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Six Canadian banks get a one-notch downgrade from Moody's as high levels of consumer debt and...

  • Monday, January 28, 1:45 PM ET
    Six Canadian banks get a one-notch downgrade from Moody's as high levels of consumer debt and bubbly housing prices leave the lenders "more vulnerable than in the past." The agency also notes banks' reliance on "confidence-sensitive wholesale funding, which is obscured by limited public disclosure." Among those cut: BMO, BNS, CM, TD.
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This news story has 18 comments:

  • Yet Moody's refuses to downgrade the U.S. credit rating, and dragged its feet downgrading U.S. banks prior to the last crisis. The Canadian consumer, homebuyer, taxpayer is not more leveraged than his/her U.S. counterpart.
    28 Jan, 04:30 PM Reply Like
  • White,
    that's an old story, sinns of the past.
    It's the present that counts. And the present tells me commodities producing countries are not doing well, neither do their banks.
    In the meantime the general public are not yet aware of that paradigm shift and keep on spending and aggravating their debts.
    It looks ugly for the maple leaf. Speaking metaphore:
    http://huff.to/XOOEKV
    29 Jan, 05:50 AM Reply Like
  • What a joke. I live in Canada and can assure you that the canadian view on debt is quite different. We routinely put down 30-50% down on our homes. Use lines of credit on secure assets as oppossed to credit cards. Have any of these so-called "analysts" ever been to Canada?
    28 Jan, 05:39 PM Reply Like
  • kk,
    Aaaaah, what's a secure asset nowadays ? Homes ? They thought that in the US too.
    Apple ? Not anymore.
    Until yesterday, I thought gold was. At least that bears no cost to keep it.
    29 Jan, 05:54 AM Reply Like
  • Canadian banks don't play fast and loose like their American counterparts. Thus you will never see a real estate collapse here like you did in the states. Would anyone like to argue about how Canada came through the 08-09 crash better then any other country? Primarily due to our strict lending practices.
    29 Jan, 12:22 PM Reply Like
  • Shhhhh----just let American investors drive the price down so I can buy more shares:)
    28 Jan, 05:56 PM Reply Like
  • They downgraded pretty much all the big banks? This is entertaining.
    28 Jan, 07:26 PM Reply Like
  • gwen,
    they have every reason to.
    29 Jan, 05:45 AM Reply Like
  • immediate thoughts are:

    1) this is a Buy Signal

    2) Maybe TD Bank should buy Moody's

    Seriously - I am absolutely no authority

    This downgrade was issued because of concern about the rise in the Canadian house hold debt to income ratio - and the Bank's exposure to it.

    However, much of the revenue from Canadian banks comes also comes from international operations - the States, Europe and Latin America.

    Also, Canadian Banks are presently buying international financial companies at bargain prices.

    Canadian banks have stable earnings growth - however, I think the real question is - Are they going to be able to sustain their earnings growth ?
    28 Jan, 08:18 PM Reply Like
  • Uund,
    never catch a falling canadian knife.......
    29 Jan, 05:44 AM Reply Like
  • The increased household debt/income ratio is an inevitable result of ultra-low interest environment. Canadian banks are still maintaining a favorable spread between mortgage and deposit sides. As mentioned by Uunderhill, several banks are buying international banks in order to boost retail deposits.

    I never invested in bank stocks. But if this downgrade drives the stock prices low enough, I wouldn't mind jumping in and make easy money (if the market doesn't crash :P).
    28 Jan, 09:19 PM Reply Like
  • TD is solid, I also like BMO as it has lagged the group. Be careful on BNS, they now do more banking in central america then in Canada. Government regulation is what makes these banks so solid.
    28 Jan, 10:06 PM Reply Like
  • and decent dividends too... LOL @ the comment about TD buying Moody's.... They should and then fire all of the "anylysts"
    28 Jan, 10:07 PM Reply Like
  • Only problem in CDN banking industry is overvalued housing, that none of you have mentioned here...
    29 Jan, 01:50 AM Reply Like
  • Terry,
    indeed, and that reminds me.......
    29 Jan, 05:42 AM Reply Like
  • Again Moody's doesn't know what it is talking about!
    29 Jan, 04:49 AM Reply Like
  • User,
    tsssss, tsssss, Moody's is always right, as we experienced in Europe.
    29 Jan, 05:44 AM Reply Like
  • "Yet Moody's refuses to downgrade the U.S. credit rating, and dragged its feet downgrading U.S. banks prior to the last crisis."

    They are protecting Obama. Anything for Obama.

    If a Republican was in office, we'd be junk-bond grade by now. Which we deserve after Obama (and Bush) added mountains of debt to the federal deficit.
    29 Jan, 07:11 AM Reply Like
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