A Yield to Caution

Article Excerpt

TD 1ST PREFERRED CLASS A SERIES 1 $24.54 (Toronto symbol TD.PF.A) is a preferred share issue from TD Bank (Toronto symbol TD). The TD Series 1 Preferred yields 3.8%. That’s lower than the 5.1% offered by the bank’s common shares. Note, though, that preferred shares behave more like long-term fixed-income instruments than they do short-term instruments. That means that prices of preferred shares are inversely correlated to interest rates. Simply put, when rates go up, prices of fixed-return investments—including preferred shares—tend to drop. The underlying credit quality of preferred share issuers can be a negative factor in some cases; for example, when the issuer’s share price is falling. As a result, unlike, say, GICs, which don’t fall in value, the prices of preferreds can decline along with stock markets. All in all, if you want income, you’re better off owning a high-quality, dividend-paying stock. This can provide you with a high, tax-advantaged dividend yield—plus growth prospects. One great example is TD Bank’s common shares. With the January 2024…