Via James Hymas, Fairfax Financial is issuing $250M in preferred shares, with a 5% yield, and 2.85% above 5-year government bond rates thereafter, and the (holder’s) option to convert to preferreds yielding a floating rate of 2.85% above 3-month government treasury bill rates every five years.
5-year government rates were 2.16% on September 24, and the 3-month note rates were at 0.90%.
Cheap, cheap financing. As issuers start to pound away on the fixed income side (due to heavy demand), it makes you wonder when the party will end. My strong impression is that companies should be extending maturities and securing their debt financing since rates right now are about as good as they will get due to such voracious demand for fixed income securities.