Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: Could you please give me your thoughts on the YIELDPlus Income Fund? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

YIELDPlus Income Fund, $7.43, symbol YP.UN on Toronto (Units outstanding: 22.4 million; Market cap: $166.4 million; www.middlefield.com), is a closed-end fund that holds a portfolio made up of stocks (71% of assets) and real estate investment trusts (29%). The top fund’s 10 holdings are: Progress Energy, Peyto Exploration & Development Corp., Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corp., Mullen Group, Northland Power, Killam Properties, Pembina Pipeline Corp., Chartwell Seniors Housing REIT, Westshore Terminals and Canadian REIT. The fund holds 45% of its assets in the Resources sector. It trades at a 3.0% discount to its net asset value. YIELDPlus Income Fund holds some stocks and REITs we recommend, but it also has a lot we don’t like. Its concentration in the Resources sector also adds risk. The fund currently yields 8.0%. To meet its high distributions, it may use capital gains on its investments to increase its cash flow. That’s a strategy that works when markets are rising, but not when they are falling. We don’t recommend…