December 31, 2012

Fiscal madness continues in the US, with proposals to embed milkfare:

Under President Harry S. Truman’s farm policy, the government bought supplies of a product until its price reached “parity” with the cost immediately before World War I. Adjusted for a century of inflation, the Agriculture Department’s milk-support price today would be $39.08 per hundred pounds, more than double the dairy futures price of $18.60 at 8:34 a.m. in New York today.

Under the revised dairy plan, written by [Minnesota Rep. Collin] Peterson [D], the government would manage the milk supply by setting milk- production limits for farmers who enroll in a market- stabilization program. The proposal eliminates programs that pay farmers when prices fall below a certain level, replacing them with initiatives designed to protect profit margins through insurance programs and by limiting output, which would raise prices.

The year ended on a positive note, with PerpetualPremiums and DeemedRetractibles both up 2bp and FixedResets winning 12bp. Volatility was muted. Volume was near non-existent.

And that’s a wrap for 2012! The fund’s done rather well over the year … I’ve earned an extra half spoonful of cinnamon in my coffee tonight!

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 -0.1601 % 2,478.5
FixedFloater 4.35 % 3.71 % 30,473 17.85 1 0.2294 % 3,700.9
Floater 2.81 % 3.00 % 54,001 19.72 4 -0.1601 % 2,676.1
OpRet 4.62 % 1.63 % 53,688 0.46 4 0.1241 % 2,599.0
SplitShare 4.63 % 4.68 % 52,488 4.36 2 0.0000 % 2,875.3
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.1241 % 2,376.5
Perpetual-Premium 5.26 % 1.03 % 67,640 0.78 30 0.0194 % 2,331.8
Perpetual-Discount 4.86 % 4.89 % 129,708 15.69 4 -0.0305 % 2,639.9
FixedReset 4.92 % 2.89 % 212,650 4.25 77 0.1249 % 2,465.0
Deemed-Retractible 4.88 % 0.09 % 110,626 0.16 46 0.0193 % 2,429.5
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
ELF.PR.G Perpetual-Discount -1.10 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2042-12-31
Maturity Price : 23.75
Evaluated at bid price : 24.23
Bid-YTW : 4.89 %
MFC.PR.B Deemed-Retractible 1.09 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.96
Bid-YTW : 4.72 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
ENB.PR.T FixedReset 24,165 Recent new issue.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2042-12-31
Maturity Price : 23.16
Evaluated at bid price : 25.21
Bid-YTW : 3.74 %
BMO.PR.Q FixedReset 18,397 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.92
Bid-YTW : 3.19 %
TD.PR.A FixedReset 15,467 RBC bought 13,300 from CIBC at 25.58.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.55
Bid-YTW : 3.36 %
MFC.PR.E FixedReset 10,362 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2014-09-19
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 26.20
Bid-YTW : 2.85 %
RY.PR.H Deemed-Retractible 10,100 National crossed 10,000 at 26.75.
YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2013-05-24
Maturity Price : 26.00
Evaluated at bid price : 26.74
Bid-YTW : -0.41 %
There were 0 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
BAM.PR.C Floater Quote: 17.47 – 19.00
Spot Rate : 1.5300
Average : 0.8128

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2042-12-31
Maturity Price : 17.47
Evaluated at bid price : 17.47
Bid-YTW : 3.00 %

BNS.PR.J Deemed-Retractible Quote: 25.82 – 26.28
Spot Rate : 0.4600
Average : 0.2675

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2013-10-29
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.82
Bid-YTW : 0.74 %

ELF.PR.G Perpetual-Discount Quote: 24.23 – 24.70
Spot Rate : 0.4700
Average : 0.2905

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2042-12-31
Maturity Price : 23.75
Evaluated at bid price : 24.23
Bid-YTW : 4.89 %

TCA.PR.X Perpetual-Premium Quote: 51.56 – 52.42
Spot Rate : 0.8600
Average : 0.7270

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2013-10-15
Maturity Price : 50.00
Evaluated at bid price : 51.56
Bid-YTW : 1.03 %

BNS.PR.O Deemed-Retractible Quote: 26.26 – 26.55
Spot Rate : 0.2900
Average : 0.1778

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2013-04-26
Maturity Price : 26.00
Evaluated at bid price : 26.26
Bid-YTW : 0.74 %

GWO.PR.N FixedReset Quote: 23.15 – 23.46
Spot Rate : 0.3100
Average : 0.2078

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.15
Bid-YTW : 3.99 %

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