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Canadian Imperial Bank of CommerceCM.TOHOLDApr 20, 2016Stock 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.
Not keen on Canadian banks. A cyclical business. Housing doesn’t go up forever, and consumers cannot continue to add more leverage to their personal balance sheets indefinitely. ROE’s are absolutely critical for banks, and he sees more value in the US. Believes that the many factors that have been tailwinds for banks are going to become more difficult over time. Management teams are focusing on costs and cutting more aggressively, because they recognize they are not in a high revenue growth environment anymore. Your 4.7% dividend is safe.