CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Dec. 15, 2015) - TransCanada Corporation (TSX:TRP) (NYSE:TRP) (TransCanada) announced today that it does not intend to exercise its right to redeem its Cumulative Redeemable First Preferred Shares, Series 5 (Series 5 Shares) on January 30, 2016. As a result, subject to certain conditions, the holders of Series 5 Shares have the right to choose one of the following options with regard to their shares:
- To retain any or all of their Series 5 Shares and continue to receive a fixed rate quarterly dividend; or
- To convert, on a one-for-one basis, any or all of their Series 5 Shares into Cumulative Redeemable First Preferred Shares, Series 6 (Series 6 Shares) of TransCanada and receive a floating rate quarterly dividend.
The dividend rate applicable to the Series 5 Shares for the five-year period commencing on January 30, 2016 to, but excluding, January 30, 2021 will equal the Government of Canada five-year bond yield on December 31, 2015 plus 1.54 per cent. The dividend rate applicable to the Series 6 Shares for the three-month period commencing on January 30, 2016 to, but excluding, April 30, 2016 will equal the Government of Canada 90-day treasury bill rate on December 31, 2015 plus 1.54 per cent. Both rates will be calculated according to the terms of the prospectus supplement dated June 17, 2010, and announced by way of a news release on December 31, 2015.
Beneficial owners of Series 5 Shares who wish to exercise their right of conversion should communicate as soon as possible with their broker or other nominee and ensure that they follow their instructions in order to meet the deadline to exercise such right, which is 5 p.m. (EDT) on January 15, 2016. Any notices received after this deadline will not be valid. As such, it is recommended that this be done well in advance of the deadline in order to provide the broker or other intermediary with time to complete the necessary steps.
The foregoing conversions are subject to the conditions that: (i) if TransCanada determines that there would be less than one million Series 5 Shares outstanding after January 30, 2016, then all remaining Series 5 Shares will automatically be converted into Series 6 Shares on a one-for-one basis on January 30, 2016, and (ii) alternatively, if TransCanada determines that there would be less than one million Series 6 Shares outstanding after January 30, 2016, no Series 5 Shares will be converted into Series 6 Shares. In either case, TransCanada will issue a news release to that effect no later than January 22, 2016.
Holders of the Series 5 Shares and the Series 6 Shares will have the opportunity to convert their shares again on January 30, 2021, and every five years thereafter as long as the shares remain outstanding.
For more information on the terms of, and risks associated with an investment in the Series 5 Shares and the Series 6 Shares, please see the Corporation's prospectus supplement dated June 17, 2010 which is available on sedar.com or on the Corporation's website.
With more than 65 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 68,000 kilometres (42,100 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is one of the continent's largest providers of gas storage and related services with 368 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A growing independent power producer, TransCanada owns or has interests in over 11,500 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is developing one of North America's largest liquids delivery systems. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. Visit TransCanada.com and our blog to learn more, or connect with us on social media and 3BL Media.
FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION
This publication contains certain information that is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties (such statements are usually accompanied by words such as "anticipate", "expect", "believe", "may", "will", "should", "estimate", "intend" or other similar words). Forward-looking statements in this document are intended to provide TransCanada security holders and potential investors with information regarding TransCanada and its subsidiaries, including management's assessment of TransCanada's and its subsidiaries' future plans and financial outlook. All forward-looking statements reflect TransCanada's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made and as such are not guarantees of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this news release, and not to use future-oriented information or financial outlooks for anything other than their intended purpose. TransCanada undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information except as required by law. For additional information on the assumptions made, and the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from the anticipated results, refer to the Quarterly Report to Shareholders dated November 2, 2015 and 2014 Annual Report filed under TransCanada's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.