{"id":2107,"date":"2008-05-01T12:48:19","date_gmt":"2008-05-01T16:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prefblog.com\/?p=2107"},"modified":"2008-05-01T12:48:19","modified_gmt":"2008-05-01T16:48:19","slug":"wprjs-big-price-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prefblog.com\/?p=2107","title":{"rendered":"W.PR.J's Big Price Move"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Assiduous Reader has sent me the following question:<\/p>\n

I noticed that this preferred has dropped in price relative to its peers. Would you know whether there is any material change that has happened with it (has it stopped paying its dividend)?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The question was presumably prompted by the 5%+ decline in W.PR.J yesterday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Information on these issues is harder to come by than it really needs to be, something I have complained about in the past<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DBRS<\/a> rates the issues as Pfd-2(low). Both issues are cumulative.<\/p>\n

As non-financial perpetuals without a particularly large float, these issues can be somewhat volatile – they both made the January 08 Best Performers’ List<\/a>, while W.PR.H made December 07’s Worst<\/a>. W.PR.H was transfered to the PerpetualDiscount index in the October 07 Rebalancing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There’s something odd about the notes for these issues in Duke Energy’s 10-K<\/a>:<\/p>\n

In connection with the Westcoast acquisition in 2002, Spectra Energy assumed preferred and preference shares at Westcoast and Union Gas. These preferred and preference shares at Westcoast and Union Gas totaled $225 million at both December 31, 2007 and 2006. Since these preferred and preference shares are redeemable at the option of holder, as well as Westcoast and Union Gas, these preferred and preference shares do not meet the definition of a mandatorily redeemable instrument under SFAS No. 150 “Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of both Liabilities and Equity”. As such, these preferred and preference shares are considered contingently redeemable shares and are included in Minority Interests on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

According to me, W.PR.H and W.PR.J are issues of 6-million shares each, total $300-million, and are perpetual – this is confirmed by the Westcoast Energy Annual Report available on SEDAR<\/a>. I have sent the following message to Spectra’s Investor Relations Department<\/a>:<\/p>\n

I write regarding the preferred shares trading as W.PR.H and W.PR.J on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It is my understanding that Spectra pays the dividends on these shares via Westcoast.<\/p>\n

(i) You do not appear to be publishing dividend information for these shares on your website – publication of record and payment dates would be very useful. Do you intend to publish this information in the future?<\/p>\n

(ii) In your financials, I can find reference only to some preferred shares held to be “redeemable at the option of holder” to the amount of $225-million, whereas these two issues are perpetual and have a total book value of CAD 300-million. How are these obligations reported in your financials?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I have uploaded a couple of charts:<\/p>\n