
Before investing in a preferred stock it is important to find out if it is a cumulative or non-cumulative preferred stock.
Background
Most preferred stocks pay dividends to the shareholders. In fact, the majority of the return associated with a preferred stock is derived from the dividend. If a company fails to pay a dividend on the preferred stock there are varying rules associated with how dividends must be paid in the future.
Cumulative Preferred Stocks
If a company does not pay a scheduled dividend on a cumulative preferred stock, then the company is required to pay the missed dividend before it can issue a dividend on its common stock.
Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock
If a company does not pay a scheduled dividend on a non-cumulative stock, it is not required to pay the missed dividend to the preferred stock shareholders before it pays a dividend to the common stock shareholders.
Premium
Non-cumulative preferred stocks typically pay a higher dividend rate than cumulative preferred stocks since shareholders of non-cumulative preferred stocks are not guaranteed to receive a missed dividend before the common stock shareholders are paid.
Preferred Stocks Today
The majority of preferred stocks available today are cumulative. Very few companies miss preferred stock payments. If a company misses a preferred stock payment it is a sign of cash flow problems, declining profits or mismanagement of the company.
References
- All Business: Cumulative Preferred Stocks
- Office of Investor Education and Advocacy. "Stocks." Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
- Charles Schwab. "Preferred Securities: Higher Yields, Different Risks." Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
- Office of Investor Education and Advocacy. "Investor Bulletin: Interest Rate Risk—When Interest Rates Go Up, Prices of Fixed-Rate Bonds Fall." Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
- Nasdaq. "Cumulative Preferred Stock Definition." Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
- Nasdaq. "Dividend in Arrears Definition." Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
- Nasdaq. "Noncumulative Preferred Stock Definition." Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
- The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. "1,500,000 Depositary Shares Each Representing 1/25th Interest in a Share of 5.00% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series P," Page 112. Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
- S&P Dow Jones Indices. "S&P U.S. Floating Rate Preferred Stock Index." Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
- Office of Investor Education and Advocacy. "Convertible Securities." Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
- Nasdaq. "Participating Preferred Stock Definition." Accessed Feb. 12, 2020.
Writer Bio
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