Posted on 01/30/2002 8:08:39 AM PST by Bayou City
CIBC reveals Global Crossing exposure
By JOHN PARTRIDGE
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
Tuesday, January 29 - Online Edition, Posted at 8:08 PM EST
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has revealed its exposure to Global Crossing Ltd., a Bermuda-based telecommunications company that has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in profit for CIBC over the past three years but is now in bankruptcy protection.
The bank said after stock markets closed yesterday that it has $207-million in loans to "Global Crossing entities," as well as $179-million in preferred shares issued by the telecom company, which sought court protection from its creditors on Monday in the fourth-largest Chapter 11 filing in history.
However, CIBC also said that it will generate about $320-million in revenue from closing out hedge contracts on 10 million Global Crossing common shares - and their related sale - during the current quarter, which ends Jan. 31.
The bank also is assured of additional revenue from the "material amount of hedged shares" it still holds, CIBC spokesman Rob McLeod said.
The bank had protected itself against a collapse in Global Crossing's share price by hedging its holdings through forward sales contracts set to mature between 2001 and 2003. The contract prices range from a floor of $20 (U.S.) a share to $28, to a ceiling of $46 to $64.
CIBC also has a holding of unhedged Global Crossing shares, but Mr. McLeod was unable to say how many.
The bank added that because of its exposure to Global Crossing and its previous disclosure that it is on the hook for $342-million (Canadian) lent to various entities of collapsed Houston-based energy giant Enron Corp., it now expects its loan-loss provisions for the first quarter of fiscal 2002 to total about $540-million. This will include "significant provisions" on its loans to both companies.
The provision compares with $403-million in last year's fourth quarter, when, like several other banks, CIBC boosted these charges sharply, and with $190-million in the first quarter of 2001.
The bank also said it now expects its loan-loss provisions for fiscal 2002 as a whole to come in at $1.25-billion to $1.35-billion, up from $1.1-billion. This is fractionally higher than the approximately 10-per-cent increase in total provisions CIBC officials forecast when the bank reported its fourth-quarter results.
Despite the hit in loan losses, CIBC has done extraordinarily well on Global Crossing given its initial investment of just $30-million (U.S.). Mr. McLeod said that during the past three years, the bank has "realized more than $2-billion (Canadian) in revenues" from its association with the company, excluding investment banking fees.
"By any measure this has been a successful investment for CIBC," Mr. McLeod said.
Global Crossing's unsecured creditors include the major telecom equipment suppliers and U.S. phone companies. Nortel Networks Corp. is owed $13.8-million (U.S.). Lucent Technologies and Alcatel are each on the hook for more than $31-million.
With files from reporter Brian Milner
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Copyright © 2002 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved
...Despite the hit in loan losses, CIBC has done extraordinarily well on Global Crossing given its initial investment of just $30-million (U.S.). Mr. McLeod said that during the past three years, the bank has "realized more than $2-billion (Canadian) in revenues" from its association with the company, excluding investment banking fees.
This just keeps getting more and more interesting. Looks like this bank was given plenty of time to bail at the expense of the common folk. I wonder how many others are out there. For the life of me I don't understand why the SEC hasn't started a probe yet.
You have trouble understanding why the SEC hasn't launched a probe of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)?
Hmm. I wonder why. I really, really wonder.
Kinda funny how he uses "move on" in almost all of them. Democrats have a smaller vocabulary than Lucy the Ape.
Nothing here; time to move on.
Move on what?
diddy
Diddy what?
Diddy move on?
After he left Arthur Andersen?
White.
He became Clinton's Comptroller and began persecuting we publicans.
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