50% off Premium Yearly
Canadian Imperial Bank of CommerceCM.TOCOMMENTDec 07, 2012Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 19, 2026. Market Open.
We're speculating what will happen. Last year, most of the Canadian area was protected from tariffs because of CUSMA. The US would be paying more for our goods through tariffs; they buy many of our goods. Banks are at the tail end of their elevated provisions and their stocks have done quite well as interest rates have declined. The Bank of Canada has signalled it may hold rates for a while, but the government has released more fiscal support and opening more trade channels, which are good. She remains bullish banks.
The chart shows a V-shaped recovery since April's tariff worries. In Canada, interest rates have been cut aggressively, so the Canadian banks have skated through. Wealth management divisions are strong. Loan loss provisions are down. NA and RY are the best, but CM and BMO are reporting much better earnings, which catches his attention.
What is the effect of Basel III on the future of this bank’s preferreds? The main change in Basel III is that preferred shares must be convertible to common shares in the event the relevant bank is no longer viable. He thinks what will happen is that all existing preferreds will go away, called by the banks and they’ll issue new ones with a conversion feature. When talking to your advisor, this is called NVCC (nonviable contingent capital).