55 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Be careful about the risk of preferred stock investing, April 27, 2008
This review is from: Preferred Stock Investing (Paperback)
This is a good book but reader needs to be careful about the risk
involved in preferred stock investing. Half of the purchases made
by the author in 2006 was not sold yet, and as of Apr 27, these shares
are down on average about 15% in market value. Even if you count the
9-10% in dividends that had been paid, you are probably still 5-6%
underwater. One of the purchases is CFC-B, which went from 25 to 6
at one point only to come back to 14 as of Apr 27. I am not sure
if the average reader would have the stomach to withstand this kind
of draw down. Since many preferred stocks were issued by finance
companies, I suspect purchase made by the author prior to Aug 2007
may suffer even heavier paper losses.
Reader who buy this book with the expectation of getting 12% return
with very little risk and retire needs to be realistic
I have many stock trading systems that returned on avg of 30% for 6-7
years in back testing before Aug 2007 but are down 40% since then.
I would like to see more discussion on the risk of perferred stocks,
how they would perform in bankrupcy and liquidation, etc. Readers
also should not blindly follow rating agency's ratings.
Thorburg mortgage's preferred stocks went public last year with a 10%
coupon, and the price dropped from $25 all the way below $2 and has
come back to over $4 recently. I heard that Pimco's Bill Gross
bought some of those preferred below $2. It would be interesting to
understand how he analyzed the risk of TMA's preferred and made the
call.
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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An easy to understand, easy to impliment system, October 2, 2007
This review is from: Preferred Stock Investing (Paperback)
Several things struck me about Preferred Stock Investing. Doug K. Le Du's writing style leaves you feeling like you're reading something from an old friend. The book is very comfortable to read and easy to understand. But the most remarkable part is how frequently I found myself feeling like "ah hah, of course this would work this way." Unlike many other investment books that I've read, it is really clear how and why the preferred stock investment method that is described in the book would work, with very little effort. And all of the preferred stocks for years listed in the book too so you don't have to take it on blind faith; the book includes the investment results, using the method that the book describes. In the beginning of the book, the author says that if you are a high-risk taking day trader looking for a quick 25% return, this book is not for you; this is correct. This book is for low-risk, methodical investors who do not want to spend a lot of time studying their computer all the time. I learn a lot and it was fun to read.
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34 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Misleading!, March 18, 2008
This review is from: Preferred Stock Investing (Paperback)
This book's advice is misleading, and this is unfortunate given that it's one of the only publications available on preferred stocks.
1. The author fails to point out the major underlying risks of preferred securities. Preferreds are only one step above regular stocks in credit safety, should the issuing firm declare bankruptcy. Firms that issue preferreds can and do fail, often wiping out the preferred investors. And yet the author suggests that the risk of preferreds is "CD-like" (FDIC insured up to $100,000) throughout the book. Not true!
2. The author conveniently ignores the reverse "cannonball" price curve in his visual graphics, thereby implying that most preferreds rise in price after issuance and then recede back down to par at the redemption or call date. When rates rise and/or the issuing firm suffers in performance (think Countrywide!) prices will fall and may stay low, NOT recovering to par at the first call date. An investor may not be able to "upgrade" without a loss. Again, the author is not being truthful about what actually can of often does occur.
3. The author fails to point out that investors can often purchase preferreds at well below par, taking advantage of market price drops when the issuer's health has not deteriorated. By acquiring only at/near IPO prices, investors who follow his advice may severely limit their upside.
4. The book reads like one long, and cheesy infomercial peddling the author's "subscriber" services. If you want to avoid the pain of losing money in preferred stocks: don't buy this misleading book or his services!
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