Canadian banks expected to face higher costs to raise funds amid volatility – The Globe and Mail
March 23, 2023
4 min read
Christian Pouliot, head of fixed income investments at iA Capital Markets, discussed the potential impact of the Credit Suisse situation on Canadian banks and insurance companies issuing Limited Resource Capital Notes (LRCNs), which are equivalent to Additional Tier 1 (AT1) debt in Switzerland, in an interview with The Globe and Mail. Pouliot suggested that Canadian financial institutions will face a more expensive fundraising environment in the short term, as investors may demand higher interest payments to take on the risk associated with LRCNs. He predicted that investors may ask for 10 to 15 basis points more of a risk premium due to the increase in uncertainty. Pouliot expects between $2 billion and $4 billion worth of LRCNs to be issued this year, but the recent events may impact pricing for the next few months.