PrefBlog

Brompton Group has announced (on February 28):

Brompton Lifeco Split Corp. (the “Fund”) announces that the distribution rate for the preferred shares (the “Preferred Shares”) for the 5-year term from April 30, 2019 to April 29, 2024 will be $0.625 per preferred share per annum (6.25% on the original issue price of $10) payable quarterly. The Preferred Share distribution rate is based on current market rates for preferred shares with similar terms. The Fund previously announced the extension of the term of the class A shares (the “Class A Shares”) and the Preferred Shares from April 30, 2019 to April 29, 2024. The term extension offers preferred shareholders the opportunity to enjoy preferential cash dividends until April 29, 2024. Since inception in April 2007 to January 31, 2019, the Preferred Share has delivered a 5.6% per annum return. In addition, the Fund intends to maintain the targeted monthly Class A Share distribution rate at $0.075 per Class A Share when the net asset value per unit (consisting of one Class A Share and one Preferred Share) is greater than $15.00, after taking in consideration the payment of the Class A Share distribution.

Over the past 10-year period to January 31, 2019, the Class A share has outperformed the S&P/TSX Composite Index (the “TSX Composite”) by 5.7% per annum (LCS 14.8% per annum, TSX Composite 9.1% per annum). The Preferred share has delivered consistent returns with less volatility and has outperformed the S&P/TSX Preferred Share Index over the past 10-year period by 1.8% per annum. Since inception on April 18, 2007 to January 31, 2019, Class A shareholders have received cash distributions of $5.73 per share. Class A shareholders have the option to benefit by reinvesting their cash distributions in a distribution reinvestment plan (“DRIP”) which is commission free to participants. Class A shareholders can enroll in the DRIP program by contacting their investment advisor.

The Fund invests in a portfolio of common shares of Canada’s four largest publicly-listed life insurance companies, on an approximately equal weight basis: Great-West Lifeco Inc., Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc., Manulife Financial Corporation and Sun Life Financial Inc.

In connection with the extension, shareholders who do not wish to continue their investment in the Fund, may retract their Preferred Shares or Class A Shares on April 29, 2019 pursuant to a special retraction right and receive a retraction price that is calculated in the same way that such price would be calculated if the Fund were to terminate on April 29, 2019. Pursuant to this option, the retraction price may be less than the market price if the security is trading at a premium to net asset value. Notice must be provided to your investment dealer by March 29, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) in order to exercise this right; however, investment dealers may have earlier deadlines.

LCS.PR.A was added to the HIMIPref™ database in October, 2014, backdated to 2014-5-1, following its term extension and treasury offering earlier in the year. Capital Units dividends were suspended in January 2015, but reinstated in November, 2016. The company announced the five year extension in Marcy, 2018. The issue is tracked by HIMIPref™ but relegated to the Scraps – Splitshares subindex on credit concerns.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 29th, 2019 at 11:21 pm and is filed under Issue Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.