Burford Capital Ltd
For the period ended Sep 30, 2025. Filed Nov 5, 2025.
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A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.
Sep 30, 2025 · Filed Nov 5, 2025
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Liquidity and capital resources and Off-balance sheet arrangements
Liquidity and capital resources
Overview
The table below sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities as of the dates indicated.
| September 30, 2025 · December 31, 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total · Total | ||||||
| Third-party · segments · Third-party · segments | ||||||
| ($ in thousands) | Consolidated | interests | (Burford-only) | Consolidated | interests | (Burford-only) |
| Cash and cash equivalents | $677,653 | $(16,682) | $660,971 | $469,930 | $(28,269) | $441,661 |
| Marketable securities | 79,082 | — | 79,082 | 79,020 | — | 79,020 |
| Total | 756,735 | (16,682) | 740,053 | 548,950 | (28,269) | 520,681 |
On a consolidated basis, our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities increased 38% as of September 30, 2025, while on a total segments (Burford-only) basis, our cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities increased 42% as of September 30, 2025. The net increase in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities for both the consolidated and total segments (Burford-only) bases, primarily reflects the issuance of the 2033 Notes, partially offset by the redemption of the 2025 Bonds. For the consolidated basis, the net increase in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities was also partially offset by the impact from third-party net distributions.
Our marketable securities primarily consist of short-duration and generally investment-grade fixed income assets, the bulk of which are held in separately managed accounts, managed by a third-party asset manager that specializes in short-duration and money market investments.
Debt
During the three months ended September 30, 2025, we issued the 2033 Notes and redeemed in full the remaining 2025 Bonds, which matured on August 12, 2025. As of September 30, 2025, we had five series of debt securities outstanding, of which one series was listed on the Order Book for Retail Bonds of the London Stock Exchange and four series were issued through private placement transactions under Rule 144A and Regulation S under the Securities Act. See note 10 (Debt) to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contained in this Form 10-Q for additional information with respect to our outstanding debt securities.
We manage our business with relatively low levels of leverage and have laddered debt maturities with an overall weighted average maturity in excess of the expected weighted average life of our legal finance assets. As of September 30, 2025, the weighted average maturity of our outstanding debt securities of 4.9 years continued to be longer than the weighted average life of our concluded assets, weighted by realizations, of 2.6 years.
Going forward, we expect to continue to be an opportunistic issuer of debt securities and may issue new debt securities from time to time to fund our growth or refinance future debt maturities, among other things. In addition, from time to time, we may acquire our debt securities through open market purchases, redemptions, privately negotiated transactions, tender offers, exchange offers or otherwise, upon such terms and at such prices as we may from time to time determine, for cash or other consideration.
Our debt securities that are listed on the Order Book for Retail Bonds of the London Stock Exchange as of the date of this Form 10-Q contain one significant financial covenant, which is a leverage ratio requirement that we maintain a level of Group Net Debt (as defined in the trust deeds governing such debt securities, and generally equivalent to our consolidated net debt, or our total principal amount of debt outstanding less cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities) that is less than 50% of our Group Total Assets (as defined in the trust deeds governing such debt securities, and generally equivalent to our consolidated tangible assets, or our total assets less goodwill). As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, our consolidated net debt to consolidated tangible assets ratio was 22% and 20%, respectively. In addition, the indentures governing the 2028 Notes and the 2030 Notes contain certain restrictive covenants that, among other things, require us to have a Consolidated Indebtedness to Net Tangible Equity Ratio (as defined in the indentures governing the 2028 Notes and the 2030 Notes, as applicable) of less than 1.50 to 1.00, 1.75 to 1.00 or 2.00 to 1.00, as applicable, to use certain specified “baskets” in order to undertake specific actions, such as making restricted payments or permitted investments or incurring additional indebtedness. As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, our Consolidated Indebtedness to Net Tangible Equity Ratio was 0.9 to 1.00 and 0.8 to 1.00, respectively. Furthermore, the indentures governing the 2031 Notes and the 2033 Notes contain certain restrictive covenants that, among other things, require us to have a Consolidated Indebtedness to
Consolidated Equity Ratio (as defined in the indentures governing the 2031 Notes and the 2033 Notes) of less than 1.50 to 1.00, 1.75 to 1.00 or 2.00 to 1.00, as applicable, to use certain specified “baskets” in order to undertake specific actions, such as making restricted payments or permitted investments or incurring additional indebtedness. As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, our Consolidated Indebtedness to Consolidated Equity Ratio was 0.8 to 1.00 and 0.7 to 1.00, respectively, with respect to the 2031 Notes and 0.8 to 1.00 and none, respectively, with respect to the 2033 Notes. See “—Reconciliations—Debt leverage ratio calculations” for the calculations of our debt leverage ratios. As of September 30, 2025, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under the trust deeds and the indentures, as applicable.
We are required to provide certain information pursuant to the indentures governing the 2028 Notes, the 2030 Notes, the 2031 Notes and the 2033 Notes. The tables below set forth the total assets and third-party indebtedness as of the dates indicated and total revenues for the periods indicated, in each case, of (i) us and our Restricted Subsidiaries (as defined in the indentures governing the 2028 Notes, the 2030 Notes, the 2031 Notes and the 2033 Notes, as applicable) and (ii) our Unrestricted Subsidiaries (as defined in the indentures governing the 2028 Notes, the 2030 Notes, the 2031 Notes and the 2033 Notes, as applicable).
| ($ in thousands) | September 30, 2025 | December 31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Burford Capital Limited and its Restricted Subsidiaries | ||
| Total assets | $5,988,273 | $5,335,289 |
| Third-party indebtedness | 2,143,450 | 1,763,612 |
| Unrestricted Subsidiaries | ||
| Total assets | 697,164 | 839,736 |
| Third-party indebtedness | — | — |
| Three months ended September 30, | Nine months ended September 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (S in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 |
| Burford Capital Limited and its Restricted Subsidiaries | ||||
| Total revenues | $69,542 | $225,843 | $352,389 | $394,612 |
| Unrestricted Subsidiaries | ||||
| Total revenues | 261 | 23,271 | 27,559 | 58,450 |
Cash flows
We believe our available cash and cash from operations, which include proceeds from our capital provision assets, will be adequate to fund our operations and future growth, satisfy our working capital requirements, meet obligations under our debt securities, pay dividends and meet other liquidity requirements for the foreseeable future.
Set forth below is a discussion of our cash flows for the periods indicated on a consolidated basis, unless noted otherwise.
The table below sets forth the components of our cash flows for the periods indicated.
| Nine months ended September 30, | ||
|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 |
| Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities | $50,889 | $235,386 |
| Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities | (8,442) | (139) |
| Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities | 163,624 | 117,261 |
| Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | 206,071 | 352,508 |
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities
The table below sets forth the components of our net cash provided/(used) by operating activities for the periods indicated.
| Nine months ended September 30, | ||
|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 |
| Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities before proceeds/(funding) of operating activities | $(109,861) | $(170,056) |
| Net proceeds from/(funding of) marketable securities | 7,325 | 37,488 |
| Proceeds from capital provision assets | 606,950 | 768,848 |
| Funding of capital provision assets | (453,525) | (400,894) |
| Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities | 50,889 | 235,386 |
Net cash provided by operating activities was $50.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2025. The period-over-period change in net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities reflects primarily lower proceeds received from capital provision assets.
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $8.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2025. The period-over-period change in net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities was primarily due to the acquisition of an equity method investment.
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $163.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2025. The period-over-period change in net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities was primarily due to the issuance of the 2033 Notes in 2025, partially offset by the redemption of the 2025 Bonds and the impact from third-party net distributions.
Cash receipts (non-GAAP financial measure)
Cash receipts represent cash generated during the reporting period from our capital provision assets, asset
management income and certain other items, before any deployments into financing existing or new assets. See “— Basis of presentation of financial information—KPIs and non-GAAP financial measures relating to our operating and financial performance—Non-GAAP financial measures—Cash receipts” for additional information with respect to our cash receipts. See “—Cash flows” for a discussion of our cash flows on a consolidated basis prepared in accordance with US GAAP.
The table below sets forth the components of our cash receipts for the periods indicated on a Burford-only basis.
| Burford-only (non-GAAP) | Nine months ended September 30, | |
|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 |
| Proceeds from capital provision assets | $389,431 | $518,203 |
| Proceeds from asset management income | 16,743 | 17,189 |
| Proceeds from other items(1) | 17,314 | 20,156 |
| Cash receipts | 423,488 | 555,548 |
| 1. See “—Reconciliations—Cash receipts reconciliations” for additional information with respect to the components of this line item. | ||
On a Burford-only basis, our cash receipts decreased 24% for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, reflecting primarily lower cash receipts from realizations during 2025 as compared to 2024. In addition, during 2025 we had lower collections on the due from settlement of capital provision assets receivable that was outstanding as of December 31, 2024 as compared to our collections in 2024 on the due from settlement of capital provision assets receivable that was outstanding as of December 31, 2023. Of the $183.7 million of due from settlement receivables as of December 31, 2024, 68% was collected in cash during 2025.
See “—Reconciliations—Cash receipts reconciliation” for a reconciliation of cash receipts to proceeds from capital provision assets, the most comparable measure calculated in accordance with US GAAP.
Dividends
On September 26, 2025, the Board of Directors declared an interim dividend of 6.25¢ per ordinary share to be paid on December 4, 2025 to holders of the Company’s ordinary shares on the register of shareholders at the close of business on October 31, 2025.
We anticipate continuing to pay a total annual dividend of 12.50¢ per ordinary share, payable semi-annually, but do not anticipate regular increases in our dividend per ordinary share level. The Board of Directors may review our dividend per ordinary share level from time to time. See “Risk factors—Risks relating to our ordinary shares—There can be no assurance that we will pay dividends or distributions” in the 2024 Form 10-K for additional information with respect to our declaration and payment of dividends.
Off-balance sheet arrangements
As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had off-balance sheet arrangements relating to legal finance assets with structured entities that aggregate claims from multiple parties in the amount of $3.8 million and $4.8 million, respectively. See note 12 (Variable interest entities) to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contained in this Form 10-Q for additional information with respect to structured entities.
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