PrefBlog

Bank of Montreal announced (on October 15):

its intention to redeem all of its 6,000,000 outstanding Non-Cumulative Perpetual Class B Preferred Shares, Series 35 (Non-Viability Contingent Capital) (the “Preferred Shares Series 35”) for an aggregate total of $156 million on November 25, 2020. The redemption has been approved by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.

The Preferred Shares Series 35 are redeemable at the Bank’s option on or after August 25, 2020 and prior to August 25, 2021, at a redemption price of $26.00 per share. Payment of the redemption price will be made by the Bank on November 25, 2020.

Separately from the payment of the redemption price, the final quarterly dividend of $0.3125 per share for the Preferred Shares Series 35 announced by the Bank on August 25, 2020 will be paid in the usual manner on November 25, 2020, to shareholders of record on November 2, 2020.

Notice will be delivered to holders of the Preferred Shares Series 35 in accordance with the terms outlined in the Preferred Shares Series 35 prospectus supplement.

BMO.PR.Z is a Straight Perpetual, 5.00%, NVCC-compliant issue, that commenced trading 2015-7-29 after being announced 2015-7-20. It has been tracked by HIMIPref™ and was assigned to the PerpetualPremium sub-index.

AltaGas Ltd. has announced (on November 20):

its intention to redeem – in accordance with the terms of the Cumulative Redeemable 5-Year Minimum Rate Reset Preferred Shares, Series I (the “Series I Shares”) as set out in the Company’s articles – all of its 8,000,000 issued and outstanding Series I Shares on December 31, 2020 (the “Redemption Date”) for a redemption price equal to $25.00 per Series I Share, together with all accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the Redemption Date (the “Redemption Price”), less any tax required to be deducted or withheld by the Company.

As previously announced, the Company’s Board of Directors has declared a dividend of $0.328125 per Series I Share for the period commencing September 30, 2020 and ending December 30, 2020 payable to holders of record as of the close of business on December 15, 2020. This will be the final quarterly dividend on the Series I Shares, although holders will receive on redemption of the Series I Shares all accrued and unpaid dividends up to but excluding the Redemption Date.

The Company has provided notice today of the Redemption Price and the Redemption Date to the sole registered holder of the Series I Shares in accordance with the terms of the Series I Shares as set out in the Company’s articles. Non-registered holders of Series I Shares should contact their broker or other intermediary for information regarding the redemption process for the Series I Shares in which they hold a beneficial interest. The Company’s transfer agent for the Series I Shares is Computershare Investor Services Inc. Questions regarding the redemption process may be directed to Computershare Investor Services Inc. at 1-800-564-6253 or by email to corporateactions@computershare.com.

ALA.PR.I is a FixedReset, 5.25%+419M525, that commenced trading 2015-11-23 after being announced 2015-11-12. The issue is tracked by HIMIPref™ but relegated to the Scraps index on credit concerns.

Great-West Lifeco Inc. has announced (on November 4):

that it does not intend to exercise its rights to redeem its outstanding Non-Cumulative 5-Year Rate Reset First Preferred Shares, Series N (the “Series N Shares”) or its outstanding Non-Cumulative Floating Rate First Preferred Shares, Series O (the “Series O Shares”) on December 31, 2020. As a result and subject to certain conditions, holders of Series N Shares have the right to convert all or any of their Series N Shares into Series O Shares, and holders of Series O Shares have the right to convert all or any of their Series O Shares into Series N Shares, on a one-for-one basis on December 31, 2020.

Lifeco will send a formal notice of the foregoing conversion rights to the registered holder of the Series N Shares and the Series O Shares in accordance with the terms and conditions attached to the applicable shares. Holders of Series N Shares or Series O Shares who do not exercise their applicable conversion rights will retain their Series N Shares or Series O Shares, respectively.

The conversion rights are subject to the following conditions, in accordance with the terms and conditions attached to the applicable shares:

(i) if Lifeco determines that, after having taken into account all shares tendered for conversion, there would be less than one million Series O Shares outstanding on December 31, 2020, no Series N Shares may be converted into Series O Shares and all remaining Series O Shares will automatically be converted into Series N Shares on a one-for-one basis on December 31, 2020, and

(ii) alternatively, if Lifeco determines that, after having taken into account all shares tendered for conversion, there would be less than one million Series N Shares outstanding on December 31, 2020, no Series O Shares may be converted into Series N Shares and all remaining Series N Shares will automatically be converted into Series O Shares on a one-for-one basis on December 31, 2020.

In all cases, Lifeco will give written notice to that effect to any registered holder affected by the preceding conditions on or before Thursday, December 24, 2020.

The dividend rate applicable to the Series N Shares for the five-year period commencing on December 31, 2020 and ending on December 30, 2025, and the dividend rate applicable to the Series O Shares for the three-month period commencing on December 31, 2020 and ending on March 30, 2021, will be determined on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 and written notice thereof will be given to the registered holder of the Series N Shares and the Series O Shares on that day.

Beneficial owners of Series N Shares and Series O Shares who wish to convert their shares should communicate as soon as possible with their broker or other nominee to ensure their instructions are followed so that the registered holder of the Series N Shares or Series O Shares (as applicable) can meet the deadline to exercise such conversion right(s), which is 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.

Lifeco may redeem the Series N Shares, in whole or in part, on December 31, 2025 and on December 31 every five years thereafter for $25.00 per share plus declared and unpaid dividends. Lifeco may redeem the Series O Shares, in whole or in part, on any date for $25.50 per share plus declared and unpaid dividends, unless such Series O Shares are redeemed on December 31, 2020 or on December 31 every five years thereafter, in which case the redemption price will be $25.00 per share plus declared and unpaid dividends.

GWO.PR.N is a 3.65%+130 FixedReset that commenced trading 2010-11-23 after beint announced 2010-11-15. Extension was announced in November, 2015 and the issue reset to 2.176% effective 2015-12-31. There was a 15% conversion to GWO.PR.O, its FloatingReset counterpart.

GWO.PR.O is a FloatingReset, Bills+130, that came into being in 2015 in a 15% conversion from GWO.PR.N.

Canadian Utilities Limited has announced (on November 23):

that after having taken into account all election notices following the conversion deadline for the Cumulative Redeemable Second Preferred Shares Series FF (“Series FF Preferred Shares”) tendered for conversion into Cumulative Redeemable Second Preferred Shares Series GG (“Series GG Preferred Shares”), the holders of Series FF Preferred Shares are not entitled to convert their Series FF Preferred Shares into Series GG Preferred Shares. There were approximately 1,000 Series FF Preferred Shares tendered for conversion, which is less than the two million shares required to give effect to conversions into Series GG Preferred Shares.

The Series FF Preferred Shares will continue to pay on a quarterly basis, for the five-year period from and including December 1, 2020 to but excluding December 1, 2025, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of Canadian Utilities Limited, a fixed dividend based on an annual dividend rate of 4.50%.

For more information on the terms of, and risks associated with an investment in, the Series FF Preferred Shares, please see Canadian Utilities Limited’s prospectus supplement dated September 16, 2015, which can be found under Canadian Utilities Limited’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

CU.PR.I is a FixedReset, 4.50%+369M450, that commenced trading 2015-9-24 after being announced 2015-9-14. The issue reset to its minimum rate of 4.50% (unchanged) effective 2020-12-1. It is tracked by HIMIPref™ and is assigned to the FixedReset-Premium subindex.

GMP Capital has announced:

that it has changed its corporate name to RF Capital Group Inc. (“RF Capital” or the “Company”) to align better with the Company’s multi-year transformation and new strategic focus in wealth management, including the recent consolidation of 100% of the ownership in Richardson Wealth under the Company. The Company’s shareholders approved the name change at a special meeting of shareholders held virtually on October 6, 2020.

The Company’s common and preferred shares will commence trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the new name, ticker symbols and new CUSIP/ISIN numbers, effective November 24, 2020. The Company’s new corporate website will be located at www.rfcapgroup.com.

The table below highlights the new ticker symbols, CUSIP and ISIN numbers for RF Capital’s common and preferred shares.

No action is required by existing shareholders with respect to the name and ticker symbol changes.

GMP.PR.B is a FixedReset 5.50%+289, which commenced trading 2011-2-22 after being announced 2011-2-1. The notice of extension was reported on PrefBlog. The issue reset at 3.611% in 2016; there was a 22% conversion to GMP.PR.C. It is tracked by HIMIPref™ but is relegated to the Scraps index on credit concerns.

GMP.PR.C is a FloatingReset, Bills+289, that came into existence via a 22% conversion from GMP.PR.B in 2016.