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Three former Regions Morgan Keegan bond funds that were renamed under the Helios brand when Hyperion Brookfield Asset Management acquired them are now set for liquidation, pending stockholder approval. The troubled funds were acquired after suffering significant and sudden losses during the subprime mortgage crisis.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Morgan Keegan & Co., the brokerage firm owned by Regions Financial Corp., would be required to repay an investor $267,711 for losses suffered by the collapse of Regions Morgan Keegan investment funds. According to CCNMoney, this is the largest bond fund arbitration award to date.
Today the Birmingham Business Journal reported that Regions Financial Corp., which is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., is selling off its 11 Regions Morgan Keegan (RMK) Select Funds. These funds are currently managed by Regions’ investment arm, Morgan Keegan & Co., based in Memphis. The funds will be sold to Pioneer Investment Managment, Inc., the Journal reports.
The Daily News, which covers Memphis, reported yesterday that class action cases against Regions Morgan Keegan (RMK) pending in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee may be consolidated under U.S. District Judge Hardy Mays. The paper reports Judge Mays issued a ruling Tuesday that answers some questions about the request, and which group or groups could be selected as lead plaintiff in that event.
A combination of defaulted loans in the plunging housing market and unique woes with its Morgan Keegan & Co. investment arm caused shares of Regions Financial Corp. stock to plunge 73 percent in the past year, according to a report in The Birmingham News. The company is headquartered in Birmingham.
The Birmingham News reported this week that Regions Financial Corp. may cut its dividend to shareholders as a result of defaulting real estate loans and a series of lawsuits in relation to Morgan Keegan investment fraud. Morgan Keegan is a subsidiary of Regions, as a brokerage unit. The dividend reduction was predicted by Standard & Poor’s Corp.
Currently, the News reports, Regions’ 38-cent quarterly dividend yields around 11 percent. The paper said banks are reducing dividends across the industry, largely due to the crisis in the housing market, as losses from home loans continue to climb.
