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After last week's OPEC meeting, which ended as expected with no new limits on production, energy prices are tumbling sharply and predictions of future crude prices in the $20s abound.Preferred stocks of some of the dicier MLPs (Master Limited Partnerships), which had already been sold down on expectations of possible distribution suspensions, are being driven down to levels that predict…

  Recapping the important news in income securities in the last month. New issues, bankruptcies, major movers and dividend suspensions  New Issues in November of Preferred Stocks There were two new preferred stock issues during November, as well as one new Baby Bond (exchange-traded debt issue). Property and casualty insurer Endurance Specialty Holdings LTD (ticker: ENH) sold a Non Cumulative Redeemable preferred issue with a coupon of…

It is wise to take a few minutes from time to time to identify problems and weaknesses in a portfolio.This year certainly has been a tough one on income investors, but that is no reason to neglect standard porfolio maintenance. In fact, times such as now behoove investors to review their holdings to weed out the issues no longer worth…

 Date Issued  10/15/2014Shares Issued   477,273   Overallotment Shares  71,590S&P Rating   NR   Moodys Rating   NRSecurity Ticker Symbol   YUMA-A    Market Traded ON   AMEXDividend Payment Paid on the 1st of each month beginning on 12/01/2014Quarterly Dividend   .578   Annual Dividend   2.3125Securities may be redeemed, at the issuers option, as early as 10/23/2017 for a redemption price of $25/share plus accrued dividendsDividend…

Reinsurance company Maiden Holdings LTD (ticker: MHLD) sold a new preferred stock offering.As an insurance company, Maiden Holdings' new preferred stock issue is required to be non-cumulative. While it is rare that dividends are suspended by a relatively safe insurance company, it can happen.If an issue is non cumulative and a dividend is not declared by the normal quarterly payment…