AZP.PR.B To Reset To 5.57%

Atlantic Power Corporation and Atlantic Power Preferred Equity Ltd. have announced:

the dividend rate on Preferred Equity’s outstanding Cumulative Rate Reset Preferred Shares, Series 2 (the “Series 2 Shares”) will be reset on December 31, 2014, using a reset dividend rate (the “Reset Dividend Rate”) calculated on December 1, 2014.

The Reset Dividend Rate was calculated on December 1, 2014 to be 5.57%, representing the sum of the Canadian Government five-year bond yield of 1.39% plus 4.18%.

Such Reset Dividend Rate will commence with the March 31, 2015 dividend payment to the holders of the Series 2 Shares and continue through the December 31, 2019 dividend payment to the holders of the Series 2 Shares, at which time such Reset Dividend Rate will again be reset.

On December 31, 2014 and again on December 31 of every fifth year thereafter, the holders of Series 2 Shares have the right to convert their Series 2 Shares, on a one-for-one basis, into Cumulative Floating Rate Preferred Shares (the “Series 3 Shares”).

The Series 3 Shares dividend rate was calculated on December 1, 2014 to be 5.09%, representing the sum of the Canadian Government 90-day Treasury Bill yield (using the three-month average result of .91%) plus 4.18%.

Holders of Series 2 Shares who wish to convert such securities to Series 3 Shares should contact the financial institution, broker or other intermediary through which they hold the Series 2 Shares to exercise this conversion privilege. Notice of the exercise of the conversion privilege must be received by Preferred Equity not earlier than December 1, 2014 and not later than 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on December 16, 2014.

If after giving effect to all Election Notices, there would remain outstanding less than 1 million Series 2 Shares, then all remaining outstanding Series 2 Shares will automatically convert into Series 3 Shares, on a one-for-one basis on December 31, 2014. Holders of the Series 2 Shares will not be permitted to convert their Series 2 Shares into Series 3 Shares if, after giving effect to all Election Notices, there would be outstanding less than 1 million Series 3 Shares.

Inquiries should be directed to Preferred Equity’s registrar and transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company of Canada, at (800) 564-6253.

AZP.PR.B used to be CZP.PR.B, which used to be EPP.PR.B, and throughout has been a FixedReset, 7.00%+418, which commenced trading 2009-11-2 after being announced 2009-10-13. You can’t tell your players without a programme!

The new rate of 5.57% is a sharp drop from 7.00%, just over 20% of the coupon in fact. This probably explains recent weakness in the issue’s price, although the company has not exactly been a picture of health lately.

Using similar arguments to those made with respect to TRP.PR.A, I suggest that conversion to the FloatingReset issue is currently favoured, with a projected price on the FloatingReset of 12.35 compared to 12.10 for the FixedReset … which looks better in percentage terms than absolutes! However, any decision should be made at the last possible moment – which will be earlier than the company’s last possible moment of 5pm, December 16, 2014. Check with your broker to determine what their deadline is!

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