CWB Financial reports Q2 profit down as provisions for credit losses soar

EDMONTON — CWB Financial Group reported its second-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as the economy tanked due to the steps taken to slow the COVID-19 pandemic and its provisions for credit losses more than doubled.

EDMONTON — CWB Financial Group reported its second-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as the economy tanked due to the steps taken to slow the COVID-19 pandemic and its provisions for credit losses more than doubled.

The Edmonton-based company says its provisions for credit losses for the quarter ended April 30 totalled $34.9 million, up from $15.2 million in the same quarter a year ago.

The increase came as CWB reported a second-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of $51.4 million or 59 cents per diluted share, down from $62 million or 71 cents per diluted share a year ago.

On an adjusted basis, CWB says its cash earnings per share for the quarter amounted to 60 cents compared with 74 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of 50 cents per share for the most recent quarter, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv.

Chief executive Chris Fowler says the moves the company has taken over the last decade to strengthen and diversify its business have allowed it to face this crisis from a position of stability and confidence.

"The deteriorating economic and financial market conditions put pressure on our operating results, particularly on the estimated provision for credit losses on performing loans and net interest income," Fowler said in a statement.

"While our estimated provision for credit losses on performing loans increased this quarter based on an adverse shift in macroeconomic forecasts, we continue to see the benefit from our strategic actions over many years to diversify our loan portfolio."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2020.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CWB)

The Canadian Press