venture With Ameresco
A major topic on the call was HASI’s newly announced investment in Neogenyx, a joint venture formed through the spin-off of Ameresco’s biofuels business. Lipson said HASI expects Neogenyx to become a leading developer and owner/operator of biofuels projects.
HASI’s initial investment in the venture is $400 million. Lipson said the company will own 30% of the enterprise and have a priority position on debt cash distributions until a hurdle return is achieved. He said HASI’s long-term expected return is higher than a typical investment because of the venture’s upside potential.
In response to a question from Citi analyst Vikram Bagri, Lipson said the venture will initially focus primarily on organic growth, though consolidation could occur over time. He said roughly $100 million of HASI’s investment is tied to operating projects at inception, with the remaining $300 million expected to be deployed as additional projects are developed.
Lipson declined to disclose the expected cash flow from the investment, but said it has “a very strong cash yield.” In response to a question from Mizuho Securities analyst Maheep Mandloi, Lipson said HASI was attracted to the transaction because of its long partnership with Ameresco, familiarity with renewable natural gas and alignment with Ameresco on the future of the business.
Financing, Liquidity and Capital Efficiency
Chief Financial Officer Chuck Melko said adjusted earnings increased 31% year over year to $102 million in the first quarter, driven primarily by growth in CCH1 investments and HASI’s broader portfolio. He said the company’s focus on more efficient equity deployment contributed to the increase in adjusted ROE from 12.8% a year earlier.
Melko said GAAP results included an HLBV loss related to the timing of tax credit sale proceeds distributed to tax equity investors, but the company expects that accounting impact to fully reverse in the next quarter.
HASI recorded $23 million of gain-on-sale income in the first quarter. Melko said gain-on-sale income does not trend evenly from quarter to quarter and that, while full-year gain-on-sale is expected to be similar to last year, lower levels should be expected in the remaining quarters because of the higher first-quarter amount. Upfront fees from CCH1 and other advisory-related fees contributed $9 million to earnings.
Melko said HASI issued $1 billion in bonds in February, consisting of $400 million of senior bonds priced at 6% and $600 million of junior subordinated notes priced at 7.8%. Proceeds were used to retire the remaining $450 million of senior bonds due in 2027 with an 8% coupon and to create additional liquidity for an upcoming $600 million maturity.
He said the transactions lowered the company’s cost of capital, improved spreads and significantly extended the debt maturity profile. Adjusting for the upcoming 2026 maturity, which HASI has reserved for with existing liquidity, the weighted average maturity of corporate term debt extended from 7.9 years to 12.8 years.
HASI currently has $2.3 billion of available liquidity, Melko said, part of which is expected to be used to pay off the remaining notes due in June. After that maturity, the company’s next corporate bond is not due until 2028.
The company did not issue any shares through its at-the-market program during the first quarter. Lipson said HASI is “very close” to a self-funding model and said that if 2026 funding volume stays within the company’s expected range, equity issuance “could very well be zero.”
Portfolio Performance and Market Questions
Melko said HASI’s managed assets are performing well, with an average annual realized loss rate of less than 10 basis points. He said 98% of the portfolio remains in Category 1. In response to a question about two receivables moving to Category 2, Melko said a project is experiencing technical challenges with equipment and requires additional investment to address the issue, but he said the company sees a path to the original economics.
Asked by RBC Capital Markets analyst Chris Dendrinos about residential solar market stress, Lipson said HASI is seeing a small uptick in delinquencies consistent with broader market trends, but within original underwriting expectations. “Our loans there are all performing,” he said.
Chief Client Officer Susan Nickey also addressed questions about tax equity market tightness. She said industry data showed the tax equity market grew significantly last year, including a 26% increase in the total market to $63 billion and a 50% increase in the tax transfer market to $42 billion. Nickey said ambiguity around foreign entity of concern rules has caused some investors and banks to wait for clarity, but she said the issue does not directly affect HASI’s current growth outlook.
Executive Changes
Lipson closed the call by discussing management changes. He welcomed Christy Freer as Chief Legal Officer and acknowledged Marc Pangburn’s contributions over 12 years at HASI. Pangburn will continue working with the company in a new role at GoodFinch, where Lipson said he will help optimize the SunStrong business.
HASI also named AnnMarie Reynolds and Manny Haile-Mariam as co-chief investment officers, and Daniela Shapiro and Viral Amin as co-chief risk officers and Investment Committee members. Lipson said the appointments reflect the company’s depth of talent and praised the executives’ leadership, credit and commercial skills.
About HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital NYSE: HASI
Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc NYSE: HASI is a publicly traded real estate investment trust specializing in financing and investing in climate change solutions. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the company provides debt and equity capital to sustainable infrastructure projects across North America. Its mission is to support energy efficiency, renewable energy generation and resilient infrastructure, helping public and private sector clients reduce carbon emissions and achieve long-term environmental goals.
Hannon Armstrong's core business activities include originating and structuring loans, acquiring debt and equity interests, and managing a diversified portfolio of projects in sectors such as solar energy, wind power, energy storage, green buildings, and sustainable agriculture.
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