CIBC’s Traders Give Results a Lift on Gain in Fixed Income

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s traders gave the bank’s earnings a boost last quarter amid a strong stretch for fixed-income products.

(Bloomberg) — Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s traders gave the bank’s earnings a boost last quarter amid a strong stretch for fixed-income products.

Revenue from the capital-markets division rose to C$1.48 billion ($1.09 billion) in the three months through January, up 14% from a year earlier, the Toronto-based bank said Friday. Overall profit topped analysts’ estimates for the fiscal first quarter.  

CIBC’s global markets division is benefiting as central banks’ rate-hiking campaigns increase trading in bonds and rate-related instruments. The bank’s trading revenue, on a tax equivalent basis, rose 17% from a year earlier, led by a gain in interest-rate products.

CIBC rose 1.9% to C$62.40 at 9:48 a.m. in Toronto. The shares have climbed 14% this year, compared with a 5.2% gain for the S&P/TSX Commercial Banks Index.

Net income fell 77% to C$432 million, or 39 cents a share, hurt by a provision for a lawsuit against the firm from Cerberus Capital Management LP. Excluding some items, profit was C$1.94 a share. Analysts estimated C$1.72, on average.

Revenue in CIBC’s Canadian personal and business banking unit rose 3.5% to C$2.26 billion as balances of all types of loans continued to rise. 

“We have clear momentum in attracting and deepening client relationships, a resilient capital position, strong risk management and credit quality,” Chief Executive Officer Victor Dodig said in a statement that characterized the economic environment as “fluid.”

The bank set aside C$295 million in provisions for credit losses, less than the C$345.3 million analysts estimated. That’s also down from the previous quarter’s C$436 million provision.

The bank’s gross impaired loans as a portion of its total loans and acceptances ticked up to 0.36%, from 0.33% in the fiscal fourth quarter. That’s still down 0.39% a year earlier and well below pre-pandemic levels.

(Updates share price in fourth paragraph.)

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