Category: Market Action

Market Action

December 9, 2015

Well, it looks like one source of PrefBlog entertainment is coming to an end … Sprott is on the verge of winning the battle for Gold Trust:

Sprott Asset Management LP (“Sprott” or “Sprott Asset Management”), together with Sprott Physical Gold Trust (NYSE:PHYS) (TSX:PHY.U) and Sprott Physical Silver Trust (NYSE:PSLV) (TSX:PHS.U), today announced that a majority of Central GoldTrust (“GTU”) (TSX:GTU.UN) (TSX:GTU.U) (NYSEMKT:GTU) unitholders have tendered into the Sprott offer for GTU, and as a result Sprott, on behalf of tendering GTU unitholders and as described in Sprott’s November 20, 2015 Notice of Extension and Variation, has removed Brian Felske, Glenn Fox, Bruce Heagle, Ian McAvity, Michael Parente and Jason Schwandt as GTU trustees and appointed Marc Faber, James Fox, Sharon Ranson, John Wilson and Rosemary Zigrossi as new trustees of GTU. Stefan Spicer remains a trustee of GTU.

Following the replacement of GTU’s trustees, Sprott, also on behalf of tendering GTU unitholders, submitted a unitholder meeting requisition to the reconstituted GTU board proposing that the Merger transaction forming part of the Sprott offer for GTU be considered at a special meeting of GTU unitholders.

Sprott has extended the expiry times of the Sprott offers for GTU and for Silver Bullion Trust (“SBT”) (TSX:SBT.UN) (TSX:SBT.U) (collectively, the “Sprott offers”) to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on January 12, 2016. Notices of extension will be filed shortly.

As of 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on December 7, 2015, there were 10,641,033 GTU units (55.14% of all outstanding GTU units) and 2,294,963 SBT units (41.98% of all outstanding SBT units) tendered to the respective Sprott offers.

Fortunately, the battle for Silver Trust still rages and incumbent management had this to say:

Silver Bullion Trust (“SBT”) (TSX:SBT.UN) (C$) and (TSX:SBT.U) (US$) confirmed today that the unsolicited offer by Sprott Asset Management LP and Sprott Physical Silver Trust (“Sprott PSLV”; and collectively, “Sprott”) for all of the outstanding units of SBT has once again failed to achieve sufficient acceptance to satisfy the required minimum tender condition. As a result, Sprott has yet again, for the 8th time, extended the expiry date of their offer, which is now set to expire on January 12, 2016.

Bruce Heagle, Chair of the Special Committee of the Board of Trustees, stated: “Yet again, Sprott’s inadequate offer has failed to achieve sufficient support from SBT unitholders. We expect that unitholder support for Sprott’s offer will erode further and support for the proposed conversion (the “ETF Conversion”) of SBT into a silver bullion exchange-traded fund will gain momentum as unitholders review the Trustees’ Information Circular (the “Circular”), which describes the benefits of the ETF Conversion for all unitholders and its clear advantages relative to Sprott’s offer. We are confident that unitholders will reach the same conclusion as the Independent Trustees have; that the proposed ETF Conversion is a superior alternative to Sprott’s inadequate offer.”

Gold Trust, regrettably, was silent.

I understand there will be a new publication devoted to the Canadian preferred share market:

Haunt of Fear 021 (EC) 11
Click for Big

It was another appalling day for the Canadian preferred share market, with PerpetualDiscounts down 3bp, FixedResets losing 133bp and DeemedRetractibles off 45bp. FixedReset yields have now broken through the 5.00% barrier. The Performance Highlights table is its usual ridiculous self. Volume was, again, incredibly high.

PerpetualDiscounts now yield 5.91%, equivalent to 7.68% interest at the standard equivalency factor of 1.3x. Long corporates now yield a little over 4.2%, so the pre-tax interest-equivalent spread [in this context, the “Seniority Spread”] is now about 345bp, an incredibly high number, representing an explosive widening from the 310bp reported December 2.

For those keeping score, TXPR is now down about 7.16% on the month to date and is now only 0.93% above the low of October 14.

TXPR_151209
Click for Big

TXPL is down about 8.76% on the month to date and is 0.74% above the October 14 low.

TXPL_151209
Click for Big

For as long as the FixedReset market is so violently unsettled, I’ll keep publishing updates of the more interesting and meaningful series of FixedResets’ Implied Volatilities. This doesn’t include Enbridge because although Enbridge has a large number of issues outstanding, all of which are quite liquid, the range of Issue Reset Spreads is too small for decent conclusions. The low is 212bp (ENB.PR.H; second-lowest is ENB.PR.D at 237bp) and the high is a mere 268 for ENB.PF.G.

Remember that all rich /cheap assessments are:
» based on Implied Volatility Theory only
» are relative only to other FixedResets from the same issuer
» assume constant GOC-5 yield
» assume constant Implied Volatility
» assume constant spread

Here’s TRP:

impVol_TRP_151209
Click for Big

TRP.PR.E, which resets 2019-10-30 at +235, is bid at 18.00 to be $1.20 rich, while TRP.PR.G, resetting 2020-11-30 at +154, is $1.13 cheap at its bid price of 18.25.

impVol_MFC_151209
Click for Big

Most expensive is MFC.PR.H, resetting at +313bp on 2017-3-19, bid at 21.00 to be 0.72 rich, while MFC.PR.K, resetting at +222bp on 2018-9-19, is bid at 16.82 to be 0.52 cheap.

impVol_BAM_151209
Click for Big

The cheapest issue relative to its peers is BAM.PR.R, resetting at +230bp on 2016-6-30, bid at 14.68 to be $1.01 cheap. BAM.PF.G, resetting at +284bp on 2020-6-30 is bid at 19.50 and appears to be $1.09 rich.

impVol_FTS_151209
Click for Big

FTS.PR.K, with a spread of +205bp, and bid at 16.73, looks $0.61 expensive and resets 2019-3-1. FTS.PR.G, with a spread of +213bp and resetting 2018-9-1, is bid at 15.75 and is $0.76 cheap.

pairs_FR_151209
Click for Big

Investment-grade pairs predict an average three-month bill yield over the next five-odd years of -0.41%, with one outlier below -1.50%. There is one junk outlier below -1.50%.

pairs_FF_151209
Click for Big

Shall we just say that this exhibits a high level of confidence in the continued rapacity of Canadian banks?

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 4.98 % 6.05 % 34,207 16.59 1 1.1111 % 1,558.0
FixedFloater 7.14 % 6.32 % 32,909 15.86 1 -1.4815 % 2,732.1
Floater 4.20 % 4.39 % 75,601 16.53 4 1.5801 % 1,802.8
OpRet 4.87 % 4.17 % 27,812 0.71 1 0.0000 % 2,734.3
SplitShare 4.82 % 5.25 % 84,704 2.86 6 0.3504 % 3,202.2
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.3504 % 2,498.5
Perpetual-Premium 5.89 % 5.96 % 95,692 13.88 7 -0.4143 % 2,461.9
Perpetual-Discount 5.83 % 5.91 % 99,616 14.00 33 -0.9342 % 2,454.8
FixedReset 5.49 % 5.06 % 253,245 14.45 78 -1.3343 % 1,874.7
Deemed-Retractible 5.33 % 5.51 % 133,768 5.33 33 -0.4532 % 2,515.8
FloatingReset 2.80 % 4.29 % 64,866 5.69 11 -0.6531 % 2,096.7
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
HSE.PR.E FixedReset -7.36 % Not real, as the issue traded 32,700 shares in a range of 18.47-19.60 before closing at 17.88-19.00, 12×4. Almost all of the last 25 trades were at 19.00, with a few dipping as low as 18.87. I have not checked whether this lamentable state of affairs is due to inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange reporting or inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange supervision of market-makers.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.88
Evaluated at bid price : 17.88
Bid-YTW : 6.27 %
HSE.PR.G FixedReset -5.64 % Real enough, as the issue traded 14,921 shares in a range of 18.10-19.60 before closing at 18.40-00, 1×1. Only two of the last twenty-five trades were executed below 18.80 and most were comfortably above 19.00. However, there were trades [for 100 shares apiece] at 18.55 and 18.45, timestamped 3:36, so I guess we can call this one “real enough”, while faulting the market maker for an unnecessarily volatile market.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.40
Evaluated at bid price : 18.40
Bid-YTW : 6.08 %
BIP.PR.A FixedReset -5.35 % This is real, as the issue traded 11,461 shares in a range of 18.21-20 before closing at 18.22-45, 3×2. The trade price slipped below 18.40 at 3:01 and remained there for the day’s last sixteen trades.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.22
Evaluated at bid price : 18.22
Bid-YTW : 6.14 %
MFC.PR.M FixedReset -4.48 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.70
Bid-YTW : 8.20 %
BAM.PR.X FixedReset -3.68 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 13.36
Evaluated at bid price : 13.36
Bid-YTW : 5.50 %
SLF.PR.H FixedReset -3.60 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 15.53
Bid-YTW : 9.40 %
MFC.PR.K FixedReset -3.56 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.82
Bid-YTW : 8.63 %
TD.PF.D FixedReset -3.53 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.31
Evaluated at bid price : 18.31
Bid-YTW : 5.06 %
MFC.PR.N FixedReset -3.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.70
Bid-YTW : 8.12 %
ENB.PR.A Perpetual-Discount -3.21 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 22.39
Evaluated at bid price : 22.65
Bid-YTW : 6.11 %
TD.PR.Y FixedReset -3.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.26
Bid-YTW : 4.46 %
MFC.PR.L FixedReset -2.91 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.01
Bid-YTW : 8.57 %
NA.PR.W FixedReset -2.68 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 16.35
Evaluated at bid price : 16.35
Bid-YTW : 5.13 %
BMO.PR.Q FixedReset -2.50 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.50
Bid-YTW : 6.73 %
BAM.PR.N Perpetual-Discount -2.48 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.91
Evaluated at bid price : 18.91
Bid-YTW : 6.42 %
BAM.PF.C Perpetual-Discount -2.45 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 19.12
Evaluated at bid price : 19.12
Bid-YTW : 6.48 %
BAM.PR.T FixedReset -2.45 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 14.75
Evaluated at bid price : 14.75
Bid-YTW : 5.73 %
RY.PR.H FixedReset -2.40 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.10
Evaluated at bid price : 17.10
Bid-YTW : 4.87 %
TD.PF.C FixedReset -2.38 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 16.85
Evaluated at bid price : 16.85
Bid-YTW : 4.93 %
BMO.PR.Y FixedReset -2.30 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 19.15
Evaluated at bid price : 19.15
Bid-YTW : 4.81 %
TRP.PR.F FloatingReset -2.26 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 12.96
Evaluated at bid price : 12.96
Bid-YTW : 4.53 %
CU.PR.G Perpetual-Discount -2.25 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 19.55
Evaluated at bid price : 19.55
Bid-YTW : 5.80 %
RY.PR.J FixedReset -2.17 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.05
Evaluated at bid price : 18.05
Bid-YTW : 5.06 %
BNS.PR.Z FixedReset -2.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.48
Bid-YTW : 6.88 %
CU.PR.E Perpetual-Discount -2.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 21.02
Evaluated at bid price : 21.02
Bid-YTW : 5.88 %
BAM.PR.R FixedReset -2.13 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 14.68
Evaluated at bid price : 14.68
Bid-YTW : 5.68 %
NA.PR.S FixedReset -2.12 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.05
Evaluated at bid price : 17.05
Bid-YTW : 5.11 %
RY.PR.Z FixedReset -2.07 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.04
Evaluated at bid price : 17.04
Bid-YTW : 4.84 %
BNS.PR.Y FixedReset -2.04 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.69
Bid-YTW : 6.08 %
HSE.PR.A FixedReset -1.94 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 12.14
Evaluated at bid price : 12.14
Bid-YTW : 5.42 %
POW.PR.C Perpetual-Premium -1.88 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 24.23
Evaluated at bid price : 24.53
Bid-YTW : 6.00 %
BNS.PR.R FixedReset -1.86 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.75
Bid-YTW : 4.37 %
TD.PF.A FixedReset -1.83 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.15
Evaluated at bid price : 17.15
Bid-YTW : 4.87 %
BNS.PR.Q FixedReset -1.82 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.25
Bid-YTW : 4.50 %
BAM.PF.D Perpetual-Discount -1.82 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 19.47
Evaluated at bid price : 19.47
Bid-YTW : 6.43 %
BAM.PF.E FixedReset -1.79 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.52
Evaluated at bid price : 17.52
Bid-YTW : 5.36 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset -1.76 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 16.73
Evaluated at bid price : 16.73
Bid-YTW : 4.70 %
RY.PR.W Perpetual-Discount -1.74 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 21.25
Evaluated at bid price : 21.52
Bid-YTW : 5.73 %
FTS.PR.J Perpetual-Discount -1.70 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 20.80
Evaluated at bid price : 20.80
Bid-YTW : 5.76 %
TD.PF.E FixedReset -1.66 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 19.57
Evaluated at bid price : 19.57
Bid-YTW : 4.84 %
BMO.PR.W FixedReset -1.65 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 16.71
Evaluated at bid price : 16.71
Bid-YTW : 4.92 %
BAM.PR.M Perpetual-Discount -1.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.96
Evaluated at bid price : 18.96
Bid-YTW : 6.40 %
MFC.PR.F FixedReset -1.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.30
Bid-YTW : 9.52 %
BMO.PR.S FixedReset -1.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.43
Evaluated at bid price : 17.43
Bid-YTW : 4.87 %
CU.PR.D Perpetual-Discount -1.54 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 21.15
Evaluated at bid price : 21.15
Bid-YTW : 5.84 %
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset -1.52 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 9.71
Evaluated at bid price : 9.71
Bid-YTW : 4.40 %
CU.PR.F Perpetual-Discount -1.51 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 19.57
Evaluated at bid price : 19.57
Bid-YTW : 5.80 %
BAM.PR.G FixedFloater -1.48 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.30
Bid-YTW : 6.32 %
TD.PF.B FixedReset -1.44 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.10
Evaluated at bid price : 17.10
Bid-YTW : 4.87 %
GWO.PR.I Deemed-Retractible -1.39 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.92
Bid-YTW : 7.63 %
RY.PR.M FixedReset -1.37 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.95
Evaluated at bid price : 17.95
Bid-YTW : 4.97 %
BMO.PR.Z Perpetual-Discount -1.30 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 22.52
Evaluated at bid price : 22.85
Bid-YTW : 5.50 %
POW.PR.B Perpetual-Discount -1.26 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 22.40
Evaluated at bid price : 22.66
Bid-YTW : 6.00 %
CM.PR.Q FixedReset -1.24 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.37
Evaluated at bid price : 18.37
Bid-YTW : 5.04 %
BMO.PR.T FixedReset -1.23 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 16.90
Evaluated at bid price : 16.90
Bid-YTW : 4.90 %
BNS.PR.P FixedReset -1.17 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.72
Bid-YTW : 4.14 %
PWF.PR.K Perpetual-Discount -1.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 21.25
Evaluated at bid price : 21.25
Bid-YTW : 5.91 %
SLF.PR.J FloatingReset -1.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 12.95
Bid-YTW : 10.00 %
FTS.PR.I FloatingReset -1.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 11.70
Evaluated at bid price : 11.70
Bid-YTW : 4.04 %
MFC.PR.J FixedReset -1.07 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.49
Bid-YTW : 7.68 %
GWO.PR.Q Deemed-Retractible -1.02 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.22
Bid-YTW : 6.80 %
BNS.PR.O Deemed-Retractible -1.02 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2017-04-26
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.28
Bid-YTW : 5.21 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset 1.00 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.12
Evaluated at bid price : 18.12
Bid-YTW : 4.90 %
BAM.PR.E Ratchet 1.11 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.65
Bid-YTW : 6.05 %
BAM.PR.C Floater 1.12 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 10.80
Evaluated at bid price : 10.80
Bid-YTW : 4.44 %
HSE.PR.C FixedReset 1.49 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.68
Evaluated at bid price : 17.68
Bid-YTW : 5.86 %
PWF.PR.A Floater 1.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 12.40
Evaluated at bid price : 12.40
Bid-YTW : 3.84 %
BAM.PR.K Floater 2.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 10.90
Evaluated at bid price : 10.90
Bid-YTW : 4.39 %
PVS.PR.D SplitShare 3.04 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2021-10-08
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.68
Bid-YTW : 6.48 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
RY.PR.I FixedReset 203,946 Nesbitt crossed 100,000 at 23.10 and 99,800 at 23.20.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.16
Bid-YTW : 4.63 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset 154,838 Scotia crossed blocks of 48,500 and 70,000, both at 18.10.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.12
Evaluated at bid price : 18.12
Bid-YTW : 4.90 %
TD.PF.A FixedReset 84,381 Nesbitt crossed 50,400 at 17.20.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.15
Evaluated at bid price : 17.15
Bid-YTW : 4.87 %
RY.PR.Z FixedReset 75,757 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.04
Evaluated at bid price : 17.04
Bid-YTW : 4.84 %
RY.PR.J FixedReset 73,576 Scotia crossed 40,000 at 18.50.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 18.05
Evaluated at bid price : 18.05
Bid-YTW : 5.06 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset 73,240 RBC crossed 25,000 at 17.40.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.35
Evaluated at bid price : 17.35
Bid-YTW : 4.98 %
There were 88 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
TD.PR.Y FixedReset Quote: 23.26 – 23.99
Spot Rate : 0.7300
Average : 0.4573

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.26
Bid-YTW : 4.46 %

HSE.PR.E FixedReset Quote: 17.88 – 19.00
Spot Rate : 1.1200
Average : 0.8576

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 17.88
Evaluated at bid price : 17.88
Bid-YTW : 6.27 %

BAM.PR.X FixedReset Quote: 13.36 – 13.96
Spot Rate : 0.6000
Average : 0.3915

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 13.36
Evaluated at bid price : 13.36
Bid-YTW : 5.50 %

SLF.PR.H FixedReset Quote: 15.53 – 16.10
Spot Rate : 0.5700
Average : 0.3677

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 15.53
Bid-YTW : 9.40 %

RY.PR.N Perpetual-Discount Quote: 22.05 – 22.50
Spot Rate : 0.4500
Average : 0.2914

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 21.75
Evaluated at bid price : 22.05
Bid-YTW : 5.59 %

POW.PR.C Perpetual-Premium Quote: 24.53 – 25.00
Spot Rate : 0.4700
Average : 0.3137

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-09
Maturity Price : 24.23
Evaluated at bid price : 24.53
Bid-YTW : 6.00 %

Market Action

December 8, 2015

Good news! Litvak’s won his appeal!

In a ruling that will shape how the U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission pursue several similar cases already in the pipeline, a federal appeals court threw out Jesse Litvak’s March 2014 conviction for defrauding the U.S. Troubled Asset Relief Program and making false statements to the government. Prosecutors will retry charges of lying to buyers and sellers of mortgage-backed securities.

Tuesday’s decision forces the U.S. to bolster its case that traders who lie to customers are committing fraud. In it, the appeals court faulted the judge for excluding some defense evidence, saying the accused must be allowed to show that his actions were in keeping with how Wall Street does business.

A central issue in the Litvak case is whether it’s important for the buyer of a bond to know how much a trader paid for it. Prosecutors argued that Litvak’s lies about how much he paid constituted fraud. Litvak’s team compared their client to used-car salesman who isn’t expected to be honest about what he paid for a car: If a sophisticated bond-buyer agrees the price is fair, they argued, it doesn’t matter what the dealer originally paid.

Litvak’s case was last discussed on PrefBlog on August 13.

The Bank of Canada has acknowledged that its policy options have been widened:

Policy makers still have firepower to spur growth even with borrowing costs near zero, Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz said, citing unconventional policies and fiscal stimulus.

While the central bank doesn’t expect another crisis that will force it to resort to such policies, a number of tools are still available, including charging banks for deposits, forward guidance and asset purchases, Poloz said. Fiscal stimulus could be even more effective than monetary policy in extreme circumstances, he said.

“I certainly hope we won’t ever have to use these tools,” Poloz said Tuesday during a speech in Toronto. “However, in an uncertain world, a central bank has to be prepared for all eventualities.”

While Poloz sought to highlight the hypothetical nature of his comments, the speech comes amid growing concern for Canada’s economy as fresh signs of weakness in China and growing concerns about a global oil glut damp the outlook for commodity-producing nations.

Swaps trading suggests investors are pricing in a 25 percent chance of another rate cut by May, following two reductions this year that brought the benchmark rate to 0.5 percent.

I’m not reading much into this. The central banks just want to make their toolbox transparent, so that during the next crisis there will be fewer surprises to worry about. During the Credit Crunch you could almost see the Fed moving down the list … ‘do this, tick the box, see if it’s enough ….’

Meanwhile the central planners are touting micro-management of the economy:

“There are significant pockets of vulnerability created by the growth in mortgage debt in recent years,” according to Craig Alexander, a C.D. Howe researcher and former chief economist at Toronto Dominion Bank, and Paul Jacobson, president of the Canadian Association for Business Economics. “The majority of Canadians have been responsible in their borrowing, but the sustained low interest rate environment has encouraged a significant minority to take on considerably more mortgage debt relative to after-tax income.”

New Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who was chairman of C.D. Howe before entering politics, has said housing is one of the first briefings he took from his officials. Canada has long faced international warnings about the need to head off a housing crash like those seen in the U.S., the U.K. and Spain, and former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty acted several times to tighten lending rules.

Putting in new restrictions is difficult because those past changes have already slowed credit growth, and because the risks now are in a few segments of the market that make using a “blunt tool” approach counter-productive, the authors said.

Policy makers could set tougher underwriting rules on criteria such as credit scores and debt-service ratios, or raise the interest rate that tests a borrower’s ability to pay up later, Alexander and Jacobson wrote.

One tool to target Vancouver and Toronto would be raising the down payment requirement on more expensive homes, the report said. That echoes a proposal the finance department has been making this year, according to people familiar with those talks.

OSFI’s Deputy Superintendent Mark Zelmer gave a speech to the C.D. Howe Institute, Toronto, Ontario, December 8, 2015 titled Asset Managers and Global Financial Stability:

Liquidity mismatches could potentially contribute to instability in important financial markets

The first topic I would like to address relates to liquidity mismatches. Combining less liquid investments with short-notice redemption features for fund units gives rise to a potential misalignment between the redeemability of investment fund units versus the actual liquidity of their underlying investments. This mismatch may result in fragile demand for those investments if investors think they are more liquid than they really are. When times are good, everyone benefits. But if prospects dim and investors suddenly decide to rush to the exit gates, it could prove very disruptive for the markets in question, particularly if a fund has to quickly liquidate large blocks of securities to meet the redemption requests.

While most funds are well positioned to cope with normal redemption flows, their ability to cope with an unexpectedly large surge in redemption requests merits further exploration. As we shine light down this corridor, however, we should resist the temptation to treat investment fund liquidity management practices as a macro-prudential tool for cushioning markets from the actions of end-investors. Taken to extremes, that would slow markets’ processing of new information, which could give rise to some easy arbitrage opportunities. I do not think we need to give more sophisticated and nimble market participants new ways to profit at the expense of everyone else.

Leverage comes in many forms

Investment funds of all types also make use of financial derivatives to hedge risks and as a cheap way to establish investment positions. The latter is often prevalent in situations where cash markets are less liquid and positions can be established at lower cost through derivatives markets. This can, however, result in the creation of leverage within a fund when the values of the derivatives’ exposures change over the life of the contracts.

As was shown by the failure of Long-term Capital Management in 1998, global financial stability concerns can emerge in situations where banks supply the financing for these investment funds or serve as the principal counterparties for investment fund derivatives transactions. Of course, much has changed since then. There have been advances in asset manager and bank risk management practices, plus a number of regulatory measures to contain the amount of leverage in the global financial system.

Transferring investment mandates may not be as easy as some people think

The third potential vulnerability I want to highlight focuses on the challenges of replacing asset managers. Now, let me stress at the outset that the asset management industry has plenty of experience in transferring investment mandates from one asset manager to another, with no disruptions to markets or other parts of the financial system. A lot of credit is due to the asset managers in question, their advisers, custodians and the firms that specialize in providing transition services. But, if you take a snapshot of the global asset management sector at any point in time, you will see a small group of asset managers that clearly stands out from the rest in terms of the amount of assets they have under management. This begs the question of how easy would it be to transfer their investment mandates to other asset managers on short notice, especially if the need arose in a period when markets are under stress.

Presumably, such an event is most likely to arise in a situation where a very large asset manager is experiencing operational difficulties or challenges that inhibit its ability to deliver services as per investor expectations. If the issues are serious enough and the disruptions sufficiently prolonged, it is conceivable that investors could lose confidence in the funds offered by the asset manager and seek to either move their funds or accounts to another manager, or even liquidate their investments and re-establish them with another manager. Similar issues could also arise from a reputational risk perspective.

Nevertheless, it does beg the issue of what steps could be taken to quickly transfer investment mandates from one manager to another in a smooth fashion, so as to minimise the need for any actual redemptions of fund units by end-investors that would then trigger transactions in financial markets. As I noted at the outset, the asset management industry argues that such processes operate fairly smoothly in practice, given the role that transition managers and custodians play in facilitating transfers of funds and investor accounts from one manager to another. The industry is also quick to cite the recent PIMCO experience as a good example to that effect. And, certainly, that has been the experience to date. But, one cannot help but wonder whether the PIMCO episode would have played out so smoothly had it happened say, in the autumn of 2008, when the global financial system as a whole was in the midst of trying to cope with a major crisis.

Huh. That last point could be laying the ground for expropriation of investment management contracts.

On another note, it appears that nowadays even your car will rat you out:

“Attention!” the automated call from the black Ford Escort’s vehicle emergency system had said after detecting a crash and calling emergency number 911.

“A crash has occurred in a Ford vehicle. Press 1 at any time for location information or press 0 to speak with vehicle occupants.”

A recording of the call obtained by local station WPBF features Bernstein, a 57-year-old from Port Lucie, Florida, telling the dispatcher (repeatedly) that there hadn’t been any accident and that no, she hadn’t been drinking.

Although Bernstein initially denied it, there had, in fact, been two accidents.

The first was a hit-and-run on Monday afternoon last week (30 November).

The victim, Anna Preston, said she was struck from behind by a black vehicle that took off.

As the New York Daily News reports, after her car ratted her out, police went by Bernstein’s house to have a chat with her.

There, they saw the black Ford with a wrecked front-end, with silver paint from Preston’s car still on it.

So I understand they’re making a movie based on the Canadian preferred share market:

the-night-the-world-exploded
Click for Big

It was an incredibly awful day for the Canadian preferred share market, with PerpetualDiscounts off 82bp, FixedResets losing an awesome 261bp and DeemedRetractibles down 97bp. The yield-to-worst on the HIMIPref™ FixedReset subindex is now 4.99% – a level not seen since late May, 2009. The Performance Highlights table is, of course, ridiculous, with bank issues being more prominent at the extreme bad end than usual. Volume was enormous – I’m not sure whether it is unprecedentedly enormous or not, but it’s certainly among the historic highs.

For those keeping score, TXPR is now down about 5.69% on the month to date and is now down to October 16 levels – about 2.53% above the low of October 14.

TXPL is down about 6.88% on the month to date and is also down to October 16 levels – about 2.81% above the October 14 low.

But take heart! There was a late day rally in TXPR:

TXPR_151208
Click for Big

… and in TXPL:

TXPL_151208
Click for Big
HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 5.04 % 6.12 % 34,818 16.51 1 0.0000 % 1,540.9
FixedFloater 7.04 % 6.23 % 33,377 15.97 1 -2.5271 % 2,773.2
Floater 4.27 % 4.44 % 75,276 16.45 4 0.7276 % 1,774.7
OpRet 4.87 % 4.15 % 28,961 0.71 1 -0.0794 % 2,734.3
SplitShare 4.84 % 5.52 % 85,404 2.87 6 -0.6620 % 3,191.0
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 -0.6620 % 2,489.8
Perpetual-Premium 5.86 % 5.91 % 94,764 13.90 7 -0.8445 % 2,472.2
Perpetual-Discount 5.77 % 5.88 % 99,912 14.05 33 -0.8221 % 2,478.0
FixedReset 5.42 % 4.99 % 244,070 14.51 78 -2.6133 % 1,900.0
Deemed-Retractible 5.30 % 5.43 % 130,510 5.33 33 -0.9703 % 2,527.2
FloatingReset 2.79 % 4.21 % 62,913 5.69 11 -1.3815 % 2,110.5
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
RY.PR.M FixedReset -6.91 % Reasonable enough, as the issue traded 66,593 shares in a range of 18.01-19.55 before closing at 18.20-60, 2×9. Most of the trades in the last half hour were closer to the closing ask, but there was some activity at 18.25 at 3:32pm. The VWAP was 18.74.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 18.20
Evaluated at bid price : 18.20
Bid-YTW : 4.90 %
HSE.PR.C FixedReset -6.84 % Reasonable, as the issue traded 39,786 shares in a range of 17.40-18.70 before closing at 17.42-74, 5×1. Most trades in the last two minutes were below 17.50. VWAP was 17.79.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.42
Evaluated at bid price : 17.42
Bid-YTW : 5.95 %
CM.PR.Q FixedReset -6.77 % Quite reasonable, as the issue traded 60,797 shares in a range of 18.51-19.70 before closing at 18.60-23, 5×5. Twenty of the last twenty-five trades were below 18.70. VWAP was 18.98.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 18.60
Evaluated at bid price : 18.60
Bid-YTW : 4.98 %
RY.PR.J FixedReset -6.58 % Quite reasonable, as the issue traded 71,991 shares in a range of 18.30-19.75 before closing at 18.45-60, 1×7. Twenty-three of the last twenty-five trades were at or below 18.50. VWAP was 18.78.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 18.45
Evaluated at bid price : 18.45
Bid-YTW : 4.95 %
HSE.PR.G FixedReset -6.25 % Reasonable enough, as the issue traded 17,404 shares in a range of 19.36-91 before closing at 19.50-79, 7×10. Twenty-two of the last twenty-five trades were at or above 19.70. VWAP was 19.66.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 19.50
Evaluated at bid price : 19.50
Bid-YTW : 5.73 %
TD.PF.D FixedReset -6.04 % Reasonable enough, as the issue traded 58,173 shares in a range of 18.73-20.18 before closing at 18.98-20, 6×100. Eighteen of the last twenty-five trades were below 19.00. VWAP was 19.27.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 18.98
Evaluated at bid price : 18.98
Bid-YTW : 4.88 %
BMO.PR.S FixedReset -5.55 % Quite reasonable, as the issue traded 251,922 shares in a range of 17.40-18.72 before closing at 17.71-83, 4×12. Twenty-one of the last twenty-five trades were at or below 17.80. VWAP was 17.93.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.71
Evaluated at bid price : 17.71
Bid-YTW : 4.79 %
BMO.PR.T FixedReset -5.31 % Reasonable, as the issue traded 32,668 shares in a range of 16.92-18.05 before closing at 17.11-39, 1×2. Twenty-one of the last twenty-five trades were at or below 17.20. VWAP was 17.48.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.11
Evaluated at bid price : 17.11
Bid-YTW : 4.84 %
BMO.PR.W FixedReset -4.87 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 16.99
Evaluated at bid price : 16.99
Bid-YTW : 4.83 %
CM.PR.O FixedReset -4.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.45
Evaluated at bid price : 17.45
Bid-YTW : 4.88 %
PVS.PR.D SplitShare -4.43 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2021-10-08
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.01
Bid-YTW : 7.08 %
TD.PF.B FixedReset -4.30 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.35
Evaluated at bid price : 17.35
Bid-YTW : 4.80 %
TD.PF.C FixedReset -4.27 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.26
Evaluated at bid price : 17.26
Bid-YTW : 4.81 %
BAM.PF.F FixedReset -4.23 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 18.77
Evaluated at bid price : 18.77
Bid-YTW : 5.32 %
RY.PR.I FixedReset -4.23 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.12
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %
HSE.PR.E FixedReset -4.22 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 19.30
Evaluated at bid price : 19.30
Bid-YTW : 5.81 %
SLF.PR.I FixedReset -4.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.50
Bid-YTW : 7.70 %
RY.PR.Z FixedReset -4.08 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.40
Evaluated at bid price : 17.40
Bid-YTW : 4.73 %
MFC.PR.J FixedReset -4.06 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.69
Bid-YTW : 7.53 %
BAM.PF.B FixedReset -3.90 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.25
Evaluated at bid price : 17.25
Bid-YTW : 5.40 %
TD.PF.E FixedReset -3.82 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 19.90
Evaluated at bid price : 19.90
Bid-YTW : 4.76 %
CM.PR.P FixedReset -3.74 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 16.75
Evaluated at bid price : 16.75
Bid-YTW : 4.96 %
BMO.PR.Y FixedReset -3.69 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 19.60
Evaluated at bid price : 19.60
Bid-YTW : 4.69 %
BMO.PR.M FixedReset -3.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.15
Bid-YTW : 4.35 %
BAM.PF.A FixedReset -3.56 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 18.42
Evaluated at bid price : 18.42
Bid-YTW : 5.41 %
MFC.PR.G FixedReset -3.48 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.40
Bid-YTW : 7.27 %
BAM.PF.G FixedReset -3.48 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 18.85
Evaluated at bid price : 18.85
Bid-YTW : 5.32 %
RY.PR.H FixedReset -3.47 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.52
Evaluated at bid price : 17.52
Bid-YTW : 4.75 %
TD.PF.A FixedReset -3.32 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.47
Evaluated at bid price : 17.47
Bid-YTW : 4.77 %
IAG.PR.G FixedReset -3.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.73
Bid-YTW : 7.00 %
TD.PR.S FixedReset -3.13 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.51
Bid-YTW : 4.07 %
BAM.PF.E FixedReset -2.89 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.84
Evaluated at bid price : 17.84
Bid-YTW : 5.26 %
BAM.PR.Z FixedReset -2.86 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 19.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.00
Bid-YTW : 5.33 %
NA.PR.S FixedReset -2.84 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.42
Evaluated at bid price : 17.42
Bid-YTW : 5.00 %
MFC.PR.C Deemed-Retractible -2.81 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.68
Bid-YTW : 7.82 %
BMO.PR.Z Perpetual-Discount -2.73 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 22.77
Evaluated at bid price : 23.15
Bid-YTW : 5.43 %
MFC.PR.I FixedReset -2.72 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.65
Bid-YTW : 7.13 %
NA.PR.W FixedReset -2.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 16.80
Evaluated at bid price : 16.80
Bid-YTW : 4.99 %
FTS.PR.F Perpetual-Discount -2.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 21.40
Evaluated at bid price : 21.67
Bid-YTW : 5.68 %
BAM.PF.H FixedReset -2.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 23.13
Evaluated at bid price : 24.91
Bid-YTW : 5.05 %
BIP.PR.A FixedReset -2.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 19.25
Evaluated at bid price : 19.25
Bid-YTW : 5.81 %
BNS.PR.C FloatingReset -2.54 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.24
Bid-YTW : 4.35 %
BAM.PR.G FixedFloater -2.53 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.50
Bid-YTW : 6.23 %
RY.PR.P Perpetual-Discount -2.38 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 23.86
Evaluated at bid price : 24.20
Bid-YTW : 5.51 %
BMO.PR.R FloatingReset -2.34 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.10
Bid-YTW : 4.21 %
CU.PR.C FixedReset -2.34 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.14
Evaluated at bid price : 17.14
Bid-YTW : 4.91 %
CU.PR.I FixedReset -2.31 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 23.13
Evaluated at bid price : 24.90
Bid-YTW : 4.49 %
NA.PR.Q FixedReset -2.31 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.09
Bid-YTW : 4.22 %
BNS.PR.R FixedReset -2.22 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.20
Bid-YTW : 4.02 %
PWF.PR.H Perpetual-Premium -2.17 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 24.10
Evaluated at bid price : 24.36
Bid-YTW : 5.98 %
FTS.PR.H FixedReset -2.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 13.25
Evaluated at bid price : 13.25
Bid-YTW : 4.52 %
RY.PR.O Perpetual-Discount -2.08 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 21.82
Evaluated at bid price : 22.15
Bid-YTW : 5.56 %
TRP.PR.G FixedReset -2.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 18.30
Evaluated at bid price : 18.30
Bid-YTW : 5.28 %
SLF.PR.H FixedReset -1.95 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.11
Bid-YTW : 8.90 %
RY.PR.W Perpetual-Discount -1.93 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 21.65
Evaluated at bid price : 21.90
Bid-YTW : 5.63 %
BNS.PR.P FixedReset -1.92 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.00
Bid-YTW : 3.92 %
FTS.PR.G FixedReset -1.87 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 15.75
Evaluated at bid price : 15.75
Bid-YTW : 5.04 %
RY.PR.N Perpetual-Discount -1.81 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 21.97
Evaluated at bid price : 22.26
Bid-YTW : 5.54 %
POW.PR.G Perpetual-Premium -1.80 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 23.49
Evaluated at bid price : 23.95
Bid-YTW : 5.93 %
PWF.PR.P FixedReset -1.80 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 13.65
Evaluated at bid price : 13.65
Bid-YTW : 4.62 %
GWO.PR.G Deemed-Retractible -1.76 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.30
Bid-YTW : 6.80 %
GWO.PR.I Deemed-Retractible -1.75 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.20
Bid-YTW : 7.43 %
IAG.PR.A Deemed-Retractible -1.69 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.40
Bid-YTW : 7.40 %
GWO.PR.R Deemed-Retractible -1.65 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.81
Bid-YTW : 7.34 %
BNS.PR.B FloatingReset -1.60 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.10
Bid-YTW : 4.27 %
MFC.PR.B Deemed-Retractible -1.59 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.39
Bid-YTW : 7.49 %
PWF.PR.T FixedReset -1.56 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 21.81
Evaluated at bid price : 22.09
Bid-YTW : 3.88 %
BNS.PR.Z FixedReset -1.53 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.91
Bid-YTW : 6.48 %
BNS.PR.N Deemed-Retractible -1.52 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2017-01-27
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.23
Bid-YTW : 4.92 %
PWF.PR.S Perpetual-Discount -1.48 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 20.70
Evaluated at bid price : 20.70
Bid-YTW : 5.88 %
ENB.PR.A Perpetual-Discount -1.47 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 23.14
Evaluated at bid price : 23.40
Bid-YTW : 5.91 %
SLF.PR.D Deemed-Retractible -1.42 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.42
Bid-YTW : 7.93 %
BNS.PR.Q FixedReset -1.42 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.68
Bid-YTW : 4.16 %
TRP.PR.F FloatingReset -1.41 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 13.26
Evaluated at bid price : 13.26
Bid-YTW : 4.42 %
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset -1.40 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 9.86
Evaluated at bid price : 9.86
Bid-YTW : 4.33 %
IFC.PR.C FixedReset -1.39 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.07
Bid-YTW : 8.92 %
BMO.PR.Q FixedReset -1.38 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.00
Bid-YTW : 6.27 %
GWO.PR.H Deemed-Retractible -1.36 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.00
Bid-YTW : 7.27 %
BNS.PR.D FloatingReset -1.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.00
Bid-YTW : 6.17 %
BNS.PR.A FloatingReset -1.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.69
Bid-YTW : 4.17 %
TD.PR.T FloatingReset -1.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.20
Bid-YTW : 4.08 %
PWF.PR.E Perpetual-Discount -1.31 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 23.13
Evaluated at bid price : 23.39
Bid-YTW : 5.95 %
BNS.PR.M Deemed-Retractible -1.28 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.69
Bid-YTW : 4.85 %
ELF.PR.G Perpetual-Discount -1.27 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 20.20
Evaluated at bid price : 20.20
Bid-YTW : 5.98 %
MFC.PR.N FixedReset -1.24 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.31
Bid-YTW : 7.65 %
SLF.PR.C Deemed-Retractible -1.22 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.45
Bid-YTW : 7.90 %
BNS.PR.L Deemed-Retractible -1.20 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.71
Bid-YTW : 4.83 %
BAM.PR.T FixedReset -1.18 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 15.12
Evaluated at bid price : 15.12
Bid-YTW : 5.58 %
TD.PR.Z FloatingReset -1.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.21
Bid-YTW : 4.16 %
SLF.PR.E Deemed-Retractible -1.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.66
Bid-YTW : 7.81 %
GWO.PR.P Deemed-Retractible -1.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.29
Bid-YTW : 6.39 %
CU.PR.F Perpetual-Discount -1.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 19.87
Evaluated at bid price : 19.87
Bid-YTW : 5.71 %
FTS.PR.J Perpetual-Discount -1.12 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 21.16
Evaluated at bid price : 21.16
Bid-YTW : 5.66 %
TD.PF.F Perpetual-Discount -1.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 22.10
Evaluated at bid price : 22.44
Bid-YTW : 5.51 %
BAM.PF.D Perpetual-Discount -1.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 19.83
Evaluated at bid price : 19.83
Bid-YTW : 6.31 %
GWO.PR.L Deemed-Retractible -1.09 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.43
Bid-YTW : 5.97 %
MFC.PR.H FixedReset -1.08 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.00
Bid-YTW : 6.47 %
PWF.PR.L Perpetual-Discount -1.08 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 21.78
Evaluated at bid price : 22.02
Bid-YTW : 5.86 %
TD.PR.Y FixedReset -1.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.02
Bid-YTW : 3.86 %
BAM.PR.M Perpetual-Discount -1.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 19.27
Evaluated at bid price : 19.27
Bid-YTW : 6.30 %
MFC.PR.K FixedReset 1.40 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.44
Bid-YTW : 8.12 %
BAM.PR.B Floater 1.41 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 10.80
Evaluated at bid price : 10.80
Bid-YTW : 4.44 %
BAM.PR.C Floater 1.52 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 10.68
Evaluated at bid price : 10.68
Bid-YTW : 4.49 %
SLF.PR.J FloatingReset 1.55 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.10
Bid-YTW : 9.84 %
ELF.PR.H Perpetual-Discount 4.40 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 22.66
Evaluated at bid price : 23.00
Bid-YTW : 6.07 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
CM.PR.O FixedReset 287,269 Desjardins crossed 248,400 at 17.20.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.45
Evaluated at bid price : 17.45
Bid-YTW : 4.88 %
BMO.PR.S FixedReset 251,922 RBC crossed 203,800 at 17.40.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 17.71
Evaluated at bid price : 17.71
Bid-YTW : 4.79 %
BAM.PF.H FixedReset 166,439 TD bought 40,500 from National at 24.85.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 23.13
Evaluated at bid price : 24.91
Bid-YTW : 5.05 %
RY.PR.L FixedReset 150,200 TD sold 39,500 to CIBC at 25.00, and another 40,000 to RBC at the same price.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.85
Bid-YTW : 4.10 %
BIP.PR.B FixedReset 113,268 New issue settled today.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 22.92
Evaluated at bid price : 24.35
Bid-YTW : 5.61 %
BNS.PR.M Deemed-Retractible 80,383 CIBC bought 50,000 from TD at 25.00.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.69
Bid-YTW : 4.85 %
There were 94 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
TRP.PR.A FixedReset Quote: 15.51 – 17.50
Spot Rate : 1.9900
Average : 1.1428

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 15.51
Evaluated at bid price : 15.51
Bid-YTW : 4.70 %

ELF.PR.G Perpetual-Discount Quote: 20.20 – 20.84
Spot Rate : 0.6400
Average : 0.3954

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 20.20
Evaluated at bid price : 20.20
Bid-YTW : 5.98 %

RY.PR.I FixedReset Quote: 23.12 – 23.78
Spot Rate : 0.6600
Average : 0.4338

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.12
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %

PWF.PR.H Perpetual-Premium Quote: 24.36 – 24.99
Spot Rate : 0.6300
Average : 0.4160

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 24.10
Evaluated at bid price : 24.36
Bid-YTW : 5.98 %

FTS.PR.F Perpetual-Discount Quote: 21.67 – 22.29
Spot Rate : 0.6200
Average : 0.4179

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-08
Maturity Price : 21.40
Evaluated at bid price : 21.67
Bid-YTW : 5.68 %

TD.PR.S FixedReset Quote: 23.51 – 24.03
Spot Rate : 0.5200
Average : 0.3354

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.51
Bid-YTW : 4.07 %

Market Action

December 7, 2015

Oil got whacked today:

Oil fell to the lowest level in more than six years amid speculation that a record global glut will be prolonged after OPEC effectively abandoned its longtime strategy of limiting output to control prices.

West Texas Intermediate for January delivery sank $2.32, or 5.8 percent, to settle at $37.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest close since February 2009. The volume of all futures traded was 63 percent above the 100-day average at 2:40 p.m.

Tumbling oil helped spur a rout in energy stocks, which were the worst performers on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Williams Cos., a pipeline company, dropped 17 percent, making it the worst performer on the S&P 500 Monday. Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp., the biggest U.S. energy producers, fell 2.9 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively. The pain wasn’t limited to the U.S., as BP Plc slipped 3.4 percent and Royal Dutch Shell Plc decreased 4.2 percent.

Other places, too!

Oil’s struggles mean more suffering for the Canadian dollar. It fell .84 of a cent to 74 cents (U.S.) on Monday, its lowest since June of 2004. Energy products represented roughly a quarter of Canada’s exports last year, and oil’s slump has been the key factor in the loonie’s 21-per-cent nosedive against its U.S. counterpart since the middle of 2014.

The Toronto Stock Exchange’s oil and gas index tumbled 6 per cent, the main factor in a 2.4-per-cent slide in the S&P/TSX composite index. Energy stocks make up nearly a fifth of the composite index. Companies with the highest debt levels and focus on oil took the biggest hits. Penn West Petroleum Ltd. sank nearly18 per cent, and Baytex Energy Corp. fell 17 per cent.

Things may seem bleak, but take heart! There’s some more drone news today:

The ranks of older and frail adults are growing rapidly in the developed world, raising alarms about how society is going to help them take care of themselves in their own homes.

Naira Hovakimyan has an idea: drones.

The University of Illinois roboticist recently received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to explore the idea of designing small autonomous drones to perform simple household chores, like retrieving a bottle of medicine from another room. Dr. Hovakimyan acknowledged that the idea might seem off-putting to many, but she believes that drones not only will be safe, but will become an everyday fixture in elder care within a decade or two.

And for preferred share investors …

00GasExplosionOilField
Click for Big

It was a horrible day for the Canadian preferred share market, with PerpetualDiscounts losing 124bp, FixedResets down 99bp and DeemedRetractibles off 9bp. Let’s just not talk about the Performance Highlights table, OK? Volume was very, very extremely much huge, enlivened by a stack of after-hours contingent crosses by Nesbitt.

For those keeping score, TXPR is now down about 4.12% on the month to date and is now down to October 19 levels – about 4.23% above the low of October 14.

TXPL is down about 5.33% on the month to date and is also down to October 19 levels – about 4.52% above the October 14 low.

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 5.04 % 6.12 % 35,311 16.51 1 -9.0909 % 1,540.9
FixedFloater 6.86 % 6.07 % 31,670 16.18 1 -4.6143 % 2,845.1
Floater 4.30 % 4.50 % 74,465 16.34 4 -1.2573 % 1,761.9
OpRet 4.86 % 4.02 % 29,400 0.72 1 -0.0397 % 2,736.5
SplitShare 4.80 % 5.50 % 85,917 2.87 6 -0.1839 % 3,212.3
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 -0.1839 % 2,506.4
Perpetual-Premium 5.81 % 5.84 % 88,033 14.00 7 -0.3412 % 2,493.2
Perpetual-Discount 5.73 % 5.81 % 99,680 14.15 33 -1.2382 % 2,498.5
FixedReset 5.28 % 4.85 % 232,665 14.77 77 -0.9915 % 1,951.0
Deemed-Retractible 5.25 % 5.34 % 130,657 5.34 33 -0.0855 % 2,552.0
FloatingReset 2.75 % 3.95 % 62,476 5.71 11 -0.5768 % 2,140.0
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
BAM.PR.E Ratchet -9.09 % Sort-of reasonable, as the issue traded 4,600 shares in a range of 13.35-14.50 before closing at 13.50-14.59, 3×5. There were only five trades after 2:30pm, totaling 1400 shares, commencing with a trade at 14.10 and sporadically declining to 13.35. The VWAP was 14.21. I have not checked whether this lamentable state of affairs is due to inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange reporting or inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange supervision of market-makers.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.50
Bid-YTW : 6.12 %
MFC.PR.L FixedReset -6.65 % Not entirely unreasonable, since the issue traded 18,101 shares in a range of 17.40-18.64 before closing at 17.42-74, 3×1. VWAP was 17.96.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.42
Bid-YTW : 8.23 %
ELF.PR.H Perpetual-Discount -6.26 % Ridiculous, as the issue traded 6,528 shares in a range of 23.25-97 before closing at 22.03-00, 5×3. VWAP was 23.47. I have not checked whether this lamentable state of affairs is due to inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange reporting or inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange supervision of market-makers.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 21.74
Evaluated at bid price : 22.03
Bid-YTW : 6.34 %
HSE.PR.C FixedReset -5.79 % Entirely reasonable, as the issue traded 19,063 shares in a range of 18.57-19.86 before closing at 18.70-26, 1×1. VWAP was 19.17; There were quite a few trades below the closing bid after 3:30pm.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.70
Evaluated at bid price : 18.70
Bid-YTW : 5.54 %
BAM.PR.G FixedFloater -4.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.85
Bid-YTW : 6.07 %
SLF.PR.I FixedReset -4.08 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.30
Bid-YTW : 7.12 %
TRP.PR.G FixedReset -4.01 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.68
Evaluated at bid price : 18.68
Bid-YTW : 5.17 %
MFC.PR.N FixedReset -3.94 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.54
Bid-YTW : 7.48 %
MFC.PR.M FixedReset -3.88 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.60
Bid-YTW : 7.51 %
IFC.PR.A FixedReset -3.77 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 15.06
Bid-YTW : 9.94 %
ELF.PR.F Perpetual-Discount -3.02 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 21.91
Evaluated at bid price : 22.15
Bid-YTW : 6.07 %
HSE.PR.E FixedReset -2.94 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 20.15
Evaluated at bid price : 20.15
Bid-YTW : 5.56 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset -2.84 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.12
Evaluated at bid price : 18.12
Bid-YTW : 4.90 %
CU.PR.H Perpetual-Discount -2.78 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 22.08
Evaluated at bid price : 22.41
Bid-YTW : 5.89 %
MFC.PR.I FixedReset -2.74 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.20
Bid-YTW : 6.75 %
VNR.PR.A FixedReset -2.65 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.01
Evaluated at bid price : 18.01
Bid-YTW : 5.32 %
TD.PF.E FixedReset -2.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 20.69
Evaluated at bid price : 20.69
Bid-YTW : 4.58 %
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset -2.53 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 10.00
Evaluated at bid price : 10.00
Bid-YTW : 4.27 %
SLF.PR.H FixedReset -2.49 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.43
Bid-YTW : 8.62 %
HSE.PR.G FixedReset -2.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 20.80
Evaluated at bid price : 20.80
Bid-YTW : 5.37 %
MFC.PR.G FixedReset -2.28 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.10
Bid-YTW : 6.78 %
BAM.PR.N Perpetual-Discount -2.27 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.37
Evaluated at bid price : 19.37
Bid-YTW : 6.26 %
PWF.PR.A Floater -2.08 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 12.25
Evaluated at bid price : 12.25
Bid-YTW : 3.88 %
IAG.PR.A Deemed-Retractible -1.98 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.75
Bid-YTW : 7.16 %
BAM.PF.C Perpetual-Discount -1.94 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.68
Evaluated at bid price : 19.68
Bid-YTW : 6.29 %
BIP.PR.A FixedReset -1.94 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.76
Evaluated at bid price : 19.76
Bid-YTW : 5.66 %
PWF.PR.R Perpetual-Discount -1.86 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 23.27
Evaluated at bid price : 23.70
Bid-YTW : 5.86 %
TRP.PR.E FixedReset -1.84 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.11
Evaluated at bid price : 18.11
Bid-YTW : 4.83 %
BAM.PR.X FixedReset -1.84 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 13.86
Evaluated at bid price : 13.86
Bid-YTW : 5.29 %
CU.PR.C FixedReset -1.79 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 17.55
Evaluated at bid price : 17.55
Bid-YTW : 4.80 %
MFC.PR.H FixedReset -1.76 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.23
Bid-YTW : 6.31 %
POW.PR.D Perpetual-Discount -1.76 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 21.56
Evaluated at bid price : 21.82
Bid-YTW : 5.81 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset -1.73 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 17.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.00
Bid-YTW : 4.62 %
BAM.PR.M Perpetual-Discount -1.72 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.47
Evaluated at bid price : 19.47
Bid-YTW : 6.23 %
BAM.PF.D Perpetual-Discount -1.72 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 20.05
Evaluated at bid price : 20.05
Bid-YTW : 6.24 %
BAM.PR.C Floater -1.68 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 10.52
Evaluated at bid price : 10.52
Bid-YTW : 4.55 %
TRP.PR.B FixedReset -1.67 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 11.22
Evaluated at bid price : 11.22
Bid-YTW : 4.83 %
IFC.PR.C FixedReset -1.65 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.31
Bid-YTW : 8.72 %
CU.PR.D Perpetual-Discount -1.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 21.31
Evaluated at bid price : 21.58
Bid-YTW : 5.71 %
FTS.PR.H FixedReset -1.60 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 13.54
Evaluated at bid price : 13.54
Bid-YTW : 4.42 %
SLF.PR.G FixedReset -1.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.36
Bid-YTW : 9.29 %
PWF.PR.L Perpetual-Discount -1.46 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 22.03
Evaluated at bid price : 22.26
Bid-YTW : 5.80 %
MFC.PR.F FixedReset -1.36 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.46
Bid-YTW : 9.37 %
IAG.PR.G FixedReset -1.36 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.37
Bid-YTW : 6.56 %
HSE.PR.A FixedReset -1.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 12.38
Evaluated at bid price : 12.38
Bid-YTW : 5.31 %
PWF.PR.E Perpetual-Discount -1.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 23.41
Evaluated at bid price : 23.70
Bid-YTW : 5.87 %
PWF.PR.F Perpetual-Discount -1.31 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 22.28
Evaluated at bid price : 22.55
Bid-YTW : 5.89 %
CM.PR.P FixedReset -1.30 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 17.40
Evaluated at bid price : 17.40
Bid-YTW : 4.77 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset -1.25 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 17.35
Evaluated at bid price : 17.35
Bid-YTW : 4.98 %
SLF.PR.C Deemed-Retractible -1.20 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.69
Bid-YTW : 7.73 %
CU.PR.E Perpetual-Discount -1.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 21.55
Evaluated at bid price : 21.55
Bid-YTW : 5.73 %
W.PR.J Perpetual-Discount -1.12 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 23.56
Evaluated at bid price : 23.83
Bid-YTW : 5.96 %
BNS.PR.A FloatingReset -1.12 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.00
Bid-YTW : 3.92 %
BAM.PF.G FixedReset -1.11 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.53
Evaluated at bid price : 19.53
Bid-YTW : 5.13 %
SLF.PR.E Deemed-Retractible -1.04 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.89
Bid-YTW : 7.64 %
ENB.PR.A Perpetual-Discount -1.04 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 23.48
Evaluated at bid price : 23.75
Bid-YTW : 5.82 %
POW.PR.A Perpetual-Discount -1.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 23.74
Evaluated at bid price : 24.05
Bid-YTW : 5.91 %
BAM.PF.H FixedReset 1.07 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2020-12-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.57
Bid-YTW : 4.72 %
NA.PR.S FixedReset 1.30 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 17.93
Evaluated at bid price : 17.93
Bid-YTW : 4.85 %
MFC.PR.B Deemed-Retractible 1.67 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.72
Bid-YTW : 7.26 %
GWO.PR.N FixedReset 1.96 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.51
Bid-YTW : 9.97 %
TRP.PR.C FixedReset 2.50 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 12.30
Evaluated at bid price : 12.30
Bid-YTW : 5.01 %
GWO.PR.S Deemed-Retractible 5.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.26
Bid-YTW : 5.66 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
BMO.PR.S FixedReset 313,635 Nesbitt crossed 293,800 at 18.82 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.75
Evaluated at bid price : 18.75
Bid-YTW : 4.52 %
MFC.PR.M FixedReset 292,516 Nesbitt crossed 274,100 at 18.60 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.60
Bid-YTW : 7.51 %
BAM.PF.G FixedReset 271,995 Nesbitt crossed 251,200 at 19.58 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.53
Evaluated at bid price : 19.53
Bid-YTW : 5.13 %
BAM.PF.F FixedReset 265,625 Nesbitt crossed 260,000 at 19.65 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.60
Evaluated at bid price : 19.60
Bid-YTW : 5.09 %
RY.PR.J FixedReset 255,232 Nesbitt crossed 228,400 at 19.83 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.75
Evaluated at bid price : 19.75
Bid-YTW : 4.62 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset 203,405 Nesbitt crossed 184,800 at 18.40 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.12
Evaluated at bid price : 18.12
Bid-YTW : 4.90 %
BAM.PR.T FixedReset 185,974 Nesbitt crossed 166,400 at 15.43 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 15.30
Evaluated at bid price : 15.30
Bid-YTW : 5.51 %
POW.PR.G Perpetual-Premium 184,737 Nesbitt crossed 178,700 at 24.40 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 23.90
Evaluated at bid price : 24.39
Bid-YTW : 5.81 %
HSE.PR.E FixedReset 171,252 Nesbitt crossed 159,900 at 20.31 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 20.15
Evaluated at bid price : 20.15
Bid-YTW : 5.56 %
BAM.PR.N Perpetual-Discount 168,241 Nesbitt crossed 152,100 at 19.50 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.37
Evaluated at bid price : 19.37
Bid-YTW : 6.26 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset 154,478 RBC crossed 14,100 at 17.55. Desjardins crossed 101,600 at 17.29.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 17.35
Evaluated at bid price : 17.35
Bid-YTW : 4.98 %
CU.PR.H Perpetual-Discount 150,827 Nesbitt crossed 141,600 at 22.41 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 22.08
Evaluated at bid price : 22.41
Bid-YTW : 5.89 %
RY.PR.P Perpetual-Discount 138,408 Nesbitt crossed 137,000 at 24.79 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 24.41
Evaluated at bid price : 24.79
Bid-YTW : 5.37 %
BNS.PR.M Deemed-Retractible 138,241 Nesbitt crossed 126,500 at 25.01 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.01
Bid-YTW : 4.60 %
BNS.PR.L Deemed-Retractible 135,762 Nesbitt crossed 127,900 at 25.02 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.01
Bid-YTW : 4.60 %
RY.PR.F Deemed-Retractible 124,132 RBC crossed 49,400 at 24.82. Nesbitt crossed 61,700 at 24.78 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.77
Bid-YTW : 4.68 %
BAM.PF.E FixedReset 117,469 Nesbitt crossed 102,700 at 18.74 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.37
Evaluated at bid price : 18.37
Bid-YTW : 5.10 %
TD.PF.F Perpetual-Discount 117,273 Nesbitt crossed 114,200 at 22.72 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 22.39
Evaluated at bid price : 22.69
Bid-YTW : 5.45 %
BAM.PR.Z FixedReset 116,350 Nesbitt crossed 89,700 at 19.72 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 19.56
Evaluated at bid price : 19.56
Bid-YTW : 5.17 %
GWO.PR.M Deemed-Retractible 114,826 Nesbitt crossed 106,200 at 25.20 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.20
Bid-YTW : 5.67 %
TRP.PR.E FixedReset 112,153 Desjardins crossed 91,400 at 18.53.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.11
Evaluated at bid price : 18.11
Bid-YTW : 4.83 %
IGM.PR.B Perpetual-Premium 110,292 Nesbitt crossed 108,400 at 25.28 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 24.93
Evaluated at bid price : 25.28
Bid-YTW : 5.90 %
PWF.PR.G Perpetual-Premium 109,903 Nesbitt crossed 100,200 at 25.34 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2016-01-06
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.30
Bid-YTW : -1.41 %
BMO.PR.Z Perpetual-Discount 109,414 Nesbitt crossed 102,700 at 23.85 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 23.48
Evaluated at bid price : 23.80
Bid-YTW : 5.28 %
SLF.PR.B Deemed-Retractible 108,170 Nesbitt crossed 99,500 at 21.21 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.12
Bid-YTW : 7.13 %
MFC.PR.B Deemed-Retractible 104,967 Nesbitt crossed 99,100 at 20.75 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.72
Bid-YTW : 7.26 %
PWF.PR.K Perpetual-Discount 104,603 Nesbitt crossed 101,100 at 21.87 after hours as a contingent cross.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 21.34
Evaluated at bid price : 21.61
Bid-YTW : 5.79 %
There were 68 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
VNR.PR.A FixedReset Quote: 18.01 – 19.00
Spot Rate : 0.9900
Average : 0.6495

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 18.01
Evaluated at bid price : 18.01
Bid-YTW : 5.32 %

ELF.PR.H Perpetual-Discount Quote: 22.03 – 23.00
Spot Rate : 0.9700
Average : 0.6410

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 21.74
Evaluated at bid price : 22.03
Bid-YTW : 6.34 %

HSE.PR.E FixedReset Quote: 20.15 – 20.98
Spot Rate : 0.8300
Average : 0.6028

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 20.15
Evaluated at bid price : 20.15
Bid-YTW : 5.56 %

TD.PF.E FixedReset Quote: 20.69 – 21.35
Spot Rate : 0.6600
Average : 0.4349

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 20.69
Evaluated at bid price : 20.69
Bid-YTW : 4.58 %

GWO.PR.M Deemed-Retractible Quote: 25.20 – 25.91
Spot Rate : 0.7100
Average : 0.5014

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.20
Bid-YTW : 5.67 %

BAM.PR.E Ratchet Quote: 13.50 – 14.59
Spot Rate : 1.0900
Average : 0.8896

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-07
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.50
Bid-YTW : 6.12 %

Market Action

December 4, 2015

Jobs, jobs, jobs!

Employers added more jobs than forecast in November, underscoring Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s confidence that the U.S. economy is strong enough to withstand higher borrowing costs.

The 211,000 increase in payrolls followed a 298,000 gain in October that was bigger than previously estimated, a Labor Department report showed Friday. The median forecast called for a 200,000 advance. The jobless rate held at a more than seven-year low of 5 percent.

Employee pay increased at a steady pace last month. Average hourly earnings at private employers rose 0.2 percent in November after a 0.4 percent gain. Year-over-year hourly pay rose 2.3 percent after a 2.5 percent gain a month earlier.

Employment in November was spurred by the biggest increase in construction hiring since January 2014. Retailers, health-care providers and leisure and hospitality companies added jobs at a healthy, but slower pace than in October.

Meanwhile in Canada:

Canada’s trade deficit unexpectedly jumped to $2.76-billion in October as exports to the crucial U.S. market dropped by the most in almost two-and-a-half years, Statistics Canada data showed on Friday.

October marked the 14th consecutive monthly trade deficit, reflecting Canadian exporters’ continuing struggles amid a sharp fall in oil prices. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a shortfall of $1.70-billion.

… and nothing good is forecast for oil:

OPEC’s refusal to rein in production spells extended pain for Canada’s oil patch, setting the stage for deeper cutbacks as a worldwide glut of crude keeps pressure on U.S. and global prices.

West Texas intermediate oil sank below $40 (U.S.) a barrel on Friday after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries failed to agree on production limits, effectively maintaining a Saudi Arabia-led policy of pumping record volumes to defend market share.

The Bank of Canada has estimated that overall capital spending in the industry will fall by 20 per cent in 2016 following a 40-per-cent drop this year.

Remember the Enbridge dropdown that was viewed so unfavourably by S&P, Moody’s and DBRS? It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good:

Enbridge Inc. (“Enbridge” or “the Company”) (TSX:ENB) (NYSE:ENB) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per common share, payable on March 1, 2016 to shareholders of record on February 16, 2016. The dividend reflects a 14 percent increase from the prior quarterly rate, marking the twenty-first consecutive year of increased dividends for the Company.

“The core of our shareholder value proposition is our reliable business model, which continues to deliver strong and predictable results and dividend growth,” said Al Monaco, President and Chief Executive Officer. “The 14 percent dividend increase reflects the confidence we have in our outlook, underpinned by the strength of our businesses, an industry leading growth program and our sound financial position. Over the last two years, we have increased our dividend by over 50 percent while maintaining strong available cash flow coverage.”

Enbridge also announced a guidance range for 2016 available cash flow from operations (“ACFFO”) per share of $3.80 to $4.50. The growth in the Company’s ACFFO per share guidance range for 2016 reflects growth from its existing businesses and the successful execution of its capital program.

Assiduous Readers will remember my post of June 26,2014, in which I advocated paying cash – always! Now we have more reason to use cash in Canada:

Users beware: The banks are spying on you! It recently emerged that deep inside a TD Canada Trust Visa cardholders agreement are embedded a couple of troubling lines giving the bank the legal right to collect data on everything a person does online.

The scope of these provisions, revealed last week by the CBC, is expansive. They basically give the bank the right to view the content of Google searches, the sort of online videos a cardholder watches, their social media activity and much, much more.

The bank can learn a lot from this information. Are you searching for legal advice on defaulting from a loan? Are you thinking of moving or getting married? Are you straight or gay? Do you prefer cats or dogs?

It was another crummy day for the Canadian preferred share market, with PerpetualDiscounts down 53bp, FixedResets off 44bp, and DeemedRetractibles losing 54bp. The Performance Highlights table is, of course, ridiculous, but at least there were a few winners today! Volume was extremely high.

For as long as the FixedReset market is so violently unsettled, I’ll keep publishing updates of the more interesting and meaningful series of FixedResets’ Implied Volatilities. This doesn’t include Enbridge because although Enbridge has a large number of issues outstanding, all of which are quite liquid, the range of Issue Reset Spreads is too small for decent conclusions. The low is 212bp (ENB.PR.H; second-lowest is ENB.PR.D at 237bp) and the high is a mere 268 for ENB.PF.G.

Remember that all rich /cheap assessments are:
» based on Implied Volatility Theory only
» are relative only to other FixedResets from the same issuer
» assume constant GOC-5 yield
» assume constant Implied Volatility
» assume constant spread

Here’s TRP:

impVol_TRP_151204
Click for Big

TRP.PR.E, which resets 2019-10-30 at +235, is bid at 18.45 to be $1.20 rich, while TRP.PR.C, resetting 2016-1-30 at +154, is $1.08 cheap at its bid price of 12.00.

impVol_MFC_151204
Click for Big

Most expensive is MFC.PR.N, resetting at +230bp on 2020-3-19, bid at 19.30 to be 0.62 rich, while MFC.PR.K, resetting at +222bp on 2018-9-19, is bid at 17.32 to be 1.11 cheap.

impVol_BAM_151204
Click for Big

The cheapest issue relative to its peers is BAM.PR.R, resetting at +230bp on 2016-6-30, bid at 15.02 to be $1.26 cheap. BAM.PF.E, resetting at +255bp on 2020-3-31 is bid at 18.54 and appears to be $0.99 rich.

impVol_FTS_151204
Click for Big

FTS.PR.K, with a spread of +205bp, and bid at 17.30, looks $0.70 expensive and resets 2019-3-1. FTS.PR.G, with a spread of +213bp and resetting 2018-9-1, is bid at 15.95 and is $1.05 cheap.

pairs_FR_151204
Click for Big

Investment-grade pairs predict an average three-month bill yield over the next five-odd years of -0.69%, with no outliers. There is one junk outlier below -1.50% and one above +0.50%.

pairs_FF_151204
Click for Big

Shall we just say that this exhibits a high level of confidence in the continued rapacity of Canadian banks?

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 4.58 % 5.54 % 34,691 17.21 1 6.5280 % 1,695.0
FixedFloater 6.54 % 5.77 % 30,193 16.55 1 0.0689 % 2,982.7
Floater 4.43 % 4.48 % 90,617 16.38 3 0.3761 % 1,784.3
OpRet 4.86 % 3.92 % 30,588 0.73 1 0.0397 % 2,737.6
SplitShare 4.76 % 5.50 % 127,573 4.31 5 0.0878 % 3,218.2
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.0878 % 2,511.0
Perpetual-Premium 5.81 % 5.81 % 90,824 14.01 6 -0.5065 % 2,501.7
Perpetual-Discount 5.66 % 5.75 % 93,452 14.25 33 -0.5335 % 2,529.9
FixedReset 5.21 % 4.95 % 228,176 14.81 76 -0.4448 % 1,970.6
Deemed-Retractible 5.25 % 5.43 % 127,180 5.35 33 -0.5389 % 2,554.2
FloatingReset 2.68 % 3.86 % 63,057 5.71 10 -0.7167 % 2,152.4
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
GWO.PR.S Deemed-Retractible -5.84 % More nonsense from Nonsense Central, as the issue traded 4,100 shares in a range of 24.02-50 before closing at 23.07-24.53, 11×1. The last trade of the day, at the low, was timestamped 3:18pm. I have not checked whether this lamentable state of affairs is due to inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange reporting or inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange supervision of market-makers.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.07
Bid-YTW : 6.36 %
IFC.PR.C FixedReset -4.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.60
Bid-YTW : 8.51 %
MFC.PR.K FixedReset -4.31 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.32
Bid-YTW : 8.23 %
SLF.PR.H FixedReset -4.26 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.85
Bid-YTW : 8.31 %
MFC.PR.H FixedReset -3.96 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.61
Bid-YTW : 6.09 %
CU.PR.C FixedReset -3.67 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 17.87
Evaluated at bid price : 17.87
Bid-YTW : 4.75 %
FTS.PR.G FixedReset -3.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 15.95
Evaluated at bid price : 15.95
Bid-YTW : 5.01 %
MFC.PR.B Deemed-Retractible -3.00 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.38
Bid-YTW : 7.49 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset -2.75 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 17.30
Evaluated at bid price : 17.30
Bid-YTW : 4.57 %
MFC.PR.G FixedReset -2.74 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.57
Bid-YTW : 6.49 %
VNR.PR.A FixedReset -2.68 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 18.50
Evaluated at bid price : 18.50
Bid-YTW : 5.21 %
BAM.PR.X FixedReset -2.62 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 14.12
Evaluated at bid price : 14.12
Bid-YTW : 5.23 %
MFC.PR.I FixedReset -2.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.77
Bid-YTW : 6.39 %
ELF.PR.H Perpetual-Discount -2.29 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 23.09
Evaluated at bid price : 23.50
Bid-YTW : 5.93 %
TRP.PR.B FixedReset -2.06 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 11.41
Evaluated at bid price : 11.41
Bid-YTW : 4.80 %
SLF.PR.I FixedReset -2.00 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.12
Bid-YTW : 6.58 %
BMO.PR.R FloatingReset -1.99 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.61
Bid-YTW : 3.82 %
CU.PR.H Perpetual-Discount -1.96 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 22.69
Evaluated at bid price : 23.05
Bid-YTW : 5.72 %
IAG.PR.G FixedReset -1.90 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.65
Bid-YTW : 6.39 %
BAM.PR.T FixedReset -1.80 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 15.27
Evaluated at bid price : 15.27
Bid-YTW : 5.60 %
CM.PR.Q FixedReset -1.77 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 19.94
Evaluated at bid price : 19.94
Bid-YTW : 4.67 %
GWO.PR.Q Deemed-Retractible -1.66 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.52
Bid-YTW : 6.60 %
NA.PR.W FixedReset -1.65 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 17.24
Evaluated at bid price : 17.24
Bid-YTW : 4.89 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset -1.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 18.65
Evaluated at bid price : 18.65
Bid-YTW : 4.79 %
MFC.PR.J FixedReset -1.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.53
Bid-YTW : 6.94 %
HSE.PR.E FixedReset -1.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 20.76
Evaluated at bid price : 20.76
Bid-YTW : 5.42 %
HSE.PR.A FixedReset -1.57 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 12.55
Evaluated at bid price : 12.55
Bid-YTW : 5.30 %
MFC.PR.M FixedReset -1.53 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.35
Bid-YTW : 6.98 %
IFC.PR.A FixedReset -1.45 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 15.65
Bid-YTW : 9.49 %
POW.PR.G Perpetual-Discount -1.40 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 24.14
Evaluated at bid price : 24.60
Bid-YTW : 5.76 %
GWO.PR.I Deemed-Retractible -1.39 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.50
Bid-YTW : 7.21 %
FTS.PR.H FixedReset -1.36 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 13.76
Evaluated at bid price : 13.76
Bid-YTW : 4.39 %
POW.PR.B Perpetual-Discount -1.36 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 22.98
Evaluated at bid price : 23.25
Bid-YTW : 5.83 %
POW.PR.D Perpetual-Discount -1.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 21.98
Evaluated at bid price : 22.21
Bid-YTW : 5.71 %
GWO.PR.P Deemed-Retractible -1.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.71
Bid-YTW : 6.13 %
NA.PR.S FixedReset -1.28 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 17.70
Evaluated at bid price : 17.70
Bid-YTW : 4.95 %
BAM.PF.B FixedReset -1.27 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 17.87
Evaluated at bid price : 17.87
Bid-YTW : 5.25 %
PWF.PR.O Perpetual-Premium -1.18 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 24.77
Evaluated at bid price : 25.06
Bid-YTW : 5.85 %
PWF.PR.K Perpetual-Discount -1.13 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 21.54
Evaluated at bid price : 21.80
Bid-YTW : 5.74 %
BNS.PR.B FloatingReset -1.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.45
Bid-YTW : 4.00 %
SLF.PR.D Deemed-Retractible -1.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.87
Bid-YTW : 7.59 %
CU.PR.G Perpetual-Discount -1.09 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 20.05
Evaluated at bid price : 20.05
Bid-YTW : 5.65 %
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset -1.06 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 10.26
Evaluated at bid price : 10.26
Bid-YTW : 4.21 %
RY.PR.H FixedReset -1.04 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 18.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.00
Bid-YTW : 4.65 %
GWO.PR.R Deemed-Retractible -1.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.22
Bid-YTW : 7.06 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset -1.01 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 17.57
Evaluated at bid price : 17.57
Bid-YTW : 4.95 %
BAM.PR.C Floater 1.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 10.70
Evaluated at bid price : 10.70
Bid-YTW : 4.48 %
HSE.PR.C FixedReset 2.69 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 19.85
Evaluated at bid price : 19.85
Bid-YTW : 5.24 %
BAM.PR.E Ratchet 6.53 % Just a reversal of yesterday‘s nonsense.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.85
Bid-YTW : 5.54 %
BAM.PF.G FixedReset 33.00 % Don’t get excited! It’s just a reversal of yesterday‘s nonsense.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 19.75
Evaluated at bid price : 19.75
Bid-YTW : 5.09 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
BAM.PR.B Floater 192,246 Desjardins sold six blocks to anonymous, totalling 132,400 shares, all at 10.85.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 10.70
Evaluated at bid price : 10.70
Bid-YTW : 4.48 %
BAM.PR.K Floater 136,450 TD crossed 127,200 at 10.85.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 10.63
Evaluated at bid price : 10.63
Bid-YTW : 4.51 %
BNS.PR.R FixedReset 102,400 RBC crossed 50,000 at 24.80; TD crossed 25,000 at the same price.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.75
Bid-YTW : 3.61 %
RY.PR.J FixedReset 83,101 TD crossed blocks of 50,000 and 18,400, both at 19.80.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 19.75
Evaluated at bid price : 19.75
Bid-YTW : 4.65 %
BNS.PR.P FixedReset 70,470 Nesbitt crossed 50,000 at 24.50.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.50
Bid-YTW : 3.56 %
RY.PR.I FixedReset 50,000 Scotia crossed blocks of 22,500 and 11,400, both at 24.35.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.35
Bid-YTW : 3.72 %
There were 64 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
GWO.PR.S Deemed-Retractible Quote: 23.07 – 24.53
Spot Rate : 1.4600
Average : 0.8676

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.07
Bid-YTW : 6.36 %

MFC.PR.K FixedReset Quote: 17.32 – 18.70
Spot Rate : 1.3800
Average : 0.9731

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.32
Bid-YTW : 8.23 %

MFC.PR.B Deemed-Retractible Quote: 20.38 – 21.07
Spot Rate : 0.6900
Average : 0.4580

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.38
Bid-YTW : 7.49 %

IAG.PR.G FixedReset Quote: 20.65 – 21.44
Spot Rate : 0.7900
Average : 0.5751

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.65
Bid-YTW : 6.39 %

HSE.PR.A FixedReset Quote: 12.55 – 12.99
Spot Rate : 0.4400
Average : 0.2845

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 12.55
Evaluated at bid price : 12.55
Bid-YTW : 5.30 %

ELF.PR.H Perpetual-Discount Quote: 23.50 – 23.92
Spot Rate : 0.4200
Average : 0.2803

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-04
Maturity Price : 23.09
Evaluated at bid price : 23.50
Bid-YTW : 5.93 %

Market Action

December 3, 2015

Good news! Europe’s not considered to be in as much trouble as was previously feared! Let’s celebrate!

Equities tumbled around the world and government bonds sank, while the euro rallied the most in six years after the scale of additional stimulus from the European Central Bank disappointed investors just as the Federal Reserve signaled interest-rate increases are imminent.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell the most in two months and European equities had their worst day since the height of the summer selloff. The euro climbed against all its major peers, stinging traders who had piled on wagers against the currency amid expectations of aggressive easing from the ECB. Yields on 10-year German notes jumped 20 basis points, while rates on similar-maturity Treasuries posted their biggest advance since February. Brent crude rallied from a six-year low before Friday’s OPEC meeting.

Yields on two-year notes from Germany to Spain had touched record lows before the ECB’s decision. They had been tumbling since Draghi stoked expectations of further easing at his Oct. 22 press conference, pledging that policy makers would re-examine the scope of the central bank’s existing quantitative-easing plan this month.

Treasuries suffered their biggest rout since February, with 10-year yields climbing 14 basis points, or 0.14 percentage point, to 2.32 percent.

And junk bond illiquidity is attracting notice:

Sinkholes are popping up in the credit market.

Specific junk bonds are simply plummeting in value on little trading. For example, nothing all that obvious triggered a plunge in Syniverse Holdings, whose bonds fell to 39 cents on the dollar Monday, from 84.25 cents less than a month earlier. Debt of Intelsat, United States Steel, SandRidge Energy and Ultra Petroleum all lost about 30 percent last month.

Yet looking broadly, there isn’t a financial crisis in developed markets. U.S. stocks are still eking out gains. Companies are still issuing bonds.

So why the precipitous drops without warning?

The explanation is that asset managers are being forced to exit their riskiest positions, either because of withdrawals or to placate increasingly nervous investors, and they’re finding no buyers on the other side. When these fund managers finally get an offer to shed their unwanted holdings, they’re just taking it, even if it means taking a huge loss.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his friends for cash.:

Three years ago, the National Whistleblowers Center in Washington dismissed Ms. Williams and Mr. Renner, who are both lawyers, citing mandatory layoffs that stemmed from funding woes and a staff reorganization.

Now, previously unreleased documents show that the layoffs coincided with an effort by Ms. Williams and Mr. Renner to unionize the whistle-blower center’s small work force. That effort, Ms. Williams and Mr. Renner contend, touched a nerve with the center’s leadership, including Stephen M. Kohn, a prominent lawyer who was a co-founder of the center and has become a national expert on whistle-blower cases.

After their dismissals, Ms. Williams and Mr. Renner took their concerns to the National Labor Relations Board, the documents show. After initially balking at the case, the agency ultimately filed a complaint of unfair labor practices against the whistle-blower center, blaming it for “interfering with, restraining and coercing employees” not to assemble a union.

In effect, Ms. Williams and Mr. Renner became whistle-blowers on their own boss.

Canadian preferred share investors today expressed their appreciation for European monetary policy:

EU-flag-burning
Click for Big

It was a horrible day for the Canadian preferred share market, with PerpetualDiscounts off 76bp, FixedResets losing 192bp and DeemedRetractibles down 102bp. The Performance Highlights table is extraordinarily lengthy, dominated by FixedResets and devoid of even a single winner. Volume was extremely heavy.

For as long as the FixedReset market is so violently unsettled, I’ll keep publishing updates of the more interesting and meaningful series of FixedResets’ Implied Volatilities. This doesn’t include Enbridge because although Enbridge has a large number of issues outstanding, all of which are quite liquid, the range of Issue Reset Spreads is too small for decent conclusions. The low is 212bp (ENB.PR.H; second-lowest is ENB.PR.D at 237bp) and the high is a mere 268 for ENB.PF.G.

Remember that all rich /cheap assessments are:
» based on Implied Volatility Theory only
» are relative only to other FixedResets from the same issuer
» assume constant GOC-5 yield
» assume constant Implied Volatility
» assume constant spread

Here’s TRP:

impVol_TRP_151203
Click for Big

TRP.PR.E, which resets 2019-10-30 at +235, is bid at 18.51 to be $1.12 rich, while TRP.PR.C, resetting 2016-1-30 at +154, is $1.12 cheap at its bid price of 12.12.

impVol_MFC_151203
Click for Big

Most expensive is MFC.PR.M, resetting at +236bp on 2019-12-19, bid at 19.65 to be 0.33 rich, while MFC.PR.K, resetting at +222bp on 2018-9-19, is bid at 18.10 to be 0.64 cheap.

impVol_BAM_151203
Click for Big

As discussed in the Performance Highlights table, the official bid for BAM.PF.G is ridiculous, so for the purposes of this calculation I have adjusted the bid to 19.50, about 1% below the last price.

The cheapest issue relative to its peers is BAM.PR.R, resetting at +230bp on 2016-6-30, bid at 15.16 to be $1.19 cheap. BAM.PF.E, resetting at +255bp on 2020-3-31 is bid at 18.40 and appears to be $0.80 rich.

impVol_FTS_151203
Click for Big

FTS.PR.K, with a spread of +205bp, and bid at 17.79, looks $0.82 expensive and resets 2019-3-1. FTS.PR.G, with a spread of +213bp and resetting 2018-9-1, is bid at 16.50 and is $0.87 cheap.

pairs_FR_151203
Click for Big

Investment-grade pairs predict an average three-month bill yield over the next five-odd years of -0.56%, with no outliers. There is one junk outlier below -1.50% and one above +0.50%.

pairs_FF_151203
Click for Big

Shall we just say that this exhibits a high level of confidence in the continued rapacity of Canadian banks?

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 4.88 % 5.92 % 34,940 16.76 1 -8.5902 % 1,591.1
FixedFloater 6.55 % 5.78 % 29,545 16.54 1 -2.8131 % 2,980.7
Floater 4.44 % 4.50 % 84,051 16.33 3 -2.5351 % 1,777.7
OpRet 4.86 % 3.96 % 30,750 0.73 1 -0.1586 % 2,736.5
SplitShare 4.76 % 5.54 % 127,978 4.31 5 -0.0821 % 3,215.4
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 -0.0821 % 2,508.8
Perpetual-Premium 5.78 % 2.11 % 90,391 0.08 6 -0.3343 % 2,514.5
Perpetual-Discount 5.63 % 5.68 % 92,392 14.28 33 -0.7615 % 2,543.4
FixedReset 5.19 % 4.84 % 225,372 14.76 76 -1.9241 % 1,979.4
Deemed-Retractible 5.22 % 5.30 % 126,490 5.35 33 -1.0284 % 2,568.0
FloatingReset 2.66 % 3.81 % 63,333 5.72 10 -0.1030 % 2,168.0
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
BAM.PF.G FixedReset -27.91 % A nonsensical result, as the issue traded 17,784 shares in a range of 19.70-20.73 before closing at 14.85-20.19. It looks like there were nine timed or algorithmic sales of 100 shares each at 3:59 out of an anonymous broker [and three more out of Laurentian], which took the price down from 20.21 as of the prior trade at 3:50 to 19.70, at which point they stopped – whether due to algorithmic interruption of the programme or whether the sales were exhausted cannot be determined from the data. Anyway, it looks like these sales eroded the bid. I have not checked whether this lamentable state of affairs is due to inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange reporting or inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange supervision of market-makers.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 14.85
Evaluated at bid price : 14.85
Bid-YTW : 6.86 %
BAM.PR.E Ratchet -8.59 % More nonsense from Nonsense Central, as the issue traded 1700 shares in a range of 15.00-35 before closing at 13.94-15.23, 4×4. The last trade of the day was 700 shares changing hands at the low, timestamped 3:41pm. I have not checked whether this lamentable state of affairs is due to inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange reporting or inadequate Toronto Stock Exchange supervision of market-makers.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.94
Bid-YTW : 5.92 %
BAM.PR.B Floater -4.32 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 10.63
Evaluated at bid price : 10.63
Bid-YTW : 4.50 %
BAM.PF.A FixedReset -4.28 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 19.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.00
Bid-YTW : 5.27 %
MFC.PR.J FixedReset -4.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.85
Bid-YTW : 6.72 %
CU.PR.C FixedReset -3.89 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.55
Evaluated at bid price : 18.55
Bid-YTW : 4.57 %
MFC.PR.H FixedReset -3.85 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.50
Bid-YTW : 5.54 %
BAM.PR.C Floater -3.83 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 10.56
Evaluated at bid price : 10.56
Bid-YTW : 4.54 %
IAG.PR.G FixedReset -3.66 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.05
Bid-YTW : 6.13 %
FTS.PR.G FixedReset -3.51 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 16.50
Evaluated at bid price : 16.50
Bid-YTW : 4.84 %
BAM.PR.Z FixedReset -3.48 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 19.40
Evaluated at bid price : 19.40
Bid-YTW : 5.26 %
MFC.PR.G FixedReset -3.47 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.15
Bid-YTW : 6.11 %
BAM.PF.F FixedReset -3.41 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 19.80
Evaluated at bid price : 19.80
Bid-YTW : 5.06 %
SLF.PR.I FixedReset -3.39 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.53
Bid-YTW : 6.30 %
MFC.PR.I FixedReset -3.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.32
Bid-YTW : 6.03 %
MFC.PR.N FixedReset -3.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.31
Bid-YTW : 6.93 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset -3.27 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.96
Evaluated at bid price : 18.96
Bid-YTW : 4.71 %
GWO.PR.H Deemed-Retractible -3.18 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.30
Bid-YTW : 7.06 %
ELF.PR.G Perpetual-Discount -3.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 20.64
Evaluated at bid price : 20.64
Bid-YTW : 5.85 %
SLF.PR.C Deemed-Retractible -2.98 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.89
Bid-YTW : 7.57 %
IFC.PR.C FixedReset -2.95 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.40
Bid-YTW : 7.89 %
MFC.PR.K FixedReset -2.95 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.10
Bid-YTW : 7.62 %
SLF.PR.A Deemed-Retractible -2.93 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.23
Bid-YTW : 6.99 %
GWO.PR.G Deemed-Retractible -2.91 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.70
Bid-YTW : 6.53 %
MFC.PR.C Deemed-Retractible -2.87 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.34
Bid-YTW : 7.34 %
BAM.PR.G FixedFloater -2.81 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.51
Bid-YTW : 5.78 %
SLF.PR.B Deemed-Retractible -2.73 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.40
Bid-YTW : 6.94 %
SLF.PR.H FixedReset -2.71 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 17.60
Bid-YTW : 7.72 %
BMO.PR.Y FixedReset -2.69 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 20.29
Evaluated at bid price : 20.29
Bid-YTW : 4.56 %
PWF.PR.P FixedReset -2.66 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 13.90
Evaluated at bid price : 13.90
Bid-YTW : 4.59 %
RY.PR.M FixedReset -2.56 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 19.40
Evaluated at bid price : 19.40
Bid-YTW : 4.61 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset -2.52 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 17.79
Evaluated at bid price : 17.79
Bid-YTW : 4.44 %
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset -2.45 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 10.37
Evaluated at bid price : 10.37
Bid-YTW : 4.16 %
BAM.PR.X FixedReset -2.36 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 14.50
Evaluated at bid price : 14.50
Bid-YTW : 5.09 %
TRP.PR.G FixedReset -2.24 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 19.60
Evaluated at bid price : 19.60
Bid-YTW : 4.95 %
HSE.PR.C FixedReset -2.23 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 19.33
Evaluated at bid price : 19.33
Bid-YTW : 5.38 %
PWF.PR.S Perpetual-Discount -2.17 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 21.19
Evaluated at bid price : 21.19
Bid-YTW : 5.74 %
GWO.PR.I Deemed-Retractible -2.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.79
Bid-YTW : 7.01 %
BAM.PF.B FixedReset -2.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.10
Evaluated at bid price : 18.10
Bid-YTW : 5.18 %
PWF.PR.R Perpetual-Discount -2.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 23.63
Evaluated at bid price : 24.10
Bid-YTW : 5.76 %
NA.PR.S FixedReset -2.02 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 17.93
Evaluated at bid price : 17.93
Bid-YTW : 4.88 %
RY.PR.W Perpetual-Discount -2.01 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 22.12
Evaluated at bid price : 22.40
Bid-YTW : 5.50 %
IFC.PR.A FixedReset -1.98 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 15.88
Bid-YTW : 9.28 %
BAM.PR.T FixedReset -1.89 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 15.55
Evaluated at bid price : 15.55
Bid-YTW : 5.50 %
SLF.PR.E Deemed-Retractible -1.89 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.24
Bid-YTW : 7.38 %
GWO.PR.R Deemed-Retractible -1.88 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.44
Bid-YTW : 6.91 %
MFC.PR.B Deemed-Retractible -1.87 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.01
Bid-YTW : 7.05 %
BAM.PF.E FixedReset -1.87 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.40
Evaluated at bid price : 18.40
Bid-YTW : 5.14 %
BMO.PR.T FixedReset -1.86 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 17.95
Evaluated at bid price : 17.95
Bid-YTW : 4.64 %
SLF.PR.D Deemed-Retractible -1.86 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.09
Bid-YTW : 7.43 %
TRP.PR.E FixedReset -1.80 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.51
Evaluated at bid price : 18.51
Bid-YTW : 4.75 %
FTS.PR.H FixedReset -1.76 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 13.95
Evaluated at bid price : 13.95
Bid-YTW : 4.33 %
TD.PF.D FixedReset -1.67 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 20.01
Evaluated at bid price : 20.01
Bid-YTW : 4.65 %
TD.PF.E FixedReset -1.66 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 21.27
Evaluated at bid price : 21.27
Bid-YTW : 4.48 %
TD.PF.A FixedReset -1.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.04
Evaluated at bid price : 18.04
Bid-YTW : 4.65 %
POW.PR.A Perpetual-Discount -1.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 24.16
Evaluated at bid price : 24.42
Bid-YTW : 5.81 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset -1.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 17.75
Evaluated at bid price : 17.75
Bid-YTW : 4.89 %
ELF.PR.F Perpetual-Discount -1.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 22.74
Evaluated at bid price : 23.03
Bid-YTW : 5.83 %
BAM.PR.R FixedReset -1.56 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 15.16
Evaluated at bid price : 15.16
Bid-YTW : 5.54 %
IAG.PR.A Deemed-Retractible -1.53 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.27
Bid-YTW : 6.80 %
MFC.PR.M FixedReset -1.50 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.65
Bid-YTW : 6.77 %
POW.PR.D Perpetual-Discount -1.49 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 22.24
Evaluated at bid price : 22.51
Bid-YTW : 5.63 %
PWF.PR.K Perpetual-Discount -1.47 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 21.81
Evaluated at bid price : 22.05
Bid-YTW : 5.67 %
MFC.PR.L FixedReset -1.32 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.75
Bid-YTW : 7.23 %
TD.PF.B FixedReset -1.30 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.18
Evaluated at bid price : 18.18
Bid-YTW : 4.60 %
BIP.PR.A FixedReset -1.28 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 20.09
Evaluated at bid price : 20.09
Bid-YTW : 5.59 %
GWO.PR.P Deemed-Retractible -1.23 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.03
Bid-YTW : 5.93 %
BMO.PR.S FixedReset -1.21 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.85
Evaluated at bid price : 18.85
Bid-YTW : 4.52 %
ELF.PR.H Perpetual-Discount -1.19 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 23.58
Evaluated at bid price : 24.05
Bid-YTW : 5.78 %
PWF.PR.E Perpetual-Discount -1.19 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 23.82
Evaluated at bid price : 24.07
Bid-YTW : 5.78 %
TRP.PR.B FixedReset -1.19 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 11.65
Evaluated at bid price : 11.65
Bid-YTW : 4.70 %
GWO.PR.Q Deemed-Retractible -1.17 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.90
Bid-YTW : 6.36 %
BNS.PR.D FloatingReset -1.12 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.41
Bid-YTW : 5.80 %
PWF.PR.F Perpetual-Discount -1.08 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 22.68
Evaluated at bid price : 22.97
Bid-YTW : 5.77 %
BMO.PR.W FixedReset -1.05 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 17.85
Evaluated at bid price : 17.85
Bid-YTW : 4.63 %
CM.PR.O FixedReset -1.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.34
Evaluated at bid price : 18.34
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
BAM.PF.A FixedReset 184,945 Desjardins crossed 160,000 at 19.65.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 19.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.00
Bid-YTW : 5.27 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset 129,312 Desjardins crossed 78,600 at 18.00. Nesbitt crossed 25,200 at 17.75.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 17.75
Evaluated at bid price : 17.75
Bid-YTW : 4.89 %
TRP.PR.E FixedReset 60,635 Scotia crossed blocks of 15,300 and 13,400, both at 18.85.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.51
Evaluated at bid price : 18.51
Bid-YTW : 4.75 %
TRP.PR.C FixedReset 55,210 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 12.12
Evaluated at bid price : 12.12
Bid-YTW : 5.14 %
RY.PR.Z FixedReset 46,071 Nesbitt crossed 21,000 at 18.28.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 18.11
Evaluated at bid price : 18.11
Bid-YTW : 4.57 %
GWO.PR.N FixedReset 45,868 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.26
Bid-YTW : 10.25 %
There were 78 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
BAM.PF.G FixedReset Quote: 14.85 – 20.19
Spot Rate : 5.3400
Average : 2.8755

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 14.85
Evaluated at bid price : 14.85
Bid-YTW : 6.86 %

BAM.PR.E Ratchet Quote: 13.94 – 15.23
Spot Rate : 1.2900
Average : 0.8012

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.94
Bid-YTW : 5.92 %

IFC.PR.C FixedReset Quote: 18.40 – 19.18
Spot Rate : 0.7800
Average : 0.4553

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.40
Bid-YTW : 7.89 %

PWF.PR.R Perpetual-Discount Quote: 24.10 – 24.65
Spot Rate : 0.5500
Average : 0.3240

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 23.63
Evaluated at bid price : 24.10
Bid-YTW : 5.76 %

NA.PR.S FixedReset Quote: 17.93 – 18.60
Spot Rate : 0.6700
Average : 0.4512

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-03
Maturity Price : 17.93
Evaluated at bid price : 17.93
Bid-YTW : 4.88 %

GWO.PR.G Deemed-Retractible Quote: 22.70 – 23.30
Spot Rate : 0.6000
Average : 0.3815

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.70
Bid-YTW : 6.53 %

Market Action

December 2, 2015

The hot news of the day is that the BoC did not move policy rates (emphasis added):

The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1/2 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 3/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 1/4 per cent.

Global economic growth is evolving essentially as the Bank had anticipated in its October Monetary Policy Report (MPR). The US economy continues to grow at a solid pace, although private domestic demand has proven slightly less robust than expected. Meanwhile, commodity prices have declined further. The ongoing terms-of-trade adjustments and shifting growth prospects across different regions are contributing to exchange rate movements. In this context, policy divergence is expected to remain a prominent theme.

In Canada, the dynamics of growth have been broadly in line with the Bank’s MPR outlook. The economy continues to undergo a complex and lengthy adjustment to the decline in Canada’s terms of trade. This adjustment is being aided by the ongoing US recovery, a lower Canadian dollar and the Bank’s monetary policy easing this year. The resource sector is still contending with lower prices for commodities. In non-resource sectors, exports are picking up, particularly in exchange rate-sensitive categories. However, business investment continues to be weighed down by cuts in resource-sector spending. The labour market has been resilient at the national level, although with significant job losses in resource-producing regions. The Bank expects GDP growth to moderate in the fourth quarter of 2015 before moving to a rate above potential in 2016. While bond yields are slightly higher, financial conditions remain accommodative in Canada.

In the midst of all of these adjustments, inflation is in line with the Bank’s October outlook. Total CPI inflation remains near the bottom of the Bank’s target range, owing to declines in consumer energy prices. Core inflation is close to 2 per cent as the effects of the lower dollar and the output gap continue to offset each other.

The Bank judges that the risks around the inflation profile remain roughly balanced over the projection horizon. Vulnerabilities in the household sector continue to edge higher while overall risks to financial stability are evolving as expected. Taking all of these developments into consideration, the Bank judges that the risks to the outlook for inflation remain within the zone for which the current stance of monetary policy is appropriate. Therefore, the target for the overnight rate remains at 1/2 per cent.

The GDP expectations look more optimistic than has been the case since oil started to drop; in the October rate announcement:

Given this judgment about potential output, the Canadian economy can be expected to return to full capacity, and inflation sustainably to target, around mid-2017.

Mind you, the two releases are not speaking to precisely the same issue: GDP growth will have to be “above potential” for quite some time before all the slack in the economy is taken up. But it certainly sounds more optimistic!

Barrie McKenna in the Globe comments:

Many economists don’t expect Canada’s central bank to hike rates until late next year or even 2017. A few say the bank could even cut again.

“Governor [Stephen] Poloz is making it clear that even as the Fed hikes, Canadian rates will be steady,” Bank of Montreal senior economist Benjamin Reitzes said a in a research note.

Royal Bank of Canada deputy chief economist Dawn Desjardins said she expects the central bank to keep monetary policy “very stimulative” at least until the investment activity in the oil patch stops shrinking.

Of course, one big drag on the Canadian economy is electricity prices in Ontario:

Ontarians have paid $37-billion more than market price for electricity over eight years and will pay another $133-billion by 2032, after the provincial government’s process for planning the system “broke down.” Electricity prices have ballooned by 70 per cent.

What’s more, Hydro One is in rough shape, with ever-increasing power outages and aging equipment “at very high risk of failing” that needs $4.472-billion worth of repairs – even as the province is in the process of selling 60 per cent of the company to the private sector.

Auditor-General Bonnie Lysyk made these blockbuster revelations about Ontario’s expensive and aging electricity system in her annual report Wednesday, which also put several other provincial policies under the microscrope.

“We found that the planning process had essentially broken down over the past decade,” Ms. Lysyk wrote in her report. “In the absence of a technical plan, the Ministry has made a number of decisions about power generation that went against the OPA’s technical advice and did not fully consider the state of the electricity market or the long-term effects.”

“Ontario electricity ratepayers have had to pay billions for these decisions,” Ms. Lysyk added.

For instance, Ontarians are paying double for wind power and more than triple for solar power what U.S. consumers pay. The problem, Ms. Lysyk found, was that the 2010 Green Energy Act failed to take advantage of low electricity prices and instead mandated higher prices for wind and solar power companies than they had received previously. This all added up to $9.2-billion more in renewables costs under the current system than the previous one.

In another case in 2013, the government decided to convert a coal-fired plant in Thunder Bay to biomass in order to keep the plant going after the province stopped burning coal for electricity. Energy experts at the OPA told the government the conversion was not cost-effective, but the government told them to do it anyway. As a result, power from the plant costs $1,600/megawatts per hour, which is 25 times more than the cost at other Ontario biomass plants, Ms. Lysyk found. What’s more, some of the biomass burned at the plant is actually imported, which undercuts part of the rationale to keep the plant going to help Ontario’s forestry industry.

Craziness. The Auditor General’s highlights are listed in her press release and masochists will enjoy reading the full report.

Meanwhile, the US took delivery of a good solid beige book:

The economy expanded modestly across most of the U.S. in October and November amid rising consumer spending, while a stronger dollar helped keep inflation in check, a Federal Reserve report showed.

Eight of the 12 Fed districts called the expansion “modest,” while the Minneapolis region reported moderate growth, according to the Beige Book released Wednesday in Washington. Conditions were “steady” in the Kansas City district and “leveled off” in New York, while growth reported by the Boston Fed was “somewhat slower.”

“Consumer spending increased in nearly all districts,” with robust car sales and lower gasoline prices boosting purchases of trucks and larger vehicles, the report said. While “labor markets continued to tighten modestly,” prices were “generally steady.”

Pay gains were described as “generally stable to increasing,” with most districts saying wage pressures were only building for skilled workers and employees in short supply.

The report coincides with Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s comments in a speech earlier Wednesday that she is increasingly confident the economy is growing sufficiently to achieve labor-market improvement and higher inflation.

Nevertheless, the Fed appears to be dampening expectations of substantial rate increases:

Federal Reserve policy makers may need to have more than just confidence that inflation will pick up to raise interest rates again after liftoff.

Chair Janet Yellen on Wednesday suggested that the pace of future rate increases could depend on “actual progress” in price gains toward the central bank’s target. That’s a shift from the requirement the Federal Open Market Committee set for an initial move, to be “reasonably confident” that inflation would move back to its goal over the medium term.

The language adds to reasons to expect that rates will rise gradually after a widely-anticipated liftoff later this month. As measured by the personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed’s favorite gauge, headline inflation climbed just 0.2 percent in the year through October. So-called core prices, which strip out volatile food and energy costs, rose 1.3 percent.

“Given the persistent shortfall in inflation from our 2 percent objective, the Committee will, of course, carefully monitor actual progress toward our inflation goal as we make decisions over time on the appropriate path for the federal funds rate,” Yellen told the Economic Club of Washington on Wednesday.

… while at the same time Lockhart is pressing hard for a December hike:

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart said he favors raising interest rates this month, adding to signs that the central bank will proceed with its first increase since 2006.

“Absent information that drastically changes the economic picture and outlook, I feel the case for liftoff is compelling,” Lockhart said Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Federal Open Market Committee is considering tightening policy at its next meeting Dec. 15-16 as the economy expands and the labor market shows signs of continued progress. Payrolls are estimated to have increased by 200,000 last month and the unemployment rate stayed at 5 percent, according to economists surveyed prior to the government report on Friday.

The Atlanta Fed official, a voting member of the FOMC this year, said employment gains have clearly met the committee’s desire for further improvement as a criterion for liftoff.

Lockhart has never dissented from an FOMC decision.

Meanwhile, Assiduous Readers with good memories will remember that on April 9 I highlighted Power Financial’s investment in WealthSimple, which led on June 22 to astonished indignation that they might not be entirely altruistic in their goals. Whatever – WealthSimple is now flexing its newly gained muscles:

Online portfolio manager Wealthsimple is gaining ground among competitors as it acquires online brokerage Canadian ShareOwner Investments Inc.

It is the first acquisition in Canada between two online advice platforms, also known as robo-advisers, and the deal reveals that Wealthsimple will now manage 10,000 clients and $400-million in client assets – financial details that have been widely anticipated in the wealth-management industry.

Currently, there are 10 Canadian online portfolio manager platforms, including one in development with BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., which is set to launch its offering in early 2016.

Wealthsimple entered the market in September, 2014, and quickly grabbed the attention of investment giant Power Financial Corp., which invested $10-million in the company this year and has an option to invest an additional $20-million. At the time, Wealthsimple had only 1,000 clients on its platform, with an unknown amount of assets under management (AUM), but founder and chief executive officer Michael Katchen has said he is aiming to reach AUM of $2-billion over the next two years.

… and Sun Life is reinforcing its global ambitions:

Canada’s Sun Life Financial Inc signalled the significance of the fast growing Indian insurance market by revealing plans on Wednesday to increase its stake in life insurance joint venture Birla Sun Life Insurance, to 49 per cent.

Toronto-based Sun Life, which currently owns 26 per cent of Birla Sun Life, is buying an additional 23 per cent in the venture from partner Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd, which will keep the remaining stake. Sun Life will spend 16.64-billion rupees ($250-million) on the purchase.

The deal, which is expected to close by March 2016, comes months after Sun Life Chief Executive Dean Connor told Reuters the company was interested in raising its stake in the venture.

Birla Sun Life Insurance is among the top five private insurers in India and aims to crack the top 3 at some point.

S Split Corp., proud issuer of SBN.PR.A, was confirmed at Pfd-3 by DBRS:

DBRS Limited (DBRS) has today confirmed the rating of Preferred Shares (the Preferred Shares) issued by S Split Corp. (the Company) at Pfd-3.

The net proceeds from the initial offering were used to purchase a portfolio of common shares of the Bank of Nova Scotia (the BNS Shares). Dividends received from the BNS Shares are used to pay a fixed cumulative monthly dividend to the holders of the Preferred Shares equal to 5.25% per annum. Based on the most recent dividend paid on the BNS Shares, the dividend income net of management fees and other expenses is expected to cover approximately 44% of the Preferred Share distributions. As of November 26, 2015, the Portfolio provides downside protection of approximately 39% to the Preferred Shares.

The Company aims to provide the holders of the Class A Shares with regular monthly cash distributions in an amount targeted to be 6% per annum on the net asset value (NAV) of the Class A Shares. These distributions result in an average annual grind on the NAV of approximately 2.3% for the next five years. No distributions will be paid to the Class A Shares if the asset coverage available to the Preferred Shares drops below 1.65 times. Furthermore, no special distributions will be paid to the Class A Shares if the payment would drop the Company NAV to less than $25; however, special distributions may be made to mitigate any potential tax liabilities to the Company. The combination of the asset coverage test and the Class A Share distributions being based on the Company NAV provides capital preservation for holders of the Preferred Shares.

It appears that preferred share investors are taking inspiration from old WW2 stories:

dive
Click for Big

It was another awful day for the Canadian preferred share market, with PerpetualDiscounts down 49bp, FixedResets losing 92bp and DeemedRetractibles off 16bp. The Performance Highlights table is comprised entirely of losers, almost all FixedResets. Volume was quite high.

PerpetualDiscounts now yield 5.63%, equivalent to 7.32% interest at the standard equivalency factor of 1.3x. Long corporates now yield a little over 4.2%, so the pre-tax interest-equivalent spread (in this context, the “Seniority Spread”) is now about 310bp, a widening from the 300bp reported November 26.

For as long as the FixedReset market is so violently unsettled, I’ll keep publishing updates of the more interesting and meaningful series of FixedResets’ Implied Volatilities. This doesn’t include Enbridge because although Enbridge has a large number of issues outstanding, all of which are quite liquid, the range of Issue Reset Spreads is too small for decent conclusions. The low is 212bp (ENB.PR.H; second-lowest is ENB.PR.D at 237bp) and the high is a mere 268 for ENB.PF.G.

Remember that all rich /cheap assessments are:
» based on Implied Volatility Theory only
» are relative only to other FixedResets from the same issuer
» assume constant GOC-5 yield
» assume constant Implied Volatility
» assume constant spread

Here’s TRP:

impVol_TRP_151202
Click for Big

TRP.PR.E, which resets 2019-10-30 at +235, is bid at 18.85 to be $1.18 rich, while TRP.PR.C, resetting 2016-1-30 at +154, is $1.22 cheap at its bid price of 12.10.

impVol_MFC_151202
Click for Big

Most expensive is MFC.PR.H, resetting at +313bp on 2017-3-19, bid at 23.40 to be 0.42 rich, while MFC.PR.K, resetting at +222bp on 2018-9-19, is bid at 18.65 to be 0.57 cheap.

impVol_BAM_151202
Click for Big

The cheapest issue relative to its peers is BAM.PR.R, resetting at +230bp on 2016-6-30, bid at 15.40 to be $1.44 cheap. BAM.PF.G, resetting at +284bp on 2020-6-30 is bid at 20.60 and appears to be $0.92 rich.

impVol_FTS_151202
Click for Big

FTS.PR.K, with a spread of +205bp, and bid at 18.25, looks $0.75 expensive and resets 2019-3-1. FTS.PR.G, with a spread of +213bp and resetting 2018-9-1, is bid at 17.10 and is $0.82 cheap.

pairs_FR_151202
Click for Big

Investment-grade pairs predict an average three-month bill yield over the next five-odd years of -0.58%, with no outliers. There is one junk outlier below -1.50%.

pairs_FF_151202
Click for Big

Shall we just say that this exhibits a high level of confidence in the continued rapacity of Canadian banks?

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 4.46 % 5.38 % 35,218 17.41 1 -1.6129 % 1,740.7
FixedFloater 6.36 % 5.60 % 29,163 16.76 1 -1.1258 % 3,067.0
Floater 4.33 % 4.36 % 84,507 16.61 3 -1.6521 % 1,823.9
OpRet 4.86 % 3.73 % 28,474 0.73 1 0.1589 % 2,740.8
SplitShare 4.76 % 5.54 % 127,686 4.32 5 -0.0962 % 3,218.0
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 -0.0962 % 2,510.8
Perpetual-Premium 5.76 % -1.93 % 89,736 0.09 6 -0.2354 % 2,522.9
Perpetual-Discount 5.59 % 5.63 % 92,933 14.41 33 -0.4897 % 2,562.9
FixedReset 5.09 % 4.75 % 227,125 15.01 76 -0.9241 % 2,018.2
Deemed-Retractible 5.16 % 5.22 % 122,799 5.36 33 -0.1618 % 2,594.7
FloatingReset 2.66 % 3.84 % 63,980 5.72 10 -0.4768 % 2,170.2
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
SLF.PR.G FixedReset -4.28 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.55
Bid-YTW : 9.12 %
BAM.PR.K Floater -4.05 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 10.65
Evaluated at bid price : 10.65
Bid-YTW : 4.50 %
IFC.PR.C FixedReset -3.51 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.96
Bid-YTW : 7.47 %
VNR.PR.A FixedReset -3.23 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 19.17
Evaluated at bid price : 19.17
Bid-YTW : 5.03 %
FTS.PR.G FixedReset -3.17 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 17.10
Evaluated at bid price : 17.10
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %
MFC.PR.K FixedReset -2.71 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.65
Bid-YTW : 7.21 %
BAM.PR.R FixedReset -2.47 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 15.40
Evaluated at bid price : 15.40
Bid-YTW : 5.45 %
RY.PR.O Perpetual-Discount -2.42 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 22.23
Evaluated at bid price : 22.60
Bid-YTW : 5.44 %
FTS.PR.H FixedReset -2.41 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 14.20
Evaluated at bid price : 14.20
Bid-YTW : 4.25 %
MFC.PR.H FixedReset -2.17 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.40
Bid-YTW : 5.01 %
BAM.PR.T FixedReset -2.04 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 15.85
Evaluated at bid price : 15.85
Bid-YTW : 5.39 %
BAM.PR.Z FixedReset -2.00 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 20.10
Evaluated at bid price : 20.10
Bid-YTW : 5.07 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset -1.96 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 18.04
Evaluated at bid price : 18.04
Bid-YTW : 4.81 %
TRP.PR.G FixedReset -1.96 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 20.05
Evaluated at bid price : 20.05
Bid-YTW : 4.84 %
BAM.PF.B FixedReset -1.91 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 18.50
Evaluated at bid price : 18.50
Bid-YTW : 5.07 %
MFC.PR.I FixedReset -1.87 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.06
Bid-YTW : 5.57 %
NA.PR.W FixedReset -1.83 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 17.70
Evaluated at bid price : 17.70
Bid-YTW : 4.75 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset -1.83 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 18.25
Evaluated at bid price : 18.25
Bid-YTW : 4.33 %
IFC.PR.A FixedReset -1.82 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.20
Bid-YTW : 8.99 %
PWF.PR.T FixedReset -1.81 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 21.96
Evaluated at bid price : 22.30
Bid-YTW : 3.86 %
TRP.PR.C FixedReset -1.71 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 12.10
Evaluated at bid price : 12.10
Bid-YTW : 5.15 %
CU.PR.H Perpetual-Discount -1.67 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 23.30
Evaluated at bid price : 23.60
Bid-YTW : 5.58 %
IAG.PR.G FixedReset -1.62 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.85
Bid-YTW : 5.62 %
BAM.PR.E Ratchet -1.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 15.25
Bid-YTW : 5.38 %
TRP.PR.A FixedReset -1.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 15.60
Evaluated at bid price : 15.60
Bid-YTW : 4.70 %
GWO.PR.N FixedReset -1.48 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.35
Bid-YTW : 10.16 %
CU.PR.G Perpetual-Discount -1.41 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 20.26
Evaluated at bid price : 20.26
Bid-YTW : 5.59 %
HSE.PR.A FixedReset -1.39 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 12.80
Evaluated at bid price : 12.80
Bid-YTW : 5.19 %
PWF.PR.S Perpetual-Discount -1.37 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 21.36
Evaluated at bid price : 21.66
Bid-YTW : 5.59 %
CM.PR.Q FixedReset -1.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 20.50
Evaluated at bid price : 20.50
Bid-YTW : 4.54 %
CU.PR.C FixedReset -1.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 19.30
Evaluated at bid price : 19.30
Bid-YTW : 4.39 %
SLF.PR.I FixedReset -1.30 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.25
Bid-YTW : 5.84 %
BAM.PF.E FixedReset -1.26 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 18.75
Evaluated at bid price : 18.75
Bid-YTW : 5.04 %
BAM.PR.X FixedReset -1.26 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 14.85
Evaluated at bid price : 14.85
Bid-YTW : 4.96 %
MFC.PR.L FixedReset -1.25 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.00
Bid-YTW : 7.05 %
MFC.PR.M FixedReset -1.24 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.95
Bid-YTW : 6.56 %
RY.PR.J FixedReset -1.18 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 20.06
Evaluated at bid price : 20.06
Bid-YTW : 4.58 %
HSE.PR.C FixedReset -1.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 19.77
Evaluated at bid price : 19.77
Bid-YTW : 5.26 %
IAG.PR.A Deemed-Retractible -1.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.60
Bid-YTW : 6.58 %
TD.PR.T FloatingReset -1.13 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.80
Bid-YTW : 3.62 %
BAM.PR.G FixedFloater -1.13 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.93
Bid-YTW : 5.60 %
PWF.PR.P FixedReset -1.11 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 14.28
Evaluated at bid price : 14.28
Bid-YTW : 4.46 %
RY.PR.N Perpetual-Discount -1.08 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 22.63
Evaluated at bid price : 22.97
Bid-YTW : 5.36 %
MFC.PR.J FixedReset -1.05 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.71
Bid-YTW : 6.14 %
BAM.PF.A FixedReset -1.05 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 19.85
Evaluated at bid price : 19.85
Bid-YTW : 5.04 %
BMO.PR.W FixedReset -1.04 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 18.04
Evaluated at bid price : 18.04
Bid-YTW : 4.57 %
TD.PF.D FixedReset -1.02 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 20.35
Evaluated at bid price : 20.35
Bid-YTW : 4.57 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
TRP.PR.D FixedReset 72,847 RBC crossed 37,000 at 18.10.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 18.04
Evaluated at bid price : 18.04
Bid-YTW : 4.81 %
RY.PR.Z FixedReset 51,883 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 18.28
Evaluated at bid price : 18.28
Bid-YTW : 4.53 %
TRP.PR.E FixedReset 45,833 Scotia crossed 10,000 at 19.06.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 18.85
Evaluated at bid price : 18.85
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %
TRP.PR.A FixedReset 36,725 RBC crossed 20,000 at 15.78.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 15.60
Evaluated at bid price : 15.60
Bid-YTW : 4.70 %
RY.PR.O Perpetual-Discount 34,450 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 22.23
Evaluated at bid price : 22.60
Bid-YTW : 5.44 %
RY.PR.H FixedReset 30,613 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 18.37
Evaluated at bid price : 18.37
Bid-YTW : 4.55 %
There were 54 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
HSE.PR.C FixedReset Quote: 19.77 – 21.62
Spot Rate : 1.8500
Average : 1.0748

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 19.77
Evaluated at bid price : 19.77
Bid-YTW : 5.26 %

BAM.PR.K Floater Quote: 10.65 – 11.29
Spot Rate : 0.6400
Average : 0.3979

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 10.65
Evaluated at bid price : 10.65
Bid-YTW : 4.50 %

IGM.PR.B Perpetual-Premium Quote: 25.29 – 26.22
Spot Rate : 0.9300
Average : 0.7234

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 24.94
Evaluated at bid price : 25.29
Bid-YTW : 5.89 %

VNR.PR.A FixedReset Quote: 19.17 – 19.75
Spot Rate : 0.5800
Average : 0.3975

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 19.17
Evaluated at bid price : 19.17
Bid-YTW : 5.03 %

RY.PR.O Perpetual-Discount Quote: 22.60 – 23.06
Spot Rate : 0.4600
Average : 0.2809

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 22.23
Evaluated at bid price : 22.60
Bid-YTW : 5.44 %

HSE.PR.E FixedReset Quote: 21.11 – 21.60
Spot Rate : 0.4900
Average : 0.3471

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-02
Maturity Price : 21.11
Evaluated at bid price : 21.11
Bid-YTW : 5.33 %

Market Action

December 1, 2015

Advanced students of economics, confidently exploring the most arcane niches of their field, will be fascinated to learn that after an extensive investigation, a US Senate committee has learned that private companies seek to maximize revenue:

The makers of a breakthrough drug for hepatitis C put profits before patients in pricing the $1,000 pill that cures the liver-wasting disease, U.S. Senate investigators said Tuesday.

A bipartisan report from the Senate Finance Committee concluded that California-based Gilead Sciences was focused on maximizing revenue even as the company’s own analysis showed a lower price would allow more patients to be treated.

Although the report focused on just one drug that has made headlines in the last few years, the lawmakers who led the investigation said their findings are a warning about what’s to come with other high-priced treatments for cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and HIV.

“Gilead responsibly and thoughtfully priced Sovaldi and Harvoni,” said the company’s statement, noting that more than 600,000 patients have been treated worldwide since the introduction of Sovaldi two years ago.

But Wyden and Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican, said their 18-month investigation found that the high price tag significantly limited patient access and heaped huge costs on federal and state health care programs.

Other conclusions from the report:

— Gilead priced its first hepatitis C drug — Sovaldi — with an eye toward maximizing future returns from its follow-on medication, Harvoni.

— Gilead offered only meagre supplemental discounts to state Medicaid programs, and conditioned those on the states’ dropping any restrictions on patient access. The supplemental discounts of around 10 per cent would have been on top off other discounts that Medicaid programs get by law.

“The evidence shows the company pursued a calculated scheme for pricing and marketing its hepatitis C drug based on one primary goal – maximizing revenue – regardless of the human consequences,” said Wyden.

This startling conclusion will have the economics field abuzz for years – it’s revolutionary!

There will, of course, be the usual grousers who don’t like this idea; PrefBlog humbly suggests that they fund development of their own damn drugs:

A global coalition of charities and funding bodies has been formed to invest up to £30 million into restarting the development of promising drug candidates for neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia, motor neurone disease and Parkinson’s disease. The Neurodegeneration Medicines Acceleration Programme (Neuro-MAP), led by medical research charity MRC Technology, will identify promising drug projects that are no longer in development by the industry and help scientists to take them forward to the next stage, before returning them to pharmaceutical companies for further development into marketable treatments.

As a coalition of 9 charities and funders, Neuro-MAP will help ensure that the potential of fundamental early stage research into neurodegenerative disease is realised, taking promising drug candidates forward towards clinical testing. It will also look to repurpose existing drugs and compounds for other conditions, for example, the use of hypertension drugs for the treatment of vascular dementia. The programme protects both charities’ and pharma’s investment and allows charities to maximise their impact on patient’s quality of life.

Partners in the Neuro–MAP are: Alzheimer’s Association US, Alzheimer Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society UK, ALS Association, Michael J Fox Foundation, MND Association, MRC Technology, Northern Health Science Alliance and Parkinson’s UK.

Some pioneering cranks have been doing this for some time:

The Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation has sold royalty rights to treatments developed with support from its ‘venture philantrophy’ model. Royalty pharma – which accumulates royalty payments from established drugs – paid $3.3 billion for royalties on Vertex pharmaceuticals’ Kalydeco (ivacaftor).

The venture philanthropy model, adopted in the late 1990s, sees the foundation provide upfront funding for pharmaceutical companies to help reduce the financial risk of developing drugs to treat CF. It gave a total of $150 million to Vertex to support the company’s CF drug development program.

The funding provided by the CF Foundation is exclusively for the use of specific, negotiated CF research projects with a biotech or pharmaceutical company. ‘We negotiate legal agreements with strict parameters to ensure that every dollar invested is in the best interest of advancing [our] mission,’ a foundation spokesperson explained. ‘Virtually every CF drug available to patients in the US was made possible because of Foundation support.’

In an exclusive interview, a PrefBlog spokesman stated “I don’t expect anything much to come of it in Canada. People aren’t too bright and would rather pay crackheads to sleep on the streets.”

I am happy to report that the Sprott Silver battle continues, with a press release yesterday from Sprott:

Desperate Attempt by the Spicers to Preserve Fees

Proposed Transaction Betrays the Principles of Physical Bullion Investing and Subjects Unitholders to Increased Risks, Including Risk of Significant Redemptions

Previous Bullion Fund to ETF Conversion by Purpose’s Predecessor Resulted in Immediate and Massive Redemptions

Purpose Investments Can Walk Away With no Penalty After April 30, 2016, and GTU and SBT’s Paid Financial Advisor Hasn’t Provided a Fairness Opinion on the Transaction

No Credible Reason to Believe That the Proposed ETF Conversions Can be Completed – the Transaction May be Nothing More Than a Defensive Tactic

John Wilson, CEO of Sprott Asset Management, said, “The Purpose Investments transaction is an illogical proposition for GTU and SBT unitholders who made the choice to invest in a security fully backed by physical bullion. Unitholders should feel betrayed by the Trustees. After suffering from significant underperformance, gross mismanagement and questionable side payments to the Trustees and other friends of the Spicer family, unitholders are now faced with a Spicer-negotiated transaction that protects their fees and hypocritically tries to promote liquidity, marketing support and enhanced asset scale. These qualities are just a few of the benefits that Sprott is offering GTU and SBT unitholders, but at a premium and with certainty. Most importantly, through the Sprott offers, unitholders do not lose the distinct investment quality of holding bullion directly.”

Silver Bullion Trust has fired back:

Bruce Heagle, Chair of the Special Committee of Independent Trustees, stated: “It is regrettable but not surprising that Sprott’s latest press commentary delivers alarmist criticism and confusion in order to forward their own agenda. Sprott is the desperate party in this debate – they are seeking to draw attention away from the obvious deficiencies of their offer relative to the proposed ETF conversion. Your Independent Trustees recommend that unitholders ignore Sprott’s fear-mongering accusations, as Sprott is seeking to prevent unitholders from considering a better alternative to their inadequate, self-serving offer, which has yet to garner sufficient unitholder support despite seven extensions. All of the pertinent information regarding the proposed ETF conversion and its benefits to unitholders relative to Sprott’s offer will be in the Information Circular, which will be sent to unitholders shortly. Upon review of the forthcoming Information Circular and the benefits of the ETF conversion, I am confident that you will reach the same conclusion as your Independent Trustees: that the proposed ETF conversion in partnership with Purpose Investments is clearly a superior alternative to Sprott’s deficient offer. We thank unitholders for their patience and continued support of Silver Bullion Trust.”

There were two issues of bank NVCC-compliant sub-debt today – one from BMO:

Bank of Montreal (TSX:BMO)(NYSE:BMO) today announced a domestic public offering of $1 billion of subordinated notes (Non-Viability Contingent Capital (NVCC)) (the “Notes”) through its Canadian Medium-Term Note Program. The net proceeds from this offering will be used for general corporate purposes.

The Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 3.34 per cent per annum (paid semi-annually) until December 8, 2020, and at the three-month Bankers’ Acceptance Rate plus 2.18 per cent thereafter (paid quarterly) until their maturity on December 8, 2025. The expected closing date is December 8, 2015. BMO Capital Markets is acting as lead agent on the issue.

… and one from Scotia:

The Bank of Nova Scotia (“Scotiabank”) (TSX:BNS) (NYSE:BNS) today announced a Basel III-compliant offering of $750 million of 3.367% Subordinated Debentures due 2025 (the “Debentures”) pursuant to its June 27, 2014 base shelf prospectus.

The Debentures, to be sold through an agency syndicate led by Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets, are expected to be issued on December 8, 2015. Interest will be payable semi-annually from the date of issue until December 8, 2020 at 3.367% per annum. From December 8, 2020 to maturity on December 8, 2025, the Debentures will pay a quarterly coupon at a rate of the 90 day bankers’ acceptance plus 2.19%, beginning March 8, 2021.

The mechanics of NVCC-compliant sub-debt were discussed in the post Royal Bank Issues NVCC-Compliant Sub-Debt. It’s interesting to see that that issue, from July 2014, was issued at 3.04%, resetting ha-ha to BAs+108 after their pretend-maturity. That was at a time when:

[July, 2014] The Canada 10-year is trading at around 2.20%, the five year around 1.55% and three-month BAs a little above 1.20%.

Great-West Lifeco was supposed to have supposed to have advised bank-owned CDS of the reset rate on GWO.PR.N today, but neither the company, nor bank-owned CDS, nor regulatorally run SEDAR has any news for you, you disgusting retail scum. Phone your broker and ask this simple question if you can get through the voice-menu, and while you’re at it, be sure to ask if he has any new issues he can sell you; if not, mail him a cheque anyway. This will help build a stronger Canada.

It was another mixed, mostly negative day for the Canadian preferred share market, with PerpetualDiscounts off 12bp, FixedResets down 33bp and DeemedRetractibles gaining 5bp. The Performance Highlights table is dominated by losers. Volume continued to be extremely high.

For as long as the FixedReset market is so violently unsettled, I’ll keep publishing updates of the more interesting and meaningful series of FixedResets’ Implied Volatilities. This doesn’t include Enbridge because although Enbridge has a large number of issues outstanding, all of which are quite liquid, the range of Issue Reset Spreads is too small for decent conclusions. The low is 212bp (ENB.PR.H; second-lowest is ENB.PR.D at 237bp) and the high is a mere 268 for ENB.PF.G.

Remember that all rich /cheap assessments are:
» based on Implied Volatility Theory only
» are relative only to other FixedResets from the same issuer
» assume constant GOC-5 yield
» assume constant Implied Volatility
» assume constant spread

Here’s TRP:

impVol_TRP_151201
Click for Big

TRP.PR.E, which resets 2019-10-30 at +235, is bid at 18.85 to be $0.96 rich, while TRP.PR.C, resetting 2016-1-30 at +154, is $1.12 cheap at its bid price of 12.31.

impVol_MFC_151201
Click for Big

Most expensive is MFC.PR.H, resetting at +313bp on 2017-3-19, bid at 23.92 to be 0.54 rich, while MFC.PR.G, resetting at +290bp on 2018-3-19, is bid at 22.13 to be 0.43 cheap.

impVol_BAM_151201
Click for Big

The cheapest issue relative to its peers is BAM.PR.R, resetting at +230bp on 2016-6-30, bid at 15.79 to be $1.25 cheap. BAM.PF.G, resetting at +284bp on 2020-6-30 is bid at 20.65 and appears to be $0.72 rich.

impVol_FTS_151201
Click for Big

FTS.PR.K, with a spread of +205bp, and bid at 18.59, looks $0.77 expensive and resets 2019-3-1. FTS.PR.G, with a spread of +213bp and resetting 2018-9-1, is bid at 17.66 and is $0.57 cheap.

pairs_FR_151201A
Click for Big

Investment-grade pairs predict an average three-month bill yield over the next five-odd years of -0.60%, with no outliers. There is one junk outlier below -1.50%.

pairs_FF_151201
Click for Big

Shall we just say that this exhibits a high level of confidence in the continued rapacity of Canadian banks?

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 4.39 % 5.29 % 35,553 17.52 1 -0.6410 % 1,769.2
FixedFloater 6.29 % 5.53 % 29,440 16.85 1 -0.1323 % 3,101.9
Floater 4.26 % 4.31 % 84,461 16.71 3 -0.1200 % 1,854.5
OpRet 4.86 % 3.93 % 28,900 0.73 1 -0.2772 % 2,736.5
SplitShare 4.76 % 5.45 % 128,859 4.32 5 0.2219 % 3,221.1
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.2219 % 2,513.3
Perpetual-Premium 5.75 % -2.12 % 89,722 0.09 6 -0.1241 % 2,528.9
Perpetual-Discount 5.56 % 5.63 % 93,562 14.44 33 -0.1153 % 2,575.6
FixedReset 5.04 % 4.68 % 225,378 15.09 76 -0.3315 % 2,037.0
Deemed-Retractible 5.16 % 4.74 % 123,395 5.36 33 0.0458 % 2,598.9
FloatingReset 2.65 % 3.74 % 64,767 5.73 10 -0.7126 % 2,180.6
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
TRP.PR.C FixedReset -2.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 12.31
Evaluated at bid price : 12.31
Bid-YTW : 5.06 %
MFC.PR.N FixedReset -2.57 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.07
Bid-YTW : 6.40 %
MFC.PR.M FixedReset -2.42 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.20
Bid-YTW : 6.39 %
TRP.PR.E FixedReset -2.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 18.85
Evaluated at bid price : 18.85
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %
MFC.PR.G FixedReset -2.30 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.13
Bid-YTW : 5.50 %
TRP.PR.F FloatingReset -2.01 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 13.62
Evaluated at bid price : 13.62
Bid-YTW : 4.34 %
RY.PR.H FixedReset -1.78 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 18.21
Evaluated at bid price : 18.21
Bid-YTW : 4.59 %
NA.PR.W FixedReset -1.74 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 18.03
Evaluated at bid price : 18.03
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %
NA.PR.S FixedReset -1.60 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 18.42
Evaluated at bid price : 18.42
Bid-YTW : 4.74 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset -1.59 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 18.59
Evaluated at bid price : 18.59
Bid-YTW : 4.25 %
BIP.PR.A FixedReset -1.45 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 20.40
Evaluated at bid price : 20.40
Bid-YTW : 5.50 %
MFC.PR.I FixedReset -1.40 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.48
Bid-YTW : 5.31 %
BNS.PR.C FloatingReset -1.22 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.72
Bid-YTW : 3.97 %
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset -1.20 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 10.67
Evaluated at bid price : 10.67
Bid-YTW : 4.04 %
PWF.PR.P FixedReset -1.16 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 14.44
Evaluated at bid price : 14.44
Bid-YTW : 4.41 %
BAM.PR.T FixedReset -1.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 16.18
Evaluated at bid price : 16.18
Bid-YTW : 5.27 %
HSE.PR.A FixedReset -1.07 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 12.98
Evaluated at bid price : 12.98
Bid-YTW : 5.12 %
CM.PR.P FixedReset -1.06 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 17.76
Evaluated at bid price : 17.76
Bid-YTW : 4.70 %
IGM.PR.B Perpetual-Premium -1.01 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2017-12-31
Maturity Price : 25.25
Evaluated at bid price : 25.54
Bid-YTW : 5.53 %
CU.PR.C FixedReset 1.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 19.56
Evaluated at bid price : 19.56
Bid-YTW : 4.33 %
HSE.PR.G FixedReset 1.71 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 21.36
Evaluated at bid price : 21.36
Bid-YTW : 5.25 %
HSE.PR.C FixedReset 2.41 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 20.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.00
Bid-YTW : 5.19 %
SLF.PR.G FixedReset 2.70 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 15.20
Bid-YTW : 8.55 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
BNS.PR.R FixedReset 89,000 Nesbitt crossed 30,000 at 24.80; TD crossed 49,900 at the same price.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.80
Bid-YTW : 3.57 %
IFC.PR.A FixedReset 61,200 Desjardins crossed 50,000 at 16.45.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.50
Bid-YTW : 8.73 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset 53,830 RBC crossed 25,000 at 18.58.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 18.40
Evaluated at bid price : 18.40
Bid-YTW : 4.71 %
TRP.PR.B FixedReset 52,226 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 11.70
Evaluated at bid price : 11.70
Bid-YTW : 4.68 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset 32,436 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 19.65
Evaluated at bid price : 19.65
Bid-YTW : 4.54 %
TD.PF.B FixedReset 30,295 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 18.45
Evaluated at bid price : 18.45
Bid-YTW : 4.53 %
There were 64 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
TRP.PR.E FixedReset Quote: 18.85 – 19.31
Spot Rate : 0.4600
Average : 0.2872

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 18.85
Evaluated at bid price : 18.85
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %

BNS.PR.C FloatingReset Quote: 22.72 – 23.13
Spot Rate : 0.4100
Average : 0.3019

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.72
Bid-YTW : 3.97 %

RY.PR.J FixedReset Quote: 20.30 – 20.59
Spot Rate : 0.2900
Average : 0.1837

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 20.30
Evaluated at bid price : 20.30
Bid-YTW : 4.52 %

GWO.PR.F Deemed-Retractible Quote: 25.37 – 25.67
Spot Rate : 0.3000
Average : 0.2000

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2015-12-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.37
Bid-YTW : -17.11 %

TD.PF.F Perpetual-Discount Quote: 23.25 – 23.50
Spot Rate : 0.2500
Average : 0.1549

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-12-01
Maturity Price : 22.87
Evaluated at bid price : 23.25
Bid-YTW : 5.31 %

TD.PR.S FixedReset Quote: 24.33 – 24.66
Spot Rate : 0.3300
Average : 0.2355

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.33
Bid-YTW : 3.45 %

Market Action

November 30, 2015

I have a lot of sympathy for the central bankers of the world, as I’ve mentioned before: they cut policy yields to the bone, hoping thereby to get consumers spending and business investing, but all that happens is people drive up the value of real estate. It will take a long period of declines and stagnation before people look upon their houses merely as a place to live, and that hasn’t started happening yet!

To address this problem of what can credibly be argued is misdirected investment – into non-productive assets – politicians from all over have played God with their economies, micromanaging mortgage rules to ensure that only the right sort of people can get financing for real-estate. I deplore this, while at the same time agreeing that a problem is demonstrable.

I would prefer a broader-brush approach to bank capital, based on the precept that while change can be good or bad, rapid changes of emphasis in the economy are very often bad, evidence of bubbles rather than shifts in demand. For instance, mortgages as a share of Canadian bank assets increased from 30% to 40%, fueled by an enormous expansion of CMHC guarantees, and while I would not go so far as to say that is definitive proof of a bubble, I will say that it’s a big change and should be addressed in a cautious manner.

There are two approaches that can be taken: the first is to insist that for risk-management purposes, the loan-to-value ratio of a mortgage be calculated not according to the sale price or to the appraised value, but to an estimate of what this would have been five or ten years ago, adjusted for inflation. So, for instance, if we have a house that sold in 2014 for $567,000 and has a mortgage of $400,000, we would now currently say the LTV is 71%. I suggest that for regulatory risk purposes we use the 2009 price of $395,000, add on 10% to reflect plain vanilla inflation for a notional value of $435,000, and say OK, you’ve got to put up capital reflecting this notional LTV of 92%, which is a different kettle of fish altogether.

The second approach would simply say … 40% of your balance sheet is now mortgages, the average over the last ten years is 30%, the difference is 10% and 10% of that is 1%, so there’s a countercyclical capital surcharge of 1% that will be applied to your risk weighted assets. A solution would need to be more detailed, with meaningful categorizations of bank assets and threshold values for surcharges so that slow change is not discouraged, but that’s the general idea.

An Australian change of mortgage risk-weights last summer:

Under rules coming into force on July 1, 2016, the average risk weight on residential mortgage exposures will rise to at least 25 percent from about 16 percent, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority said in a statement.

The regulator is forcing banks to shore up their capital after a government review last December recommended they should rank among the top 25 percent of lenders globally. The capital increase forms part of the regulators’ attempt to ensure the financial system can cope with any downturn in the housing market, where prices have climbed almost 30 percent in the past three years.

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank Ltd., Westpac Banking Corp. and Macquarie Group Ltd. will be affected by the new rules, which equate to increasing minimum capital requirements by about 80 basis points, APRA said. The cost of holding more capital may force the lenders to raise their mortgage rates, according to Morningstar Inc. and Bell Potter Securities Ltd.

… and the change appears to have had some effect:

Sydney home prices fell the most in five years in November as a regulatory crackdown forces banks to tighten lending and increase mortgage rates.

Dwelling values in Australia’s largest city dropped 1.4 percent from a month earlier, data from property researcher CoreLogic Inc. showed on Tuesday. That was the biggest drop since December 2010 and the first decline since May. Prices across the nation’s capital cities declined 1.5 percent, with Melbourne leading with a 3.5 percent decrease.

“The fact that mortgage rates have risen independently of the cash rate has, in all likelihood, become a contributor to the slowdown in housing market conditions,” Tim Lawless, head of research at the firm, said in an e-mailed statement. “Tighter mortgage servicing criteria across the board and affordability constraints in the Sydney and Melbourne markets are also having an impact on market demand.”

The drop in home prices is yet another indicator of the cooling Sydney property market after mortgage rates close to five-decade lows and buying by foreigners sent prices up 44 percent in the past three years.

The regulator’s justification for the increase makes much more sense than the micro-economic arguments we’re hearing from Ottawa and the UK!

And in today’s drone news, Amazon has released videos and pictures about its developing Prime Air delivery service!

prime-air_02
Click for Big

It was another mixed day for the Canadian preferred share market, with PerpetualDiscounts up 30bp, FixedResets off 42bp and DeemedRetractibles gaining 14bp. FixedResets comprised all of the bad part of the Performance Highlights table. Volume was extremely high.

For as long as the FixedReset market is so violently unsettled, I’ll keep publishing updates of the more interesting and meaningful series of FixedResets’ Implied Volatilities. This doesn’t include Enbridge because although Enbridge has a large number of issues outstanding, all of which are quite liquid, the range of Issue Reset Spreads is too small for decent conclusions. The low is 212bp (ENB.PR.H; second-lowest is ENB.PR.D at 237bp) and the high is a mere 268 for ENB.PF.G.

Remember that all rich /cheap assessments are:
» based on Implied Volatility Theory only
» are relative only to other FixedResets from the same issuer
» assume constant GOC-5 yield
» assume constant Implied Volatility
» assume constant spread

Here’s TRP:

impVol_TRP_151130
Click for Big

TRP.PR.E, which resets 2019-10-30 at +235, is bid at 19.30 to be $1.30 rich, while TRP.PR.C, resetting 2016-1-30 at +154, is $0.95 cheap at its bid price of 12.64.

impVol_MFC_151130
Click for Big

Most expensive is MFC.PR.N, resetting at +230bp on 2020-3-19, bid at 20.60 to be 0.49 rich, while MFC.PR.J, resetting at +261bp on 2018-3-19, is bid at 21.00 to be 0.62 cheap.

impVol_BAM_151130
Click for Big

The cheapest issue relative to its peers is BAM.PR.R, resetting at +230bp on 2016-6-30, bid at 15.90 to be $1.16 cheap. BAM.PR.X, resetting at +180bp on 2017-6-30 is bid at 15.16 and appears to be $0.77 rich.

impVol_BAM_151130
Click for Big

FTS.PR.K, with a spread of +205bp, and bid at 18.89, looks $0.92 expensive and resets 2019-3-1. FTS.PR.G, with a spread of +213bp and resetting 2018-9-1, is bid at 17.82 and is $0.58 cheap.

pairs_FR_151130
Click for Big

Investment-grade pairs predict an average three-month bill yield over the next five-odd years of -0.35%, with no outliers. There is one junk outlier below -1.50%.

pairs_FF_151130
Click for Big

Shall we just say that this exhibits a high level of confidence in the continued rapacity of Canadian banks?

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 4.37 % 5.25 % 35,717 17.57 1 -0.3831 % 1,780.6
FixedFloater 6.28 % 5.53 % 28,774 16.86 1 -0.5263 % 3,106.0
Floater 4.25 % 4.31 % 87,423 16.71 3 3.1889 % 1,856.8
OpRet 4.85 % 3.54 % 28,050 0.74 1 0.1190 % 2,744.1
SplitShare 4.77 % 5.64 % 128,712 4.32 5 -0.2645 % 3,214.0
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 -0.2645 % 2,507.7
Perpetual-Premium 5.74 % -5.60 % 89,084 0.09 6 0.2357 % 2,532.0
Perpetual-Discount 5.55 % 5.59 % 92,851 14.47 33 0.3031 % 2,578.5
FixedReset 5.02 % 4.66 % 224,971 14.99 76 -0.4183 % 2,043.8
Deemed-Retractible 5.14 % 5.14 % 122,615 5.36 33 0.1423 % 2,597.7
FloatingReset 2.63 % 3.61 % 65,192 5.73 10 0.4807 % 2,196.3
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
FTS.PR.G FixedReset -2.52 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 17.82
Evaluated at bid price : 17.82
Bid-YTW : 4.47 %
MFC.PR.J FixedReset -2.51 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.00
Bid-YTW : 5.95 %
BAM.PF.B FixedReset -1.93 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 18.85
Evaluated at bid price : 18.85
Bid-YTW : 4.97 %
TRP.PR.A FixedReset -1.87 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 15.75
Evaluated at bid price : 15.75
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %
BAM.PR.R FixedReset -1.79 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 15.90
Evaluated at bid price : 15.90
Bid-YTW : 5.27 %
SLF.PR.G FixedReset -1.73 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.80
Bid-YTW : 8.89 %
RY.PR.M FixedReset -1.67 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 20.06
Evaluated at bid price : 20.06
Bid-YTW : 4.46 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset -1.65 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 18.48
Evaluated at bid price : 18.48
Bid-YTW : 4.69 %
BAM.PF.F FixedReset -1.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 20.34
Evaluated at bid price : 20.34
Bid-YTW : 4.92 %
HSE.PR.G FixedReset -1.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 21.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.00
Bid-YTW : 5.34 %
BMO.PR.S FixedReset -1.44 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 19.16
Evaluated at bid price : 19.16
Bid-YTW : 4.45 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset -1.41 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 18.89
Evaluated at bid price : 18.89
Bid-YTW : 4.18 %
BNS.PR.D FloatingReset -1.41 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.62
Bid-YTW : 5.61 %
BAM.PR.T FixedReset -1.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 16.36
Evaluated at bid price : 16.36
Bid-YTW : 5.21 %
MFC.PR.K FixedReset -1.28 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.30
Bid-YTW : 6.74 %
TRP.PR.C FixedReset -1.25 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 12.64
Evaluated at bid price : 12.64
Bid-YTW : 4.92 %
TRP.PR.B FixedReset -1.19 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 11.66
Evaluated at bid price : 11.66
Bid-YTW : 4.69 %
CM.PR.P FixedReset -1.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 17.95
Evaluated at bid price : 17.95
Bid-YTW : 4.65 %
NA.PR.Q FixedReset -1.08 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.75
Bid-YTW : 3.73 %
BNS.PR.Y FixedReset -1.07 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.30
Bid-YTW : 5.52 %
TRP.PR.E FixedReset -1.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 19.30
Evaluated at bid price : 19.30
Bid-YTW : 4.55 %
CU.PR.D Perpetual-Discount 1.00 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 21.81
Evaluated at bid price : 22.15
Bid-YTW : 5.55 %
CU.PR.E Perpetual-Discount 1.01 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 21.70
Evaluated at bid price : 22.00
Bid-YTW : 5.59 %
TD.PR.T FloatingReset 1.09 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.10
Bid-YTW : 3.39 %
CU.PR.C FixedReset 1.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 19.34
Evaluated at bid price : 19.34
Bid-YTW : 4.38 %
GWO.PR.N FixedReset 1.17 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.83
Bid-YTW : 9.82 %
MFC.PR.F FixedReset 1.22 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.91
Bid-YTW : 8.98 %
PWF.PR.G Perpetual-Premium 1.27 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2015-12-30
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.60
Bid-YTW : -16.42 %
CU.PR.H Perpetual-Discount 1.44 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 23.62
Evaluated at bid price : 23.95
Bid-YTW : 5.50 %
TD.PR.Z FloatingReset 1.54 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.06
Bid-YTW : 3.50 %
SLF.PR.H FixedReset 1.67 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 18.25
Bid-YTW : 7.22 %
IAG.PR.A Deemed-Retractible 1.68 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.80
Bid-YTW : 6.45 %
PWF.PR.T FixedReset 1.89 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 22.23
Evaluated at bid price : 22.70
Bid-YTW : 3.78 %
CU.PR.G Perpetual-Discount 1.99 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 20.50
Evaluated at bid price : 20.50
Bid-YTW : 5.52 %
BAM.PR.B Floater 2.59 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 11.10
Evaluated at bid price : 11.10
Bid-YTW : 4.31 %
BAM.PR.C Floater 3.25 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 11.13
Evaluated at bid price : 11.13
Bid-YTW : 4.30 %
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset 3.45 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 10.80
Evaluated at bid price : 10.80
Bid-YTW : 3.99 %
BAM.PR.K Floater 3.74 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 11.10
Evaluated at bid price : 11.10
Bid-YTW : 4.31 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
BNS.PR.C FloatingReset 126,134 TD crossed 125,000 at 23.05.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.00
Bid-YTW : 3.75 %
IFC.PR.A FixedReset 62,719 Desjardins crossed 42,100 at 16.45.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.39
Bid-YTW : 8.82 %
BNS.PR.R FixedReset 59,151 TD crossed 50,000 at 24.80.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.73
Bid-YTW : 3.62 %
PWF.PR.P FixedReset 43,750 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 14.61
Evaluated at bid price : 14.61
Bid-YTW : 4.36 %
TRP.PR.F FloatingReset 37,975 RBC crossed 17,300 at 13.93.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 13.90
Evaluated at bid price : 13.90
Bid-YTW : 4.25 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset 36,701 RBC crossed 17,800 at 19.15.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 18.89
Evaluated at bid price : 18.89
Bid-YTW : 4.18 %
There were 65 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
HSE.PR.G FixedReset Quote: 21.00 – 21.79
Spot Rate : 0.7900
Average : 0.4778

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 21.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.00
Bid-YTW : 5.34 %

TRP.PR.A FixedReset Quote: 15.75 – 16.39
Spot Rate : 0.6400
Average : 0.4307

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 15.75
Evaluated at bid price : 15.75
Bid-YTW : 4.66 %

MFC.PR.K FixedReset Quote: 19.30 – 19.84
Spot Rate : 0.5400
Average : 0.3452

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.30
Bid-YTW : 6.74 %

RY.PR.M FixedReset Quote: 20.06 – 20.51
Spot Rate : 0.4500
Average : 0.2849

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-30
Maturity Price : 20.06
Evaluated at bid price : 20.06
Bid-YTW : 4.46 %

MFC.PR.J FixedReset Quote: 21.00 – 21.50
Spot Rate : 0.5000
Average : 0.3371

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.00
Bid-YTW : 5.95 %

BNS.PR.D FloatingReset Quote: 19.62 – 19.99
Spot Rate : 0.3700
Average : 0.2196

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.62
Bid-YTW : 5.61 %

Market Action

November 27, 2015

Nothing happened today.

It was a moderately good day for the Canadian preferred share market today [for a change!] with PerpetualDiscounts up 13bp, FixedResets gaining 12bp and DeemedRetractibles winning 32bp. The Performance Highlights table is dominated by winners. Volume was above average.

For as long as the FixedReset market is so violently unsettled, I’ll keep publishing updates of the more interesting and meaningful series of FixedResets’ Implied Volatilities. This doesn’t include Enbridge because although Enbridge has a large number of issues outstanding, all of which are quite liquid, the range of Issue Reset Spreads is too small for decent conclusions. The low is 212bp (ENB.PR.H; second-lowest is ENB.PR.D at 237bp) and the high is a mere 268 for ENB.PF.G.

Remember that all rich /cheap assessments are:
» based on Implied Volatility Theory only
» are relative only to other FixedResets from the same issuer
» assume constant GOC-5 yield
» assume constant Implied Volatility
» assume constant spread

Here’s TRP:

impVol_TRP_151127
Click for Big

TRP.PR.E, which resets 2019-10-30 at +235, is bid at 19.50 to be $1.27 rich, while TRP.PR.C, resetting 2016-1-30 at +154, is $0.97 cheap at its bid price of 12.80.

impVol_MFC_151127
Click for Big

Most expensive is MFC.PR.N, resetting at +230bp on 2020-3-19, bid at 20.53 to be 0.36 rich, while MFC.PR.G, resetting at +290bp on 2016-12-19, is bid at 22.69 to be 0.26 cheap.

impVol_BAM_151127
Click for Big

The cheapest issue relative to its peers is BAM.PR.R, resetting at +230bp on 2016-6-30, bid at 16.19 to be $1.01 cheap. BAM.PF.G, resetting at +284bp on 2020-6-30 is bid at 20.75 and appears to be $0.68 rich.

impVol_FTS_151127
Click for Big

FTS.PR.K, with a spread of +205bp, and bid at 19.16, looks $1.04 expensive and resets 2019-3-1. FTS.PR.M, with a spread of +248bp and resetting 2019-12-1, is bid at 19.83 and is $0.44 cheap.

pairs_FR_151127
Click for Big

Investment-grade pairs predict an average three-month bill yield over the next five-odd years of -0.60%, with no outliers. There is one junk outlier below -1.50%.

pairs_FF_151127
Click for Big

Shall we just say that this exhibits a high level of confidence in the continued rapacity of Canadian banks?

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 4.35 % 5.23 % 35,879 17.60 1 -2.1250 % 1,787.5
FixedFloater 6.25 % 5.49 % 28,692 16.91 1 0.5291 % 3,122.4
Floater 4.39 % 4.44 % 85,919 16.47 3 0.7486 % 1,799.4
OpRet 4.86 % 3.66 % 29,102 0.75 1 0.0000 % 2,740.8
SplitShare 4.75 % 5.54 % 129,339 4.33 5 0.0246 % 3,222.5
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.0246 % 2,514.3
Perpetual-Premium 5.75 % -0.73 % 85,226 0.09 6 0.6657 % 2,526.1
Perpetual-Discount 5.57 % 5.63 % 90,847 14.44 33 0.1278 % 2,570.7
FixedReset 5.00 % 4.60 % 226,817 15.09 76 0.1177 % 2,052.4
Deemed-Retractible 5.14 % 5.16 % 120,161 5.37 33 0.3239 % 2,594.0
FloatingReset 2.60 % 3.74 % 65,226 5.74 10 0.2718 % 2,185.8
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
TRP.PR.H FloatingReset -5.35 % Quite real, as the price collapsed shortly before 3:30pm, while the issue traded 19,675 in a range of 10.30-10. 6,200 shares changed hands at 10.40, while another 1,000 traded at 10.41. VWAP was 10.69 and the closing quote was 10.44-79, 10×4.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 10.44
Evaluated at bid price : 10.44
Bid-YTW : 4.06 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset -4.20 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 19.83
Evaluated at bid price : 19.83
Bid-YTW : 4.51 %
MFC.PR.F FixedReset -2.64 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.73
Bid-YTW : 9.14 %
BAM.PR.E Ratchet -2.13 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 15.66
Bid-YTW : 5.23 %
TD.PF.D FixedReset -2.06 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 20.47
Evaluated at bid price : 20.47
Bid-YTW : 4.55 %
CM.PR.Q FixedReset -1.19 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 20.81
Evaluated at bid price : 20.81
Bid-YTW : 4.48 %
FTS.PR.K FixedReset 1.00 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 19.16
Evaluated at bid price : 19.16
Bid-YTW : 4.13 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset 1.02 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 18.79
Evaluated at bid price : 18.79
Bid-YTW : 4.62 %
PWF.PR.P FixedReset 1.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 14.72
Evaluated at bid price : 14.72
Bid-YTW : 4.34 %
MFC.PR.J FixedReset 1.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.54
Bid-YTW : 5.61 %
TD.PR.T FloatingReset 1.06 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.85
Bid-YTW : 3.54 %
MFC.PR.C Deemed-Retractible 1.11 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.98
Bid-YTW : 6.89 %
FTS.PR.H FixedReset 1.13 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 14.33
Evaluated at bid price : 14.33
Bid-YTW : 4.22 %
MFC.PR.H FixedReset 1.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.87
Bid-YTW : 4.74 %
TD.PR.S FixedReset 1.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.55
Bid-YTW : 3.29 %
MFC.PR.B Deemed-Retractible 1.23 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.46
Bid-YTW : 6.74 %
BNS.PR.D FloatingReset 1.32 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.90
Bid-YTW : 5.32 %
VNR.PR.A FixedReset 1.40 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 19.57
Evaluated at bid price : 19.57
Bid-YTW : 4.93 %
BAM.PF.B FixedReset 1.42 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 19.22
Evaluated at bid price : 19.22
Bid-YTW : 4.88 %
HSE.PR.G FixedReset 1.47 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 21.35
Evaluated at bid price : 21.35
Bid-YTW : 5.26 %
BAM.PR.B Floater 1.50 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 10.82
Evaluated at bid price : 10.82
Bid-YTW : 4.42 %
BAM.PR.R FixedReset 1.50 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 16.19
Evaluated at bid price : 16.19
Bid-YTW : 5.19 %
BAM.PF.A FixedReset 1.60 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 20.32
Evaluated at bid price : 20.32
Bid-YTW : 4.93 %
BAM.PR.C Floater 1.70 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 10.78
Evaluated at bid price : 10.78
Bid-YTW : 4.44 %
TRP.PR.F FloatingReset 1.89 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 14.01
Evaluated at bid price : 14.01
Bid-YTW : 4.16 %
MFC.PR.M FixedReset 2.13 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.63
Bid-YTW : 6.10 %
MFC.PR.N FixedReset 2.39 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 20.53
Bid-YTW : 6.09 %
IGM.PR.B Perpetual-Premium 2.68 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2015-12-31
Maturity Price : 25.75
Evaluated at bid price : 26.01
Bid-YTW : -0.73 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
BMO.PR.K Deemed-Retractible 178,236 Desjardins crossed 50,000 at 25.65; Scotia crossed 52,000 at the same price; and TD crossed 75,000 at the same price again.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2015-12-27
Maturity Price : 25.25
Evaluated at bid price : 25.61
Bid-YTW : -11.37 %
TD.PR.T FloatingReset 108,500 TD crossed 107,0000 at 22.65.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.85
Bid-YTW : 3.54 %
MFC.PR.F FixedReset 60,859 RBC crossed 50,000 at 15.15.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.73
Bid-YTW : 9.14 %
RY.PR.Z FixedReset 58,162 TD crossed 30,000 at 18.80.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 18.58
Evaluated at bid price : 18.58
Bid-YTW : 4.46 %
RY.PR.B Deemed-Retractible 57,950 RBC crossed 50,000 at 24.96.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.00
Bid-YTW : 4.73 %
PWF.PR.F Perpetual-Discount 53,400 Nesbitt crossed 45,900 at 23.25.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 22.95
Evaluated at bid price : 23.22
Bid-YTW : 5.71 %
There were 43 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
TD.PR.T FloatingReset Quote: 22.85 – 23.47
Spot Rate : 0.6200
Average : 0.3866

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.85
Bid-YTW : 3.54 %

FTS.PR.M FixedReset Quote: 19.83 – 20.29
Spot Rate : 0.4600
Average : 0.3079

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 19.83
Evaluated at bid price : 19.83
Bid-YTW : 4.51 %

PWF.PR.P FixedReset Quote: 14.72 – 15.19
Spot Rate : 0.4700
Average : 0.3294

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 14.72
Evaluated at bid price : 14.72
Bid-YTW : 4.34 %

VNR.PR.A FixedReset Quote: 19.57 – 20.00
Spot Rate : 0.4300
Average : 0.2948

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 19.57
Evaluated at bid price : 19.57
Bid-YTW : 4.93 %

PWF.PR.T FixedReset Quote: 22.28 – 22.80
Spot Rate : 0.5200
Average : 0.3899

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-27
Maturity Price : 21.94
Evaluated at bid price : 22.28
Bid-YTW : 3.87 %

MFC.PR.F FixedReset Quote: 14.73 – 15.15
Spot Rate : 0.4200
Average : 0.2950

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 14.73
Bid-YTW : 9.14 %

Market Action

November 26, 2015

I will be very disappointed if this is the end of the Silver-Sprott battle:

Today, Silver Bullion Trust (TSX:SBT.UN) (C$) (TSX:SBT.U) (US$) (“SBT”) entered into a new definitive agreement with Purpose Investments Inc. (“Purpose”), regarding the conversion of SBT into a silver bullion exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) managed by Purpose and Silver Administrators Limited. The proposed ETF conversion, which is subject to unitholder approval, has the unanimous support of your Independent Trustees and represents an exciting opportunity for SBT unitholders.

Purpose has current assets under management of over $1.4 billion across 17 funds and is one of Canada’s most experienced ETF managers, with significant experience in managing and marketing bullion funds. Purpose’s predecessor company, Claymore Investments, which was acquired by BlackRock in 2012, managed the Claymore Silver Bullion Trust, which was successfully converted into an ETF in 2012. For further information on Purpose, we encourage unitholders to visit their website at www.purposeinvest.com.

Andrew Jackson, of Carleton University and the Broadbent Institute, is making much more sense now that he no longer works for the Canadian Labour Congress! He’s written a piece for the Globe titled Global slump should be addressed by this monetary taboo, which includes a paen to micromanagement:

As Adair Turner shows in his new book, Between Debt and the Devil, private-sector debt soared as a share of GDP in most advanced economies after the 1980s, fuelling unproductive, debt-financed household consumption, housing bubbles and wasteful financial speculation.

Adair Turner, former chief regulator of British banks, argues that we need to reign in the growth of unproductive private debt by imposing tighter controls on banks through much higher capital requirements and by imposing limits on borrowing, such as maximum loan-to-value mortgage rules. Banks should, he argues, be pushed to support real business investment as opposed to highly leveraged financial speculation and household consumption.

Mr. Jackson’s egalitarian impulses were, no doubt, responsible for his refusal to use Lord Turner’s honorific!

The Grauniad’s review provides more detail:

When capitalism works, debt channels money into factories, machinery and know how. There will be bumps along the road, but the economy will grow. In the run up to 2007, however, the made-up money was not going into anything productive, but rather inflating the price of pre-existing homes. Indeed, Turner locates the roots of the crisis in the mismatch between a limited supply of urban land, and the limitless potential to finance rising demand for it. For individual banks, it can make sense to lend for unrealistically costly houses, since mortgaged families will sacrifice everything else to keep up payments and avoid ending up on the streets. For the economy as a whole, however, concentrating debt in property is a disaster, draining resources from worthwhile investment and wagering collective prosperity on a one-way bet. Worse, while debt-fuelled bursts of real activity will push up inflation, when all the money is in property that warning light never flashes. We’re all left exposed: unsafe as houses.

To kick our addiction to debt, Turner argues, we can and should restrain the banks, for example by forcing them to hold more reserves. We can and should also devise new ways to privilege productive investment over property speculation. Turner, who became chair of the Financial Services Authority days after Lehman Bros toppled, puts great emphasis on explaining how regulators could do all this practically, a dimension that gives the book extra importance, albeit at the occasional expense of readability. Every so often you yearn for him to say “posh houses”, rather than “locationally desirable real estate”.

The Independent offers some criticism:

Turner is admirably fearless. He goes where his fundamental analysis tells him to go. But is his underlying thesis right? A weakness of the book is that Turner doesn’t fully engage with the counter evidence. For instance, there are signs that small firms in the UK have been turned down for loans by their banks, or at least discouraged from seeking credit – an indication that lack of credit supply is part of the problem. Demand for mortgages in th UK seems to have bounced back, despite still elevated household debt to income ratios here in Britain.

There are also other plausible explanations, beyond excessive debt, for the weak recoveries across the world, not least the thesis of secular stagnation. Perhaps the incubus squatting on the chest of our economies is not a debt overhang, as Turner asserts, but slow growth brought on by demographic trends. Or maybe its dunderheaded fiscal austerity imposed by governments that’s primarily to blame.

Lord Turner’s previous notable production was highlighted on PrefBlog when UK FSA Publishes Turner Report on Bank Regulation with more commentary in HM Treasury Responds to Turner Report. It looks like it could be a decent book … I might buy it!

Oh, and speaking of houses:

Properties in Canadian cities don’t command New York prices but Canada is definitely rising in the ranks, Mr. Henry says.

Juwai.com crunched its latest numbers for The Globe and found that, within Canada, Chinese buyers of sumptuous properties have shifted their preference toward Toronto and away from Vancouver.

The average price for property viewed by Chinese property hunters in Toronto has increased over the past two years as the average price in Vancouver has declined, according to Juwai.com. The two cities have switched roles, with Toronto now attracting a higher-priced buyer mix than Vancouver.

In five of the past six months, Juwai.com’s users have searched for a higher average price in Toronto than in Vancouver.

In October, for example, the average search price in Toronto was $1,963,278, compared with $1,268,194 in Vancouver. In October of 2014, the average search price in Toronto was $1,582,300 and, in Vancouver, $1,840,999.

Brompton’s Life & Banc Split Corp., proud issuer of LBS.PR.A, was confirmed at Pfd-3(low) by DBRS:

DBRS Limited (DBRS) has today confirmed the rating on the Preferred Shares issued by Life & Banc Split Corp. (the Company) at Pfd-3 (low). In October 2006, the Company raised gross proceeds of $300 million by issuing 12 million Preferred Shares (at $10 each) and an equal number of Class A Shares (at $15 each). Since then, the Company has completed several additional treasury offerings. The final redemption date for both classes of shares issued was originally November 29, 2013, but was extended to November 29, 2018.

The performance of the Portfolio has experienced some volatility over the past year, with the downside protection fluctuating between 41.8% and 52.0% from November 2014 to November 2015. As of November 19, 2015, the downside protection available to the Preferred Shares is approximately 45.4% and the dividend coverage ratio is about 1.1 times. The Pfd-3 (low) rating of the Preferred Shares is based primarily on the downside protection available and the additional protection provided by the asset coverage test, which does not permit any distributions to holders of the Class A Shares if the NAV of the Company falls below $15.

It was yet another mixed, mostly negative, bad-for-FixedResets day for the Canadian preferred share market, with PerpetualDiscounts off 2bp, FixedResets down 23bp and DeemedRetractibles gaining 2bp. The Performance Highlights table is lengthy. Volume was very high.

PerpetualDiscounts now yield 5.64%, equivalent to 7.33% interest at the standard conversion factor of 1.3x. Long Corporates now yield 4.33%, so the pre-tax interest-equivalent spread (in this context, the “Seniority Spread”) is now about 300bp, a widening from the 290bp reported November 4.

For as long as the FixedReset market is so violently unsettled, I’ll keep publishing updates of the more interesting and meaningful series of FixedResets’ Implied Volatilities. This doesn’t include Enbridge because although Enbridge has a large number of issues outstanding, all of which are quite liquid, the range of Issue Reset Spreads is too small for decent conclusions. The low is 212bp (ENB.PR.H; second-lowest is ENB.PR.D at 237bp) and the high is a mere 268 for ENB.PF.G.

Remember that all rich /cheap assessments are:
» based on Implied Volatility Theory only
» are relative only to other FixedResets from the same issuer
» assume constant GOC-5 yield
» assume constant Implied Volatility
» assume constant spread

Here’s TRP:

impVol_TRP_151126
Click for Big

TRP.PR.E, which resets 2019-10-30 at +235, is bid at 19.38 to be $1.23 rich, while TRP.PR.C, resetting 2016-1-30 at +154, is $0.89 cheap at its bid price of 12.85.

impVol_MFC_151126
Click for Big

Most expensive is MFC.PR.L, resetting at +216bp on 2019-6-19, bid at 19.74 to be 0.33 rich, while MFC.PR.M, resetting at +236bp on 2019-12-19, is bid at 20.20 to be 0.20 cheap.

impVol_BAM_151126
Click for Big

The cheapest issue relative to its peers is BAM.PR.R, resetting at +230bp on 2016-6-30, bid at 15.95 to be $1.14 cheap. BAM.PF.G, resetting at +284bp on 2020-6-30 is bid at 20.58 and appears to be $0.63 rich.

impVol_FTS_151126
Click for Big

FTS.PR.K, with a spread of +205bp, and bid at 18.97, looks $0.77 expensive and resets 2019-3-1. FTS.PR.G, with a spread of +213bp and resetting 2018-9-1, is bid at 18.20 and is $0.48 cheap.

pairs_FR_151126
Click for Big

Investment-grade pairs predict an average three-month bill yield over the next five-odd years of -0.60%, with no outliers. There is one junk outlier below -1.50%.

pairs_FF_151126
Click for Big

Shall we just say that this exhibits a high level of confidence in the continued rapacity of Canadian banks?

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 4.26 % 5.10 % 34,483 17.75 1 1.0220 % 1,826.3
FixedFloater 6.28 % 5.52 % 28,694 16.87 1 0.1324 % 3,106.0
Floater 4.42 % 4.49 % 84,863 16.37 3 -2.1965 % 1,786.0
OpRet 4.86 % 3.65 % 30,197 0.75 1 0.0000 % 2,740.8
SplitShare 4.76 % 5.53 % 131,161 4.33 5 0.0678 % 3,221.7
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.0678 % 2,513.7
Perpetual-Premium 5.79 % 0.28 % 84,366 0.08 6 -0.0264 % 2,509.4
Perpetual-Discount 5.58 % 5.64 % 90,814 14.44 33 -0.0213 % 2,567.5
FixedReset 5.01 % 4.62 % 223,982 14.98 76 -0.2294 % 2,050.0
Deemed-Retractible 5.16 % 5.28 % 119,479 5.37 33 0.0150 % 2,585.6
FloatingReset 2.61 % 3.84 % 60,715 5.74 10 -0.2072 % 2,179.8
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
BAM.PR.C Floater -3.90 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 10.60
Evaluated at bid price : 10.60
Bid-YTW : 4.51 %
BAM.PR.B Floater -3.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 10.66
Evaluated at bid price : 10.66
Bid-YTW : 4.49 %
TD.PF.D FixedReset -2.34 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 20.90
Evaluated at bid price : 20.90
Bid-YTW : 4.46 %
BMO.PR.W FixedReset -2.21 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 18.15
Evaluated at bid price : 18.15
Bid-YTW : 4.55 %
CU.PR.G Perpetual-Discount -2.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 20.04
Evaluated at bid price : 20.04
Bid-YTW : 5.65 %
BAM.PF.E FixedReset -2.06 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 19.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.00
Bid-YTW : 4.97 %
CU.PR.C FixedReset -1.79 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 19.20
Evaluated at bid price : 19.20
Bid-YTW : 4.42 %
TRP.PR.F FloatingReset -1.61 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 13.75
Evaluated at bid price : 13.75
Bid-YTW : 4.24 %
BAM.PF.G FixedReset -1.58 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 20.58
Evaluated at bid price : 20.58
Bid-YTW : 4.88 %
HSE.PR.G FixedReset -1.54 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 21.04
Evaluated at bid price : 21.04
Bid-YTW : 5.33 %
FTS.PR.M FixedReset -1.24 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 20.70
Evaluated at bid price : 20.70
Bid-YTW : 4.31 %
HSE.PR.E FixedReset -1.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 20.69
Evaluated at bid price : 20.69
Bid-YTW : 5.44 %
IFC.PR.A FixedReset -1.09 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.33
Bid-YTW : 8.87 %
RY.PR.M FixedReset -1.07 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 20.30
Evaluated at bid price : 20.30
Bid-YTW : 4.41 %
TD.PF.A FixedReset -1.07 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 18.55
Evaluated at bid price : 18.55
Bid-YTW : 4.52 %
VNR.PR.A FixedReset -1.03 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 19.30
Evaluated at bid price : 19.30
Bid-YTW : 5.00 %
BMO.PR.M FixedReset -1.02 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.36
Bid-YTW : 3.43 %
BAM.PR.E Ratchet 1.02 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.00
Bid-YTW : 5.10 %
W.PR.J Perpetual-Discount 1.05 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 23.82
Evaluated at bid price : 24.07
Bid-YTW : 5.89 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset 1.09 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 18.60
Evaluated at bid price : 18.60
Bid-YTW : 4.67 %
GWO.PR.S Deemed-Retractible 1.19 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.71
Bid-YTW : 5.56 %
GWO.PR.Q Deemed-Retractible 1.25 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.50
Bid-YTW : 6.17 %
BIP.PR.A FixedReset 1.35 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 20.85
Evaluated at bid price : 20.85
Bid-YTW : 5.39 %
PWF.PR.T FixedReset 1.41 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 21.99
Evaluated at bid price : 22.35
Bid-YTW : 3.86 %
BMO.PR.R FloatingReset 1.81 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.05
Bid-YTW : 3.43 %
MFC.PR.K FixedReset 1.82 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.60
Bid-YTW : 6.54 %
TRP.PR.A FixedReset 3.15 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 16.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.00
Bid-YTW : 4.59 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
BNS.PR.R FixedReset 127,501 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.80
Bid-YTW : 3.57 %
GWO.PR.M Deemed-Retractible 115,545 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2019-03-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.46
Bid-YTW : 5.52 %
RY.PR.I FixedReset 110,855 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.35
Bid-YTW : 3.71 %
MFC.PR.L FixedReset 107,700 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.74
Bid-YTW : 6.52 %
IFC.PR.A FixedReset 101,049 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 16.33
Bid-YTW : 8.87 %
BNS.PR.Q FixedReset 95,910 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.38
Bid-YTW : 3.63 %
There were 53 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
CU.PR.G Perpetual-Discount Quote: 20.04 – 20.62
Spot Rate : 0.5800
Average : 0.3990

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 20.04
Evaluated at bid price : 20.04
Bid-YTW : 5.65 %

MFC.PR.J FixedReset Quote: 21.32 – 21.74
Spot Rate : 0.4200
Average : 0.2664

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.32
Bid-YTW : 5.75 %

W.PR.H Perpetual-Discount Quote: 23.80 – 24.25
Spot Rate : 0.4500
Average : 0.3164

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 23.53
Evaluated at bid price : 23.80
Bid-YTW : 5.85 %

GWO.PR.L Deemed-Retractible Quote: 25.08 – 25.44
Spot Rate : 0.3600
Average : 0.2358

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.08
Bid-YTW : 5.77 %

SLF.PR.J FloatingReset Quote: 13.35 – 13.70
Spot Rate : 0.3500
Average : 0.2413

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 13.35
Bid-YTW : 9.54 %

TRP.PR.H FloatingReset Quote: 11.03 – 11.35
Spot Rate : 0.3200
Average : 0.2198

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2045-11-26
Maturity Price : 11.03
Evaluated at bid price : 11.03
Bid-YTW : 3.84 %