September 19, 2011

The SEC has proposed an asinine, politicized, rule:

The proposed rule would prohibit securitization participants of an ABS for a designated time period from engaging in certain transactions that would involve or result in any material conflict of interest. Two criteria to determine whether the transaction involves a material conflict of interest are set out in the rule proposal.

EXAMPLE 1: Among other things, the proposed rule could — if certain conditions are otherwise met — prohibit a firm from packaging an ABS, selling the ABS to an investor, and subsequently shorting the ABS to potentially profit at the same time as the investor would incur losses.

EXAMPLE 2: The proposed rules also could — if certain conditions are otherwise met — prohibit a firm from allowing a third party to help assemble an ABS in a way that creates an opportunity for the third party to profit from the failure of the ABS.

So, when you’re putting together an ABS, you’re not allowed to ask the guy who’s shorting the stuff to you what he’s willing to sell. And don’t take a position opposite your clients, because the SEC knows for a fact that no investor who has ever lived is smart enough to be allowed to take a view contrary to a dealer.

S&P downgraded Italy:

Italy’s credit rating was cut one level to A by Standard & Poor’s, which said the outlook remains “negative.”

The rating for Italy, which has Europe’s second-largest debt load, was lowered from A+, S&P said today in a statement. The firm said Italy’s net general government debt is the highest among A rated sovereigns, and now expects it to peak later and at a higher level than it previously anticipated.

“In our view, Italy’s economic growth prospects are weakening and we expect that Italy’s fragile governing coalition and policy differences within parliament will continue to limit the government’s ability to respond decisively to domestic and external macroeconomic challenges,” S&P said in a statement.

Italy follows Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Cyprus and Greece as euro-region countries having their credit rating cut this year.

Dealbreaker has another excellent piece on the problems regarding defining “proprietary trading”.

The Canadian preferred share market took a loss today, with PerpetualDiscounts losing 29bp, FixedResets down 9bp and DeemedRetractibles off 4bp. There was an uptick in volatility, all to the downside. Volume was so low one might be forgiven for thinking it was Christmas!

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 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 -2.7714 % 2,085.2
FixedFloater 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 -2.7714 % 3,136.1
Floater 3.12 % 3.38 % 59,618 18.81 3 -2.7714 % 2,251.4
OpRet 4.82 % 2.41 % 59,842 1.63 8 -0.0820 % 2,459.8
SplitShare 5.39 % 0.59 % 51,409 0.44 4 -0.6520 % 2,487.2
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 -0.0820 % 2,249.2
Perpetual-Premium 5.62 % 4.55 % 116,842 1.07 16 -0.0123 % 2,118.0
Perpetual-Discount 5.28 % 5.33 % 112,570 14.86 14 -0.2888 % 2,255.1
FixedReset 5.15 % 3.19 % 212,617 2.62 59 -0.0914 % 2,328.9
Deemed-Retractible 5.04 % 4.60 % 235,897 7.80 46 -0.0392 % 2,201.3
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
PWF.PR.A Floater -5.79 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2041-09-19
Maturity Price : 19.51
Evaluated at bid price : 19.51
Bid-YTW : 2.71 %
BNA.PR.C SplitShare -1.63 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2019-01-10
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.10
Bid-YTW : 7.20 %
ELF.PR.G Perpetual-Discount -1.42 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2041-09-19
Maturity Price : 21.55
Evaluated at bid price : 21.55
Bid-YTW : 5.61 %
IAG.PR.A Deemed-Retractible -1.21 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.93
Bid-YTW : 5.68 %
PWF.PR.L Perpetual-Discount -1.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2041-09-19
Maturity Price : 23.93
Evaluated at bid price : 24.22
Bid-YTW : 5.33 %
BNA.PR.E SplitShare -1.11 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2017-12-10
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.14
Bid-YTW : 6.39 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
RY.PR.F Deemed-Retractible 44,990 Desjardins crossed 33,400 at 24.94.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.85
Bid-YTW : 4.59 %
BMO.PR.J Deemed-Retractible 39,301 Nesbitt crossed 20,000 at 25.05.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2016-02-25
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.11
Bid-YTW : 4.49 %
MFC.PR.E FixedReset 33,054 TD crossed 19,700 at 26.35.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2014-09-19
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 26.29
Bid-YTW : 3.79 %
BNS.PR.R FixedReset 32,200 RBC crossed 25,000 at 26.21.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 26.15
Bid-YTW : 3.29 %
PWF.PR.G Perpetual-Premium 22,700 Nesbitt crossed 20,000 at 25.32.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2011-10-19
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.30
Bid-YTW : 1.11 %
ELF.PR.G Perpetual-Discount 22,400 RBC crossed 11,500 at 21.51.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2041-09-19
Maturity Price : 21.55
Evaluated at bid price : 21.55
Bid-YTW : 5.61 %
There were 15 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
PWF.PR.A Floater Quote: 19.51 – 21.50
Spot Rate : 1.9900
Average : 1.3014

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2041-09-19
Maturity Price : 19.51
Evaluated at bid price : 19.51
Bid-YTW : 2.71 %

IAG.PR.E Deemed-Retractible Quote: 25.92 – 26.34
Spot Rate : 0.4200
Average : 0.2814

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2018-12-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.92
Bid-YTW : 5.39 %

TD.PR.O Deemed-Retractible Quote: 25.55 – 25.86
Spot Rate : 0.3100
Average : 0.1762

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2013-10-31
Maturity Price : 25.25
Evaluated at bid price : 25.55
Bid-YTW : 4.55 %

BNA.PR.E SplitShare Quote: 23.14 – 23.65
Spot Rate : 0.5100
Average : 0.4061

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2017-12-10
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.14
Bid-YTW : 6.39 %

PWF.PR.F Perpetual-Discount Quote: 24.66 – 24.94
Spot Rate : 0.2800
Average : 0.1851

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2041-09-19
Maturity Price : 24.35
Evaluated at bid price : 24.66
Bid-YTW : 5.39 %

BNA.PR.C SplitShare Quote: 21.10 – 21.35
Spot Rate : 0.2500
Average : 0.1609

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2019-01-10
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 21.10
Bid-YTW : 7.20 %

One Response to “September 19, 2011”

  1. highgamma says:

    After the 2008 crisis and the aftermath of the Madoff revelation, people took a long, hard look at the SEC. The major finding was that the SEC was staffed with and run by lawyers. The entire mentality of the organization was legalistic. Madoff was able to get away with his scheme because his papers were in order! No noe in the organize could evaluate the economics of an investment strategy.

    Form the look of this proposed rule, the lawyers are still running everything. According to the logic of this rule, the underwriters shouldn’t be allowed to make markets in these products if they have to take a short principal position (which, of course, they will need to do).
    This type of idiocy will continue as long as the SEC treats itself as a law firm.

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