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This Week’s Top Stories: Canadian Real Estate Prices Expected To Fall, And Banks Set Aside Billions For Losses
https://betterdwelling.com/canadas-big-six-banks-set-aside-over-10-billion-for-bad-loans-up-over-300/

Canada’s Big Six banks are preparing for a lot more bad loans. Canadian banks reported Q2 earnings this week. A common theme in all reports was a sharp increase in provisions for credit losses (PCLs). These have been rising over the past year, as delinquencies begin normalizing from lows. This trend has accelerated quickly however, with total PCLs more than tripling.
Provisions For Credit Losses
Provisions for credit losses (PCL) are bad loan expectations, and found in financial reports. It’s the dollar value deducted from income, equal to the amount anticipated in loan losses. In other words, they are debts considered unrecoverable. When PCLs rise, a firm is expecting more loans likely to default or become unrecoverable. If PCLs fall, they’re seeing lower risk, and fewer loans likely to default or become unrecoverable. Simple concept, but usually only accounting folks and analysts know this indicator exists.
Big Six Banks Set Aside Over $10 Billion For Bad Loans
Canada’s Big Six banks are setting aside a lot more cash for bad loans these days. The sum of total PCLs in earnings reports reached $10.92 billion, up from $2.45 billion last year. These levels have inched higher over the past few years. Prior to the pandemic, insolvencies were climbing to Great Recession levels. However, a 346.42% increase across the board is somewhat surprising. Especially considering how many deferrals and relief programs they’ve been rolling out. |
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