Press Release

DBRS Morningstar Places Certain Preferred Shares Under Review with Negative Implications

Split Shares & Funds
March 24, 2020

DBRS Limited (DBRS Morningstar) placed certain preferred shares issued by various split share companies Under Review with Negative Implications. Each of these split share companies invests in a portfolio of securities funded by issuing two classes of shares: dividend-yielding preferred shares or securities (the Preferred Shares) and capital shares or units (the Capital Shares). In such structure, the Preferred Shares normally benefit from the downside protection provided by the net asset value (NAV) of the Capital Shares. Following the stock market sell-off in response to the worldwide spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) and various geopolitical news, the Preferred Shares experienced substantial declines in their downside protection. As a result, DBRS Morningstar placed the Preferred Shares listed below Under Review with Negative Implications. DBRS Morningstar will take final rating action on these Preferred Shares once a longer-term trend has been established for the NAVs of the affected split share companies.

A description of how DBRS Morningstar considers ESG factors within the DBRS Morningstar analytical framework and its methodologies can be found at: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/357792.

Notes:
The principal methodology is Rating Canadian Split Share Companies and Trusts, which can be found on dbrsmorningstar.com under Methodologies & Criteria.

For more information regarding rating methodologies and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), please see the following DBRS Morningstar press release: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/357883.

For more information regarding structured finance rating methodologies and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), please see the following DBRS Morningstar press release: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/358308.

The related regulatory disclosures pursuant to the National Instrument 25-101 Designated Rating Organizations are hereby incorporated by reference and can be found by clicking on the link under Related Documents or by contacting us at info@dbrsmorningstar.com.

The rated entity or its related entities did participate in the rating process for this rating action. DBRS Morningstar had access to the accounts and other relevant internal documents of the rated entity or its related entities in connection with this rating action.

For more information on this credit or on this industry, visit www.dbrsmorningstar.com or contact us at info@dbrsmorningstar.com.

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