Treasury raises $12.2 million from warrant sales
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department has raised $12.2 million from the sale of warrants of 17 banks that received government support during the financial crisis. The sales are part of the government’s efforts to recoup the costs of the $700 billion financial bailout.
The Treasury said Friday that the largest amount raised in gross proceeds was $2.79 million from the sale of warrants of Eagle Bancorp Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland, followed by $1.75 million from warrants of Horizon Bancorp of Michigan City, Ind.
The warrants give buyers the right to buy common stock at a fixed price. Treasury is using direct sales of the warrants to institutional investors because the holdings were judged too small to justify the cost of holding public auctions.
The 17 banks received approximately $1 billion in support from the Troubled Asset Relief Program in 2008 and 2009. All 17 have repaid the money and the warrants represent their last link to the TARP program.
In finance, a warrant is a security that entitles the holder to buy the underlying stock of the issuing company at a fixed exercise price until the expiry date.
Warrants and options are similar in that the two contractual financial instruments allow the holder special rights to buy securities. Both are discretionary and have expiration dates. The word warrant simply means to “endow with the right”, which is only slightly different than the meaning of option.
Warrants are frequently attached to bonds or preferred stock as a sweetener, allowing the issuer to pay lower interest rates or dividends. They can be used to enhance the yield of the bond, and make them more attractive to potential buyers. Warrants can also be used in private equity deals. Frequently, these warrants are detachable, and can be sold independently of the bond or stock.
In the case of warrants issued with preferred stocks, stockholders may need to detach and sell the warrant before they can receive dividend payments. Thus, it is sometimes beneficial to detach and sell a warrant as soon as possible so the investor can earn dividends.
In case you aren’t already confused:
What Does Treasury Stock Method Mean?
The component of the diluted earnings per share denominator that includes the net of new shares potentially created by unexercised in-the-money warrants and options. This method assumes that the proceeds that a company receives from an in-the-money option exercise are used to repurchase common shares in the market.In order to comply with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the treasury stock method must be used by a company when computing its diluted earnings per share (EPS).
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What Does Warrant Mean?
A derivative security that gives the holder the right to purchase securities (usually equity) from the issuer at a specific price within a certain time frame. Warrants are often included in a new debt issue as a “sweetener” to entice investors.
Investopedia Says
Investopedia explains Warrant
The main difference between warrants and call options is that warrants are issued and guaranteed by the company, whereas options are exchange instruments and are not issued by the company. Also, the lifetime of a warrant is often measured in years, while the lifetime of a typical option is measured in months.
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