Our site runs on donations to keep it running for free. Please consider donating if you enjoy your experience here!

Here We Go!!

The futures markets in stocks were way up and way down overnight–but now are up by over 1/2%. A guessing person would say we will be seeing some pretty wide swings today.

Last week cost us personally around 2%–almost all of the losses on Thursday and Friday and they were biggest in perpetual preferreds–that should be no surprise.

Here is what we are doing today.

1st off we are doing nothing–we are going watch and see if stocks and bonds hold steady in here. I don’t care if stocks fall again–but I hope these moves are kept to the 1% area.

2ndly we are shopping in the short maturity issues-those maturing in the next 10 years.

We are also shopping in all utility and CEF preferreds and baby bonds.

The last area we are watching is the mREIT preferreds. Theses issues are offering plenty of value, but being perpetual they may have more volatility.

So our theme is quality and/or short duration with a sprinkling of perpetual preferreds. Some folks may remember that I have always tended toward the shorter maturity issues–baby bonds and term preferreds–this serves one well with wild markets, but you give up some coupon.

Everyone should note that many of the quality issues are still expensive–but they have a lot less call risk in them–so if they were a good buy at say $27 they are a bunch better at $25.50 (or whatever the number is).

The CEF preferreds are here.

The shorter maturity issues can be seen here (slow loading page). How about the Gladstone Investment 6.375% issue now at $25.35 and not callable until 8/2020 with maturity in 2025?

The utility baby bonds and preferreds are here. How about the Entergy New Orleans 5.50% (ENO) baby bond issue trading at $25.13. First callable in 4/2021 and rated ‘A’ by S&P? This is a first mortgage bond.

As far as selling–I don’t see anything that I plan to sell right now. I have plenty of dry powder and while I hold the Golar LNG Partners 8.75% (GMLPP) which got hammered, I bought only 200 shares. I also have an overweight in UMH-D–I plan to hold the issue. In spite of UMH being ‘hated’ I see little fundamental risk in the issue (although I ‘mark to market’ in my mind everyday–none of this ‘you don’t lose money until you sell–I have lost money on this position).

141 Preferreds and Baby Bonds That are Potentially Dangerous to Your Wealth-Updated

UPDATE–I have tweaked the spreadsheet removing some issues with redemption dates in the future with incorrect calculations on the YTW.

Below is a spreadsheet that lists 141 preferreds and baby bonds that are either currently redeemable or will be within a couple of months.

I have arranged these with the worst yield to worst on the top–potentially the most dangerous of them all.

I am not saying any of these in particular will be called now–but a high percentage of them could be–do you hold them?

The last time I published a list of these I used just investment grade issues–this list covers any and all $25/share issues no matter the rating.

Note that the yield to worst calculation is off by a small amount (less than 1/2%) as it doesn’t figure accrued dividends and interest in the calc.

You need Google Sheets to open this spreadsheet.

Here is the spreadsheet.

Addition of a “Sock Drawer” Section

I have added a new topic in the right hand side menu for “Sock Drawer” discussion.

The intent it to include items that all of us consider “sock drawer” holdings.

My definition of “sock drawer” is those issues I own that I consider extremely safe and that don’t have to be watched too closely. Normally they would have more modest coupons, but you can sleep well at night (relative to safety)–you know the income stream is extremely safe, althought the share price may move around quite a bit.

Others may have their own definition–in fact I know they do–that is fine

For instance, I have held the Tricontinental 5.00% preferred (TY- or TY-P) issue for years and years. Tricontinental is a closed end fund managed by Columbia Threadneedle. TY was formed in 1929 and this small amount of preferred stock is the only leverage the fund uses–2.2% leverage. Because it is a CEF they must maintain a 200% asset coverage on the preferred stock–the last time I calculated the coverage it was over 4000%. This is a $50/share issue and last traded at $54.66. The issue is callable anytime at $55/share. Shares were issued in 1963.

You can use the link in the right hand menu to access this section–it is here.

Costamare Preferreds Falling

Just a note that the 4 preferred issues from container ship owner Costamare (CMRE) are tumbling.

Shares went ex-dividend ex dividend on the 13th–and have just continued to move lower. The high yield issues are now $1 lower since ex date.

A quick scan and I don’t see real news out there (although there may be some), but I think it is more likely simply a sell off on valuation.

Their 4 issues can be seen here.

For those with risk tolerance there may be opportunity here.

Let’s Do It!!

Let’s Do It!!

That is what I have to tell myself each day to force myself to buy riskier assets than I really want to hold.

Like many of you I have piled up cash positions that are too high–that means around 30% and I will have a few more percentages coming in when the Kayne Anderson 3.50% issue (KYN-F) money comes in on redemption. New issues being offered are either too low in coupon or simply are not issues that are really in my wheelhouse–i.e. too high of a perceived risk.

So each day I have to force myself into riskier assets. Actually I don’t have to–but I want to–I think it is the right thing to do even though it doesn’t always feel good.

Given that I have 50-60% of my funds in base portfolio positions that I have held for a long time it makes some sense to ‘force’ myself out into risk.

I certainly don’t think that others should move out to riskier assets–each person has their own needs.

Here is what I have forced myself to do in the last week or so.

I bought ($25.43) a full position in TravelCenters 8% baby bonds (TANNL). The issue goes ex on 2/13 for 50 cents. There is a bit of call risk–but there is a 8.25% issue that is callable which would go first and it is likely these won’t be called anyway (although one never, ever knows for sure).

I bought ($25.71) a full position in B Riley 6.75% baby bonds (RILYO). The issue just went ex for 42 cents a few days ago–I bought before the ex date.

This morning I bought ($25.09) a position in UMH Properties 6.37% perpetual (UMH-D). The issue will go ex on 2/14 for 40 cents.

Each of these had other issues that could have been bought, but considering YTC, ex dates etc. these seemed the best for me at this time–other folks may look at things differently.

I won’t likely hold long term on these issues, but would like to realize a 1-2% short term gain before considering selling them.