On Tuesday, The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (PNC) has announced that it will redeem trust preferred securities (TruPS) further. These include redemption of 6.625% preferred securities worth $500 million issued by National City Capital Trust III.
PNC Financial stated that these preferred securities, having a maturity date of May 25, 2047, will be redeemed at $25 per trust preferred share. The redemption amount will also include accrued and unpaid distributions until the redemption date arrives.
The TruPS redemption will take place on May 25, 2012. PNC Financial further mentioned that it will use its existing available cash to fund the redemptions. The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Co., Pittsburgh, part of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BK), is acting as the paying agent.
Also in March, PNC Financial announced the redemption of $306 million in TruPS, which will take place on April 25, 2012 at $25 per share. These include redemption of 6.125% capital securities of $300 million, issued by the PNC Capital Trust D and $6 million of 10.18% MMCapS capital securities issued by Yardville Capital Trust III.
The redemption of TruPS by PNC Financial follows the green signal from the Federal Reserve for the company’s capital actions. In the latest round of stress tests, the Fed reviewed the company’s capital plan and did not object to any of the capital actions proposed by it.
As part of its capital actions, PNC Financial made a proposition relating to an increase in its quarterly common stock dividend. Moreover, the company projected a moderate share buyback program under its existing common stock repurchase authorization.
Last week, PNC Financial announced a 14% hike in its quarterly dividend. With this increase, the quarterly cash dividend now stands at 40 cents per share, up 5 cents from 35 cents paid earlier. Moreover, PNC Financial also intends to buyback up to $250 million of common stock under its existing 25 million shares repurchase program, during the remainder of 2012.
The clearance of the stress test is a testimony of PNC Financial’s solid capital position. With its proven cash generating capacities, the company remains committed to its shareholders by enhancing their wealth through dividend raises and share buybacks. Its cash and due from banks stood at $4.1 billion as of December 31, 2011.
Our Take
By redeeming TruPS PNC Financial will be able to lower the interest costs, as these securities demand higher rates compared to others. Moreover, according to the Dodd-Frank Act, from 2013, banks will no longer be able to include these securities as regulatory capital.
PNC Financial currently retains a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term ‘Hold’ rating. Considering the fundamentals, we also maintain our long-term “Neutral” rating on the stock.
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