Category: Issue Comments

The marvellously named “Big Bank Big Oil Split Corp” has announced:

that it has received all necessary approvals for its previously announced rights offering (the “Rights Offering”).

Under the Rights Offering holders of class A capital shares (“Capital Shares”) at the close of business on July 17, 2008 will receive rights (“Rights”) to purchase Combined Units on the basis of one Right for each Capital Share held. Two Rights will entitle the holder to purchase a Combined Unit, consisting of one Capital Share, one class A preferred share (“Preferred Share”) and one Warrant for a subscription price of $26.38 per Combined Unit. Each Warrant may be used to purchase one Capital Share and one Preferred Share. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the expiry of the Rights at 4:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on August 13, 2008.

Holders of Rights who exercise all of their Rights may also subscribe for additional Combined Units that may be available as a result of unexercised Rights. Rightsholders may exercise their Rights through the broker or dealer which holds their Rights.

The Rights will be listed and posted for trading on the TSX under the symbol BBO.RT. Holders of Rights should contact the broker or dealer who holds their Rights on their behalf to exercise their Rights. A prospectus describing the Rights Offering is expected to be mailed to Capital Shareholders on or around July 23, 2008.

So, the issue might get bigger – a good thing, since there are less than 1.9-million shares outstanding with a $10.00 par value. Asset coverage is just under 2.6:1 as of July 3, according to Claymore Investments.

BBO.PR.A is not tracked by HIMIPref™.

DBRS has announced:

today changed the trend on its ratings of the Debt and Preferred Shares of Manulife Financial Corporation (Manulife or the Company) and its related entities to Positive from Stable. The trends on the Claims Paying Ability of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and the Short-Term Limited Recourse Notes of Maritime Life Canadian Funding remain stable.

The positive trend reflects the Company’s strong earnings performance since the acquisition of John Hancock Financial Services (JHFS) in 2004, advantageous strategic positions in selected diverse products and geographic market segments, consistency in being among the first to introduce new and innovative products tempered by effective risk and expense management controls and the most conservative capitalization of its peer group. Diversification and strong earnings in the absence of any meaningful financial leverage allow Manulife to stand out among its peers from the perspective of creditworthiness. The resolution of the current turmoil in the capital markets, provided that Manulife continues to cope favourably, is expected to precipitate an upgrade in the Company’s credit ratings.

Following its successful integration of JHFS, Manulife has become one of the five largest life insurance and wealth management organizations in North America and one of the top 10 in the world, enjoying excellent geographic and product diversification, notably in such attractive markets as U.S. long-term care, U.S. variable annuities, and Asian wealth accumulation products, which leverage off the Company’s North American successes. Distribution networks are similarly well-diversified, the broadening and deepening of which is the key to the Company’s continuing success. Like most life insurance concerns, the Company is increasingly focused on growing its wealth management and payout businesses, which are well-aligned with demographic trends, but it retains leading positions in the sale of new life insurance protection products in both Canada and the United States, where profit margins tend to be more generous and cash flows more stable, despite the expected new business strain.

Excellent risk-management practices and strong independent governance has helped the Company to maintain stable profitability. The Company’s large block of in-force policies provides a stable core to earnings as conservative reserving practices pay off over time through the release of excess provisions for adverse deviation and consistently favourable experience gains. Unlike several of its U.S. peers, a high-quality asset portfolio has limited the Company’s exposure to the recent softness in credit markets related to asset-backed securities and the U.S. housing markets.

The issues continue to be rated P-1 by S&P on their national scale.

All three issues are tracked by HIMIPref™. MFC.PR.A is part of the Operating Retractible index; the others are part of the PerpetualDiscount index.

Perhaps this is not, strictly, sufficiently newsworthy to be worth a post … but gracious heavens, we could all use a little bit of good news around now!

The TSX has announced that it:

has determined to delist the Common Shares of Algo Group Inc. (Symbol: AO), as well as the Convertible Redeemable Retractable Third Preferred Shares Series I (Symbol: AO.PR.A) and 6% Cumulative Redeemable Convertible Second Preferred Shares Series I (Symbol: AO.PR.B) at the close of market on August 6, 2008 for failure to meet the continued listing requirements of TSX. The Securities of the Company are currently halted due to the imposition of a Cease Trade Order. In addition, the Securities have been suspended from trading by TSX effective immediately. The Company will now be subject to the requirements of Section 501 of The TSX Company Manual.

The review was previously reported on PrefBlog. Neither issue is tracked by HIMIPref™.

BCE has announced:

BCE today announced the company has entered into a final agreement with a company formed by an investor group led by Teachers’ Private Capital, the private investment arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Providence Equity Partners Inc., Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC, and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity.

As a result of the execution of the final agreement, amending the definitive agreement dated June 29, 2007:

• The purchase price will remain $42.75 per common share;
• The Purchaser and the Lenders have delivered fully negotiated and executed credit documents for the purpose of funding the transaction, including an executed credit agreement and other key financing documents;
• The reverse break fee payable by the Purchaser in the circumstances contemplated by the definitive agreement has been increased to $1.2 billion;
• Closing will occur on or before December 11, 2008; and
• Prior to closing, the company will not pay dividends on its common shares but will continue to pay dividends on its preferred shares.

Well, the deal hasn’t closed until the money’s in the bank … but at this point I have to say that a successful closing looks pretty likely. It’s interesting that the break fee increased; presumably, that’s the concession won by BCE in exchange for cancelling the common dividend.

BCE has the following preferred shares outstanding: BCE.PR.A, BCE.PR.C, BCE.PR.D, BCE.PR.E, BCE.PR.F, BCE.PR.G, BCE.PR.H, BCE.PR.I, BCE.PR.R, BCE.PR.S, BCE.PR.T, BCE.PR.Y & BCE.PR.Z

The last dedicated PrefBlog entry in this saga was BCE / Teachers’ Deal : Chattering Classes Humiliated

Global 45 Split Corp. has announced:

acceptance by the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) of the Company’s Notice of Intention to make a Normal Course Issuer Bid for its Preferred Shares and Class A Shares (collectively, the “Shares”).

Under this normal course issuer bid, the Company may purchase, from time to time, if it is considered advisable, up to 135,258 Preferred Shares and 135,258 Class A Shares, representing approximately 10% of the public float of the Shares, which is the same number as the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares, being 1,352,582 Preferred Shares and 1,352,582 Class A Shares as of the date hereof.
…
Under its previous normal course issuer bid, which commenced on July 5, 2007 and which expires on July 4, 2008, the Company has purchased and cancelled a total of 12,900 Preferred Shares and 12,900 Class A Shares at an average price of $10.5257 per Preferred Share and $14.7213 per Class A Share.

So … they did buy back some of their issue with the last bid, which plays a large role in my decision to post about the current bid. But don’t get too excited … according to First Asset, NAV as of June 26 was $22.14, while the TSX shows last trades of $12.25 for the capital units and $10.06 for the preferreds.

GFV.PR.A is not tracked by HIMIPref™.

Lawrence Asset Management has announced:

that 680,998 HI PREFS Series 1 Shares (TSX: HPF.PR.A) and 207,662 HI PREFS Series 2 Shares (TSX: HPF.PR.B) were submitted for the annual redemption on June 30, 2008. Subsequent to the annual redemption there are 410,956 Series 1 Shares issued and outstanding and 800,792 Series 2 Shares issued and outstanding.

The redemption proceeds will be paid to Series 1 and Series 2 shareholders who participated in the annual redemption on or before July 15, 2008. Series 1 shareholders will receive redemption proceeds of $25.00 per Series 1 Share submitted for redemption and Series 2 shareholders will receive redemption proceeds of $11.11 per Series 2 Share submitted for redemption.

This is very curious. The prospectus states:

The Series 1 Shares, Series 2 Shares and Equity Shares are offered separately, but will be issued only on the basis that there will be an equal number of Series 1 Shares, Series 2 Shares and Equity Shares issued.

… but note the word “issued”. The section titled “Redemption” is more forthcoming:

In the event that any Series 1 Shares, Series 2 Shares or Equity Shares are tendered for redemption on a Redemption Date, the Company will purchase in the market for cancellation Series 1 Shares, Series 2 Shares and/or Equity Shares, as applicable, (or if the Equity Shares are not traded on a public market, redeem Equity Shares at an amount per share equal to the greater of the Net Asset Value per Equity Share and $3.54) in order that, to the extent practicable, the ratio of outstanding securities of each class remains constant.

… but note the phrase “to the extent practicable”.

Want to figure this one out? Why not try listening to the conference call previously mocked on PrefBlog?

Their fund page states:

On June 30, 2008, HI PREFS has its annual redemption feature. To listen to the replay of a conference call hosted by the Manager discussing the upcoming redemption please call 416-695-5800 / 1-800-408-3053, passcode 3262786.

Calling either number provided and tapping in the passcode results in a message that the passcode is invalid.

I’ve asked it before … I’ll ask it again: Is there anything about this issue that is not wierd?

Thank heavens that HPF.PR.A is finally out of the HIMIPref™ index. I never liked it … it was there only because volume was sufficient and DBRS insists it’s still investment grade despite the dividend default. With roughly two-thirds of the issue now having retracted, I can only hope that it continues to be eliminated from consideration due to volume concerns.

Update: See also entries for HPF.PR.A and HPF.PR.B

DBRS has announced that it:

has today downgraded the Preferred Shares issued by GlobalBanc Advantaged 8 Split Corp. (the Company) to Pfd-5, with a Stable trend, from Pfd-4 (high).

In June 2007, the Company raised gross proceeds of $54 million by issuing 2.7 million Preferred Shares (at $10 each) and an equal amount of Class A Shares (at $10 each), to provide downside protection of approximately 47% to the Preferred Shares (after issuance costs).

The net proceeds from the initial offering were used to purchase a portfolio of Canadian securities that were pledged to the National Bank of Canada (the Counterparty) to enter a forward agreement (the Forward Agreement) in order to gain exposure to a portfolio of common shares (the Bank Portfolio) issued by eight of the world’s largest banks, Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. (DE), Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, UBS AG, Banco Santander Central Hispano S.A., BNP Paribas, Société Générale Group and Deutsche Bank AG.

Holders of the Preferred Shares receive fixed cumulative quarterly distributions equal to 4.5% per annum. The Company provides Class A Shareholders with distributions of capital gains when declared by the Board of Directors. Since inception, the Capital Shareholders have received a total of $0.0485 per share, a return of less than 0.5% of the initial share price.

Based on the most recent dividends paid by its underlying companies, the Bank Portfolio can generate enough yield to pay the fixed preferred distributions and other annual expenses. However, changes in dividend policy by any of the banks included in the Bank Portfolio could cause a potential grind on the net asset value (NAV).

Since inception, the NAV has dropped from about $19 to $9.70 (as of June 30, 2008), a decline of nearly 50%. Since the NAV is currently below the $10 principal value of the Preferred Shares, the holders of the Preferred Shares would experience a loss of 3% of their initial investment if the portfolio were to be liquidated and proceeds distributed. The decline in NAV can be attributed to the Bank Portfolio’s 100% concentration in the international banking industry, as well as its exposure to those banks that have experienced credit writedowns during the past year.

The downgrade of the Preferred Shares is primarily based on the lower level of asset coverage available to cover the Preferred Shares principal.

The redemption date for both classes of shares issued is December 15, 2012.

This follows a downgrade to Pfd-4(high) on April 17. Anybody feeling like swearing at the Credit Rating Agencies? It was rated Pfd-2 until January 17, 2008 … that’s fast, eh? Pfd-2 (reasonable investment grade) to Pfd-5 (deep junk) in less than six months. Even the sternest critics will agree, I’m sure that losing half your money in a year while invested in …

a portfolio of common shares (the Bank Portfolio) issued by eight of the world’s largest banks, Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. (DE), Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, UBS AG, Banco Santander Central Hispano S.A., BNP Paribas, Société Générale Group and Deutsche Bank AG

… is a tad unusual. If there is such a thing, I wonder how “GlobalBanc Disadvantaged 8 Split Corp.” is doing!

GBA.PR.A is not tracked by HIMIPref™.

Update: The company has stated:

Current Net Asset Value (“NAV”) per Unit is $9.70, comprised of $9.70 per Preferred Share and $0.00 per Class A Share. Since the NAV per Unit is currently below the $10 principal value of the Preferred Shares, the holders of the Preferred Shares would receive less than $10 if the portfolio were to be liquidated and proceeds distributed as at today’s date. Based on the most recent dividends paid by the underlying companies, the Bank Portfolio currently generates enough yield to pay the fixed cumulative quarterly preferred dividends in the amount of $0.1125 per Preferred Share and the expenses of the Company. However, future changes in dividend policy by any of the banks included in the Bank Portfolio, among other things, may require the Company to further reduce NAV per Unit in order to sustain the dividend on the Preferred Shares. The redemption price payable for each Preferred Share outstanding on December 15, 2012 (the final redemption date) is equal to the lesser of: (i) $10.00 plus accrued and unpaid distributions; and (ii) the NAV per Preferred Share on that date.

This press release is not yet available on the company’s website.

DBRS has announced that it:

has today downgraded the Preferred Shares issued by Copernican World Banks Split Corp. (the Company) to Pfd-5, with a Negative trend, from Pfd-3 (low).

In November 2007, the Company raised gross proceeds of $96.1 million by issuing 4.805 million Preferred Shares (at $10 each) and an equal amount of Class A Shares (at $10 each). The initial structure provided downside protection of 50% to the Preferred Shares as all issuance costs were paid by AIC Investment Services Inc. (the Manager).

The net proceeds from the offering were used to invest in a portfolio of common shares (the Portfolio) issued by bank-based financial institutions with strong credit quality (World Banks). The Portfolio is actively managed by the Manager to invest in World Banks that have at least a US$1 billion market capitalization and exhibit the potential for attractive dividend yields and strong earnings growth momentum. It is expected that a minimum of 80% of all foreign content will be hedged back to Canadian dollars at all times to mitigate net asset value (NAV) volatility relating to foreign currency exchange fluctuation.

Holders of the Preferred Shares receive fixed cumulative quarterly dividends yielding 5.25% per annum. The Company aims to provide holders of the Class A Shares with monthly distributions targeted at 8.0% per annum.

There is an asset coverage test in place that does not permit the Company to make monthly distributions to the Class A Shares if the dividends on the Preferred Shares are in arrears or if the NAV of the Portfolio is less than $15.00 after giving effect to such distributions. Since the Company’s NAV has decreased below $15.00, distributions to the Class A Shares are currently suspended, which greatly reduces the grind on the Portfolio going forward. The Company is currently required to generate a return of approximately 3% from sources other than dividend income to maintain a stable NAV. The required return will vary based on fluctuations in the Portfolio’s NAV and changes in the dividend policies of the World Banks.

The credit quality of the Portfolio is strong and globally diversified, but the NAV of the Portfolio has experienced downward pressure due to its concentration in the financial industry. Since inception, the NAV has dropped from $20 to $10.39 (as of June 30, 2008), a decline of 48%. As a result, the current downside protection available to the Preferred Shareholders is approximately 4%.

The downgrade of the Preferred Shares is primarily based on the greatly reduced asset coverage available to cover repayment of the Preferred Shares principal. The Negative rating trend is due to the additional return required to avoid further deterioration in the Company NAV.

The redemption date for both classes of shares issued is December 2, 2013.

This follows a downgrade to Pfd-3(low) on April 17. CBW.PR.A is not tracked by HIMIPref™.

DBRS has announced that it:

has today downgraded the Preferred Shares issued by Copernican International Financial Split Corp. (the Company) to Pfd-4 (low), with a Negative trend, from Pfd-3.

In March and April of 2007, the Company raised gross proceeds of $158.4 million by issuing 7.92 million Preferred Shares (at $10 each) and an equal amount of Class A Shares (at $10 each). The initial structure provided downside protection of 50% to the Preferred Shares as all issuance costs were paid by AIC Investment Services Inc. (the Manager).

The net proceeds from the offering were used to invest in a portfolio of common shares (the Portfolio) issued by international financial institutions (IFS) with strong credit quality. The Portfolio is actively managed by the Manager to invest in IFS that have at least a US$1 billion market capitalization and exhibit the potential for attractive dividend yields and strong earnings growth momentum. It is expected that a minimum of 80% of all foreign content will be hedged back to Canadian dollars at all times to mitigate net asset value (NAV) volatility relating to foreign currency exchange fluctuation.

Holders of the Preferred Shares receive fixed cumulative quarterly dividends yielding 5.0% per annum. The Company aims to provide holders of the Class A Shares with monthly distributions targeted at 8.0% per annum.

There is an asset coverage test in place that does not permit the Company to make monthly distributions to the Class A Shares if the dividends on the Preferred Shares are in arrears or if the NAV of the Portfolio is less than $16.50 after giving effect to such distributions. Furthermore, the Company cannot make special distributions to the Class A Shares if the NAV drops to less than $20 unless the distribution is required to eliminate tax on net capital gains. Since the Company’s NAV has decreased below $16.50, distributions to the Class A Shares are currently suspended, which greatly reduces the grind on the Portfolio going forward. The Company is currently required to generate a return of approximately 2% from sources other than dividend income to maintain a stable NAV. The required return will vary based on fluctuations in the Portfolio’s NAV and changes in the dividend policies of the IFS.

The credit quality of the Portfolio is strong and globally diversified, but the NAV of the Portfolio has experienced downward pressure due to its concentration in the global financial industry. Since inception, the NAV has dropped from $20 to $11.20 (as of June 30, 2008), a decline of 44%. As a result, the current downside protection available to the Preferred Shareholders is approximately 11%.

The downgrade of the Preferred Shares is primarily based on the greatly reduced asset coverage available to cover repayment of the Preferred Shares principal. The Negative rating trend is due to the additional return required to avoid further deterioration in the Company NAV.

The redemption date for both classes of shares issued is December 2, 2013.

This follows a downgrade to Pfd-3 on April 17. CIR.PR.A is not tracked by HIMIPref™.

I have been posting a lot lately about how horrible June has been for preferred shareholders – see, for example, Party Like it’s 1999!, New Trough for Preferreds? and Market Timing?. And I will be posting more! Without wishing to rub salt into the wounds of other preferred share investors, this month has been very interesting from an academic perspective … but for now, the table of best and worst performers in June is a sufficient tale of woe.

These are total returns, with dividends presumed to have been reinvested at the bid price on the ex-date. The list has been restricted to issues in the HIMIPref™ indices.