愛污传媒

Skip to main content

CIBC revenue growth outpaces expenses, proposes stock split

The new CIBC logo displayed the the lobby of its headquarters in Toronto on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Evan Buhler The new CIBC logo displayed the the lobby of its headquarters in Toronto on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Evan Buhler
Share
TORONTO -

CIBC's strategy of investing in its own growthhas led to increased revenue and earnings from loans, fees and capital markets in the first quarter that outpaced rising expenses, chief executive Victor Dodig said Friday.

The 11 per cent revenue growth reported for the quarter ending Jan. 31 was slightly ahead of the 10 per cent growth in expenses as CIBC continued to invest in technology and other client-focused investments to grow market share.

鈥淲e have invested significant resources to enhance our banking capabilities, to grow market share and to streamline our cost base. I think you can see all of this in our results,鈥 Dodig said during a conference call with financial analysts to discuss the bank's first-quarter results.

Just this week the bank announced it was investing in cloud-based banking platform Pollinate to bring its small and medium-sized digital business payments and banking system Tyl to Canada. In January the bank also struck a deal to use nCino Inc.'s cloud platform to streamline business banking.

Dodig said the investments will not only help the bank grow but also better prepare it for a future where open banking -- which allows people to securely share their banking data with third-parties such as tech companies -- is the norm.

To help boost personal banking, CIBC also invested to take over Costco's MasterCard portfolio last year, with existing clients expected to be switched over to CIBC-linked cards in March.

While growth-related investments helped push up costs, chief financial officer Hratch Panossian said expenses were also up due to performance-based compensation, inflation, and increased activity including business development, offset by some efficiency improvements.

He said that while the bank is focused on growth, it could also dial back spending if necessary.

鈥淲e have the ability to manage the pace of investment in the face of a more challenging operating environment in order to work towards our positive operating leverage target.鈥

Overall CIBC reported a profit of $1.87 billion or $4.03 per diluted share for the quarter ended Jan. 31, up from $1.63 billion or $3.55 per diluted share in the same quarter a year earlier.

Revenue totalled $5.50 billion for the quarter, up from $4.96 billion, while provisions for credit losses amounted to $75 million compared with $147 million in the same quarter last year.

On an adjusted basis, CIBC says it earned $4.08 per diluted share for the quarter, up from an adjusted profit of $3.58 per diluted share a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of $3.67 per share, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv.

Scotiabank analyst Meny Grauman noted that trading revenue, up 75 per cent from the previous quarter, was 49 per cent higher than his expectations.

Grauman said it was a key driver in beating his overall estimates, but said it would be a mistake to dismiss the results as simply a trading beat because the bank also posted 14 per cent loan growth, slightly positive operating leverage and positive results in its property and casualty business.

鈥漌hen we dig into the results we see a lot to highlight beyond capital markets strength,鈥 he said in a note.

CIBC also proposed a two-for-one stock split as it reported results Friday, subject to approval by shareholders at its annual meeting on April 7, as well as requirements of the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange.

Dodig said the stock split proposal comes after the bank has seen its share price appreciate significantly, with the bank's shares trading at around $160 a share in recent weeks compared with a little over $100 a share before the pandemic.

鈥淭hat makes now a good time to announce a split, which would make our shares more accessible to many retail investors,鈥 said Dodig.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2022.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.

A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Local Spotlight

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

Stay Connected