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DECEMBER 2017

Issue 129

 
 

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In This Issue:

High Quality Preferred Stocks

Preferred Stock News

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by Doug K. Le Du

 

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See page 1 of this month's issue of the subscriber's newsletter, CDx3 Research Notes, for symbols.

 

 

 

 

 

HIGH QUALITY PREFERRED STOCKS

 

Top 10 Investment Grade, Cumulative Preferreds Available Under $25

 

 

The highest quality preferred stocks that are selling for a sub-$25 market price are offering income investors an average 5.4 percent Yield-To-Call in today's preferred stock marketplace and there are now 14 of these gems to pick from.

The search engine parameters seen in Figure 1 look for preferred stocks and exchange-traded debt securities (ETDs) that are currently trading below their $25 par value, have cumulative dividends (meaning that if the issuing company skips a dividend payment to you, they still owe you the money) and offer investment grade ratings from Moody's Investors Service.

 

Currently priced below par

Purchasing shares below $25 is an important consideration for many preferred stock investors. In the event that your shares are redeemed (bought back from you) by the issuing company, shareholders will receive the security's par value in cash in exchange for their shares. By purchasing shares below their par value ($25 in most cases and in all of the cases shown here), preferred stock investors are able to add a layer of principal protection to their investment while also positioning themselves for a downstream capital gain in the event of a future call.

 

Figure 1 shows the complete filter used to find the highest quality preferred stocks available for less than $25. Of the twenty-five parameters that can be set, the four arrows highlight the keys for this search. Setting the "Currently priced below par" parameter to "Yes" does the magic here.

 

 

In addition to finding the highest quality issues that offer cumulative dividends and are currently trading below their $25 par value, this filter also limits the list to issues that have not suspended their dividend payments. And by setting "Today's price, at least" to $0.01 and "Today's volume, at least" to 1 share the filter will exclude less liquid issues (securities that have not traded today).

This is just one example. Click on the filter image to see another one along with a more detailed explanation.

Results

Figure 2 shows the results when this search is applied to our Preferred Stock List
TM database, with ETDs shown in green font (please note that to protect the values of subscriptions to our CDx3 Notification Service, trading symbols are obscured here). Already a CDx3 Notification Service subscriber? See page 1 of this month's issue of the subscriber's newsletter, CDx3 Research Notes, for symbols.

 

There were a total of 906 preferred stocks and ETDs trading on U.S. stock exchanges as the month came to a close (including convertible preferred stocks). Of these 906, these are the top ten highest quality issues that are trading below their $25 par value. This list is sorted by dividend rate (coupon) with the highest payers listed first.

 

All of these high quality securities have a current market price (seen in the Last Price column) that is below their $25 par value (as shown in the Liquid Price column) and enjoy an investment grade rating from Moody's. Note that the YTC for one of these securities cannot be calculated (0.00%) since it is now callable.

Keep an eye out for sub-$25 buying opportunities such as those listed here. The lower your purchase price, the more principal protection you'll have. The securities listed in Figure 2 are offering some of the best choices available to you as an income investor.
 

Please consider becoming a subscriber to our CDx3 Notification Service today. We offer monthly and annual subscriptions for individuals and groups. Check out these features:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


PREFERRED STOCK NEWS

 

New Preferred Stock IPO’s, November 2017

 

Preferred stock issuers continued to introduce new issues at a blistering pace throughout November with fourteen new securities. November’s fourteen new preferred stocks are offering an average dividend (coupon) of 6.8 percent.


November’s new issues
 

Here are the fourteen new issues introduced during November for the consideration of preferred stock investors.

 

 

Note that I am using IPO date here, rather than the date on which retail trading started. The IPO date is the date that the security’s underwriters purchased the new shares from the issuing company.
 

A special note regarding preferred stock trading symbols: Annoyingly, unlike common stock trading symbols, the format used by brokers and other online quoting services for preferred stock symbols is not standardized. For example, the Series A preferred stock from Public Storage is “PSA-A” at TDAmeritrade, Google Finance and several others but this same security is “PSA.PR.A” at E*Trade. For a cross-reference table of how preferred stock symbols are denoted by sixteen popular brokers and other online quoting services, see “Preferred Stock Trading Symbol Cross-Reference Table.”
 

There are currently 96 high quality preferred stocks selling for an average price of $25.80 (November 30), offering an average coupon of 5.54 percent and a current yield of 5.36 percent. And 14 of these high quality issues are selling below their $25 par value, providing an average yield-to-call of 5.69 percent. By high quality I mean preferreds offering the characteristics that most risk-averse preferred stock investors favor such as investment grade ratings, cumulative dividends and call-protection.
 

There are now a total of 906 of these securities trading on U.S. stock exchanges (including convertible preferred stocks).
 

Buying new shares for wholesale
 

Note that the two newest issues – EPRRP from EPR Properties (EPR) and NSSTP from Nustar Energy LP (NS) – are still trading on the wholesale Over-The-Counter exchange (as of November 30). These are temporary OTC trading symbols until these securities move to the NYSE exchange, at which time they will receive their permanent symbols.
 

But there is no need to wait; during a period of relatively high prices, individual investors, armed with a web browser and an online trading account, can often purchase newly introduced preferred stock shares at wholesale prices just like the big guys (see "Preferred Stock Buyers Change Tactics For Double-Digit Returns" for an explanation of how the OTC can be used to purchase shares for discounted prices during a period of high preferred stock prices).
 

Those who have been following this strategy of using the wholesale OTC exchange to buy newly introduced shares for less than $25 are more able to avoid a capital loss as prices start to drop (if they choose to sell).
 

Your broker will automatically update the trading symbols of any shares you purchase on the OTC. EPRRP will become EPR-G and NSSTP will become NS-C.
 

About the new issues
 

The diversity of the fourteen new November issues is robust. Securities from four property REITs, one mortgage REIT, a shipping company, one pharmaceutical company, a business development company, three banks, two utilities and one company from the petroleum industry were introduced during the month.
 

Property Real Estate Investment Trusts (pREITs)
 

INN-E, REXR-B, AHT-I, EPRRP/EPR-G
 

REITs come in two flavors – property REITs and mortgage REITs. While property REITs make money by owning physical property and leasing it out, mortgage REITs make money by investing in residential and/or commercial mortgages (the idea being to borrow cash at a low rate and use that cash to buy mortgages that pay a higher rate).
 

Diversity can also be found within this group – Summit Hotels and Ashford Hospitality, hotels; Rexford Industrial, industrial facilities; EPR Properties, retail.
 

INN-E from Summit Hotel Properties (INN), REXR-B from Rexford Industrial Realty (REXR), AHT-I from Ashford Hospitality (AHT) and EPRRP/EPR-G from EPR Properties are all cumulative, perpetual preferred stocks offered by property REITs.
 

“Cumulative” means that if the issuer misses a dividend payment to you, they still owe you the money (short of a bankruptcy); their obligation to you accumulates. “Perpetual” means that the issuer is not required to ever redeem your shares (i.e. the shares have no maturity date).
 

All of these property REIT issues are traditional preferred stocks offering fixed-rate dividends.
 

Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trusts (mREITs)
 

Mortgage REITs typically do not own physical property; rather, they raise capital (such as through a preferred stock offering) that is used to buy bundles of residential and/or commercial mortgages. If the cost of the raised capital is less than the bundled mortgage rate, mortgage REITs make money on the spread. The cost of investment capital that mortgage REITs are able to raise is determined by the prevailing interest rates at the time while the revenue coming from the mortgages, at least to some degree, remains fixed until the mortgages mature. So during a period of increasing interest rates, cost is rising while revenue remains relatively flat, squeezing the profitability of mortgage REITs.
 

Two Harbors Investment Corporation (TWO) is a mortgage REIT, investing in a variety of residential and commercial mortgages. TWO-C pays a fixed 7.25 percent dividend until its January 27, 2025 call date. At that time, the dividend rate of this security becomes variable based on the three-month LIBOR rate (currently at 1.38 percent) plus 5.011 percent.
 

Shipping
 

SBLKZ is an Exchange-Traded Debt Security from Greece-based shipper Star Bulk Carriers (SBLK). ETDS’ are bonds recorded on the company’s books as debt (rather than as equity, as in the case of preferred stock). As debt, the obligation to pay the interest on these bonds is cumulative. As bonds, ETDS’ are often seen as having lower risk than the same company’s preferred stock shares. ETDS are very similar to preferred stocks and are often listed on brokerage statements as such.
 

The new SBLKZ offers an 8.3 percent coupon, the proceeds from which are being used to redeem all outstanding shares of the company’s 8.0 percent SBLKL on December 11. Both of these securities are ETDS’. While using the new 8.3 percent SBLKZ to redeem the old 8.0 percent SBLKL increases the company’s annual interest expense, this maneuver extends the maturity of this debt by three years.
 

Pharmaceutical
 

Fortress Biotech (FBIO) is new to the preferred stock marketplace, offering its FBIOP on November 6. Founded in 2006, the company was formerly operating as Coronado Biosciences. Fortress acquires and/or develops companies that produce what it feels are promising pharmaceutical and biotechnology products. FBIOP, with a $25 par value, was introduced with a fixed, cumulative 9.375 percent coupon in early-November. But the security’s underwriters appear to have missed the mark here as investors are currently pricing FBIOP at $22.30 (November 30), a mere three weeks after introduction.
 

Business Development Corporations
 

MVCD from MVC Capital, Inc. (MVC) is an Exchange-Traded Debt Security offering a fixed 6.25 percent coupon. The proceeds from MVCD are being used by the company to redeem all outstanding shares of its 7.25 percent MVCB on December 21, 2017.
Typically, these types of income securities will offer a five-year call period and a maturity date that is several decades into the future. But the new MVCD becomes callable in just two years (November 30, 2019) and matures in just five years (November 30, 2022).
 

Banks
 

MBFIO, LTSL, JMPD
 

MBFIO is offered by MB Financial (MBFI), a financial services firm offering banking services to businesses in or near Chicago and Philadelphia. MBFIO is a non-cumulative, traditional preferred stock and offers a speculative-grade Ba3 rating from Moody’s Financial Services.
 

LTSL, an Exchange-Traded Debt Security from Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services (LTS), is the company’s second income security and offers a coupon of 6.5 percent. Thalmann is an investment banking company founded in 1876 and is headquartered in Miami.
 

JMPD from JMP Group, Inc. (JMP) is also an Exchange-Traded Debt Security, offering a 7.25 percent coupon. The $50 million proceeds from this new issue will be just enough for JMP to redeem their nearly identical 7.25 percent JMPC on December 28, 2017. While this maneuver is cash even to the company (no interest expense savings since the coupons are the same), the end result extends the maturity on this debt from JMPC’s January 15, 2021 to JMPD’s November 15, 2027.
 

Utilities
 

DTW, SOJC
 

DTW from DTE Energy (DTE) and SOJC from Southern Company (SO) are nearly identical – both are Exchange-Traded Debt Securities, both offer the same 5.25 percent coupon, both have the same call date and maturity date (December 1, 2022 and December 1, 2077, respectively) and both have the same $25 par value. Further, both of these securities offer double investment grade ratings from Moody’s and S&P.
 

Petroleum
 

NuStar Energy is a petroleum pipeline, storage and fuel marketing limited partnership founded in 1999. Those purchasing shares of the company’s new NSSTP/NS-C preferred stock should expect to receive a K-1, rather than a 1099, at tax-time. The NSSTP/NS-C is NuStar’s second new income security introduction this year with the nearly identical NS-B being offered last April at 7.625 percent. The new NSSTP/NS-C offers buyers a 9.0 percent coupon until the security’s December 15, 2022 call date. At that time, the dividend rate offered by this security becomes a floating rate pegged to the 3-month LIBOR rate, plus 6.88 percent. Buyers should be cautious of this structure since, while sounding especially attractive during a period of increasing rates, issuers will frequently call the shares on the call date if not doing so means increasing their dividend expense to shareholders (see “Variable-Rate Preferred Stocks Underperform Their Fixed-Rate Cousins”).
 

Sources: Preferred stock data - CDx3 Notification Service database, PreferredStockInvesting.com. Prospectuses INN-E, SBLKZ, FBIOP, REXR-B, AHT-I, MVCD, MBFIO, DTW, LTSL, TWO-C, SOJC, JMPD, EPRRP/EPR-G, NSSTP/NS-C
 

Tax treatment
 

The tax treatment of the income you receive from income securities can be a bit confusing, but it really boils down to one question – Has the company already paid tax on the cash that is being used to pay you or not? If not, the IRS is going to collect the full tax from you; if so, you still have to pay tax, but at the special 15 percent rate.
 

With that rule in mind, here is how the tax treatment of November’s fourteen new issues plays out.
 

Companies incorporated as REITs, be they property REITS (Summit, Rexford, Ashford, EPR) or mortgage REITS (Two Harbors), are required to distribute at least 90 percent of their pre-tax profits to shareholders. Doing so in the form of non-voting preferred stock dividends is the most common method of complying and because these dividend payments are made from pre-tax dollars, dividends received from REITs are taxed as regular income (i.e. they do not qualify for the special 15 percent dividend tax rate).
 

Interest that a company pays to those loaning the company money is a business expense to the company (tax deductible), so the company does not pay tax on the interest payments it makes to its lenders (i.e. interest payments made to lenders are paid with pre-tax dollars). Since Exchange-Traded Debt Securities are debt (Star, MVC, DTE, Ladenburg, Southern Company, JMP Group), ETDS shareholders are on the hook for the taxes. Income received from ETDS’ is taxed as regular income.
 

Lastly, if a company pays your preferred stock dividends out of its after-tax profits, the dividend income you receive is taxed at the special 15 percent tax rate. Such dividends are referred to as “Qualified Dividend Income” or QDI. QDI preferred stocks are often seen as favorable for holding in a non-retirement account due to the favorable 15 percent tax treatment. Looking at the Status column in the above table, dividends received from Fortress Biotech’s FBIOP and MB Financial’s MBFIO are a distribution of the company’s after-tax earnings and are therefore designated as being Qualified Dividend Income (see prospectus for exceptions and conditions).
 

In Context: The U.S. preferred stock marketplace
 

So how do the new November issues stack up within the context of today’s preferred stock marketplace?
 

For many months now, two of the most significant contributors to upward price pressure have been (1) continued zero-to-negative rates implemented by foreign central banks and (2) insensitivity by member banks toward changes in the federal funds rate. Through July of this year, preferred stock buyers totally ignored the Fed’s federal funds rate increases.
 

But that started to change during early-August. And prices have remained relatively flat since then as investors appear to be anticipating another federal funds rate hike when their next meeting adjourns on December 13.

 


With the surge of new issues that we have seen over the last six months, it also appears that issuers are anticipating upward pressure on rates (which pushes prices down) as well.
 

But many things affect the market prices of these securities such as the proximity to their call or maturity date, proximity to their next ex-dividend date, industry and/or overall health of the issuer, perceived direction of interest rates, pending government regulatory or policy changes, cumulative versus non-cumulative dividends and tax treatment of dividend payments. So what we really need to look at is current yield, which calculates the average annual dividend yield per dollar invested (without considering re-invested dividend return or any future capital gain or loss). Current yield is a “bang-for-your-buck” measure of value that normalizes differences in coupon rate and price to give us a single, comparable metric.
 

While the continuing strong demand for U.S. preferred stocks can be attributed to several factors, the next chart makes it pretty clear that the lack of attractive alternatives is certainly among them.
 

U.S.-traded preferred stocks are currently returning an average current yield of 6.4 percent (blue line) while the annual return being offered to income investors by the 10-year treasury is 2.4 percent and that of the 2-year bank CD is a meager 1.9 percent.

 

 

For comparison, I have set the Yield column in the first table above to show the current yield of the new November preferreds on November 30. It is into this marketplace that November’s new issues were introduced.
 

Income versus Value Investing, Year-To-Date
 

With an average current yield of 6.4 percent, plus the 5.0 percent annualized value gain, those investing in U.S.-traded preferred stocks since the beginning of 2017 are currently on pace for a total annualized return of 11.4 percent (6.4 percent of which is realized in dividend cash).
 

Starting at 2252 at the beginning of the year (January 3, 2017 open), the S&P500 common stock value index closed on November 30 at 2648, an unrealized annualized value gain of about 19.2 percent plus about two percent in average annualized dividend yield – a year-to-date annualized gain of about 21.2 percent for common stock investors. The sustainability of this performance has become the focus of many common stock investors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

 

Preferred Stock Investing, Fifth Edition

Learn how to screen, buy and sell the highest quality preferred stocks

 

Preferred Stock Investing is one of the highest reader-rated books in the United States with 98 reviews posted at Amazon.

The Fifth Edition addresses selecting, buying and selling the highest quality preferred stocks during the market conditions that we are currently facing.

See: Reviews | Table of Contents | Free Excerpt | Paperback | eBook

The Fifth Edition has 21 chapters organized into six Parts over 334 pages. Here are some highlights:

- Part I, "The Preferred Stock Market," introduces a new suite of charts and metrics specifically designed to measure and track the preferred stock marketplace.

- Part III, "Buying the Highest Quality Preferred Stocks," includes several new chapters such as "Buying 'Fed-Free' Preferred Stocks," "Keeping Up with Increasing Interest Rates" and "Buying Less-Than-Perfect Preferred Stocks."

- And chapter 8, "Managing the Risks," has been completely rewritten and expanded to include risks that are unique to preferred stocks during the increasing rate environment that awaits us.

You can pick up a copy of the new Fifth Edition of Preferred Stock Investing at your favorite online retailer such as Amazon (paperback) or directly from BookLocker, the book's publisher (BookLocker provides paperback and PDF eBook formats).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


MORE PREFERRED STOCK RESEARCH

 

Recent Preferred Stock Articles by Doug K. Le Du

 

Here is a list of some of my recent syndicated articles. To view an article, just click on the headline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


FREE SPECIAL OFFER

 

Preferred Stock Market Research Now Available All Month Long - Free

 

Readers do not have to wait until next month's issue of the CDx3 Newsletter to stay plugged into the market for high quality preferred stocks. Preferred stock research articles, marketplace observations and preferred stock news from the financial press and other information are posted to the Preferred Stock Investing Reader's Forum (my "blog") throughout the month.

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The content of this newsletter, and the materials that it links to that are owned by Del Mar Research, LLC, are to be regarded as educational, rather than advisory. There can always be exceptions to trends and/or generalizations that may be presented herein. Consider your financial resources and goals before investing. You, and not Del Mar Research, LLC, are solely responsible for your own investing decisions.