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With global growth issues flexing muscles and corporate earnings falling flat, risk-on sentiments are finding it tough to sail smooth this year. Safe harbors like Treasury bonds are in demand, resulting in a decline in yields. As of May 16, 2016, yields on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note were 1.75%. As a matter of fact, the 10-year U.S. Treasury note did not see 2% or more yield after January 28, 2016. A dovish Fed, which lowered its number of rate hike estimates for 2016 from four to two in its March meeting citing global growth worries and moderation in U.S. growth, was also behind the decline in bond yields. Even Goldman Sachs cut its forecast for 10-year U.S. Treasury bond yields over the coming few years. Goldman Sachs now expects its year-end 10-year yield to be 2.4%, down from the 2.75% it projected in the first quarter. It does not expect the 10-year yield to rise above 3% to close out a year before 2018 (read: Time for Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETFs? ). Needless to say, this is a difficult situation for income investors that forced many to try out almost every high-yielding investing option. But higher yields sometimes come with higher risks. So, it is better to bet on investing areas that are better positioned from the return perspective and also offer a solid yield. One such option is preferred ETF. What is a Preferred Stock? A preferred stock is a hybrid security that has characteristics of both debt and equity. These do not have voting rights but a higher claim on assets than common stock ( Complete Guide to Preferred Stock ETF Investing ). That means that dividends to preferred stock holders must be paid before any dividend is paid to the common stock holders. And in the event of bankruptcy, preferred stock holders’ claims are senior to common stockholders’ claims, but junior to the claims of bondholders. The preferred stocks pay stockholders a fixed, agreed-upon dividend at regular intervals, like bonds. Most preferred dividends have the same tax advantage that the common stock dividends currently have. However, while the companies have the obligation to pay interest on the bonds that they issue, the dividend on a preferred stock can be suspended or deferred by the vote of the board. Preferred stocks generally have a low correlation with other income generating segments of the market like REITs, MLPs, corporate bonds and TIPs. However, unlike bond prices, these are also sensitive to downward changes in interest rates. If interest rates fall, issuers have the option to call shares and reissue them at lower rates. Investors should note that preferred ETFs have hit 52-week highs. Below we highlight two such options that are rising and also offer more than 5% yield. PowerShares Preferred Portfolio ETF (NYSEARCA: PGX ) The fund holds a portfolio of 237 preferred stocks in its basket, tracking the BofA Merrill Lynch Core Plus Fixed Rate Preferred Securities Index. It charges 50 bps in fees. Financials (85.1%) dominates this fund followed by utilities (6.5%). With the 30-day SEC payout yield of 5.72%, the fund is a solid income destination. The fund advanced 6.3% in the last three months (as of May 16, 2016). SPDR Wells Fargo Preferred Stock ETF (NYSEARCA: PSK ) The 151-securities portfolio invests 79% of the basket in the financial sector. The 30-Day SEC yield is 5.18% (as of May 13, 2016). The fund charges 45 bps in fees and added 5.7% in the last three months (as of May 16, 2016). Link to the original post on Zacks.com Scalper1 News
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