Why do banks issue preferred stock?
Preferred securities count toward regulatory capital requirements so banks issue preferreds to help them maintain their required capital ratio. Preferreds can also offer issuers structural benefits, lower capital costs and improved agency ratings.
Issuing preferred stock provides a company with a means of obtaining capital without increasing the company's overall level of outstanding debt. This helps keep the company's debt to equity (D/E) ratio, an important leverage measure for investors and analysts, at a lower, more attractive level.
Preferred securities have been one of the best-performing fixed income investments over the past six months, aided by lower long-term Treasury yields and the general "risk-on" theme that has propelled many stock indexes to all-time highs.
Common stock investments have a potentially larger reward, but also come with more risk because they're exposed to the market. Preferred stock investments are a safer investment with fixed-income dividends, but investors may miss out on a share's appreciation they would get with common stock.
Preferred stock is attractive as it usually offers higher fixed-income payments than bonds with a lower investment per share. Preferred stockholders also have a priority claim over common stocks for dividend payments and liquidation proceeds.
Preferred stocks often have no maturity date, but they can be redeemed or called by their issuer after a certain date. The call date will depend on the issuing company. There is no minimum or maximum call date, but most companies will set the date five years out from the date of issuance.
Since preferred stock comes with a fixed dividend yield, they are highly sensitive to interest rates. If market-wide interest rates rise above the yield of a preferred stock, it will become harder to sell that stock on the market, and investors would have to accept a steep discount if they wish to sell.
Among the downsides of preferred shares, unlike common stockholders, preferred stockholders typically have no voting rights. And although preferred stocks offer greater price stability – a bond-like feature – they don't have a claim on residual profits.
The main disadvantage of owning preference shares is that the investors in these vehicles don't enjoy the same voting rights as common shareholders. 1 This means that the company is not beholden to preferred shareholders the way it is to traditional equity shareholders.
While preferred stock is senior to common equity on a bank's balance sheet, it falls below all other creditors, including subordinated or senior unsecured debt. The risk is that in a bank liquidation, preferred shareholders would get little to nothing in recovery. This is known as subordination risk.
What are the benefits of preferred stock?
- Consistent dividend income, with fixed payout amounts and payment dates.
- First priority to receive dividend payouts ahead of common stock shareholders or creditors.
- Potential for larger dividends, compared to common stock shares.
Perpetual instruments with call features Preferred shares typically don't have a maturity date but are callable at set intervals and prices, at the issuers' discretion.
Founders don't get preferred stock. But it's nearly impossible to raise venture capital without issuing preferred stock, or preferred shares. In most cases, VCs today won't hand over a dime in exchange for common shares, the form of equity extended to founders and employees.
(AAPL), Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), etc., offer preferred stock. Among the 30 largest corporations in America by market capitalization, the only ones that do offer preferred stocks are the Big Four banks – Wells Fargo & Co.
After the preferred stock is called, the investment is redeemed and you will no longer receive dividend payments. The issuer can save significant amounts of money utilizing a call feature. Once the security is called, no more dividend payments will be made.
| AUM ($,B) | Average ER % | |
|---|---|---|
| BlackRock, Inc. | 16.75 | 0.33% |
| Invesco | 7.00 | 0.52% |
| First Trust | 6.71 | 0.88% |
| State Street | 4.45 | 0.43% |
Therefore, investors looking to hold equities but not overexpose their portfolio to risk often buy preferred stock. In addition, preferred stock receives favorable tax treatment; therefore, institutional investors and large firms may be enticed to the investment due to its tax advantages.
Preferred stock has a claim on liquidation proceeds of a stock corporation equal to its par (or liquidation) value, unless otherwise negotiated. This claim is senior to that of common stock, which has only a residual claim. Almost all preferred shares have a negotiated, fixed-dividend amount.
Preferred stocks are particularly attractive investments after major dislocations such as the great financial crisis or the Pandemic. This occurs because the asset class usually becomes oversold with most securities trading well below par value.
For common stock, when a company goes bankrupt, the common stockholders do not receive their share of the assets until after creditors, bondholders, and preferred shareholders. This makes common stock riskier than debt or preferred shares.
Can you lose dividends with preferred stock?
Yes. Generally, an issuer records a dividend payable when the dividend is declared. However, the terms of the preferred stock require the issuer to pay the original issue price of the preferred stock plus cumulative dividends, whether or not declared, upon redemption.
Its value is affected primarily by changes in interest rates and the credit outlook of the company but without the upside appreciation potential of common stock. The income provided by preferred stocks can be attractive and is likely the biggest draw for investors.
Par values work similarly. When preferred stock is originally issued, it's typically sold at its par value. You should assume the par value for preferred stock is $100, although it could differ depending on the issuer's preference (e.g., $25 or $50 par values*).
Common stock tends to outperform bonds and preferred shares. It is also the type of stock that provides the biggest potential for long-term gains. If a company does well, the value of a common stock can go up. But keep in mind, if the company does poorly, the stock's value will also go down.
If preferred stock exists, the preferred stockholders' equity is deducted from total stockholders' equity to determine the total common stockholders' equity. The preferred stockholders' equity is the call price for the preferred stock plus any cumulative dividends in arrears.
