preferred stock
北海道電力に続いて九州電力も政策投資銀行に資金援助を求めております。今回の日経新聞に，「優先株」で資金調達を行うと書いてあり，単語が気になりました。Weblioで調べると” preferred stock”とありました。”preferred”には「他よりも好ましい」という意味があります。「優先株」配当金を普通株式よりも優先的にもらえるという点で，好ましいといえると思います。つまり，会社の業績が芳しくなく，全ての株式に対して配当を行えないような場合でも配当金がもらえるものが優先株です。
このまま火力発電に依存していると，他の電力会社も，資金援助を求める可能性があります。電力料金が上がり，さらに税金から拠出される政府の援助を受けることは結局は国民の負担が増大していることに繋がります。（Ume）
Kyushu Electric becomes 2nd nuclear operator to seek gov't aid
Kyushu Electric, a regional monopoly that supplies power in southern Japan, said on Wednesday it was in talks with state-owned Development Bank of Japan for financial backing. On Tuesday, a source said Hokkaido Electric Power Co, which supplies Japan’s northernmost island, had asked the same bank for financial assistance.
All of Japan’s 48 nuclear reactors have been shut down, pending stringent safety checks, since a tsunami smashed into the Fukushima nuclear complex in March 2011.
With no schedule for nuclear restarts, utilities have been forced to burn expensive fossil fuels for power generation. They are set to report a third year of annual losses.
“We are in consultations with the Development Bank of Japan about receiving capital support, but since nothing has been decided I am unable to comment further,” said Kyushu spokesman Yuki Hirano.
Kyushu Electric is asking the bank to buy 100 billion yen of preferred stock in the company, a source said. The lender is considering the request, which was reported earlier by the Nikkei business newspaper.
