Premium Income Corporation is an equity mutual fund launched and managed by Strathbridge Asset Management Inc. It invests in the public equity markets of Canada. It invests in stocks of companies operating primarily in the banking sector. The fund uses financial derivatives such as call and put options to invest in stocks of Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada, and Toronto Dominion Bank. It seeks to invest in stocks of dividend paying companies. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the S&P/TSX Diversified Banks Total Return Index. Premium Income Corporation was formed on August 27, 1996 and is domiciled in Canada.

Canada

Premium Income Corporation

Financial Services

The company has a track record of regular dividend payments. It has paid dividends in each of the past ten years. Dividend per share (DPS) has grown yearly, but the dynamics are unclear. In the past 12 months, the dividend yield has been outstanding and can be rated excellent compared to its peers. At the same time, the average five-year yield has been significantly higher and exceeded nearly all its peers. The company distributes nearly all its profit as dividends (payout ratio above 90%, a negative factor). It will not be easy to sustain such an extreme payout ratio. It may also indicate a company's lack of profitable growth opportunities, which suggests doubtful prospects. On average, the company pays dividends quarterly. 

PIC-A.TO reported revenue of CAD  At the same time, the dynamics of cash flow, as measured by free cash flow (FCF), were drastically different. 

The stock's performance has been mixed in the past six months, with growth following a decline. There is no clear price trend compared to its global peers from the same sector and industry (as shown above). It has underperformed this peer group by 10ppts over six months and grown 2ppts slower in the past month. This is largely true for peers from the same country and sector. With respect to the stock's valuation against its peers, its overall price performance is neutral.

The ratio of return on invested capital (RoIC) to the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) has been -1.7 in the past several years. This ratio implies a fragile shareholder value creation. 

The institutional, legal, and compliance risks associated with the company's country are minimal. In combination with stringent business standards, shareholder rights are very highly protected.

PIC-A.TO has very poor trading liquidity. It will take several trading days for the average private investor to sell a common position under normal market conditions. Liquidity is usually quite stable and is unfavourable on the days with the lowest activity. The trading volume mostly stays the same even under highly turbulent market conditions. The stock has a tiny market capitalisation, which usually makes its trading liquidity erratic and unpredictable. 

No other major risks have been identified.

The risk of default is high. Among the negative credit factors, we point to weak positions in its industry, slow historical revenue growth, negligible return on capital, excessive margin volatility, poor working capital management, and an unfavourable capital structure. We note robust profitability, among the positive credit factors. 

In highly turbulent market conditions, PIC-A.TO is moderately volatile. In other words, the stock will fall more than the index in times of extreme market volatility or shocking company news. Standalone, the worst-day losses (less than 1% of the time) will likely be moderate. 

In normal market circumstances, PIC-A.TO is moderately volatile. Put differently, without outstanding market volatility or shocking company news, the stock's price will move slightly wider than the index. The stock's losses on its worst days (less than 1-5% of the time) will range from very low to negligible. 

Considering past and projected metrics, the stock is neither 'expensive' nor 'cheap' compared to its peers. Specifically, the stock is 'cheap' on P/E, neutral on EV/EBITDA, overpriced on P/FCF. 

Premium Income Corporation

CA$ 5.18

3

Premium Income Corporation

CA$ 5.18

3

Risk factor

Profitability factor

Risk / Profitability

Risk factor

Profitability factor

CA$ 5.18

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