Canadian Banks 2012

Despite turmoil in Europe over rising sovereign debt levels, Canada’s banks continued to perform well last year. The banks posted their third consecutive year of higher earnings after the 2008 global financial crisis, with many reporting record profits.

Regulatory reform continues to cause uncertainty as the individual rules get finalized. Basel III, Dodd-Frank including the Volcker Rule, and FATCA are all going to require banks to adapt to a changing landscape. Banks will not only need to hold additional capital and higher quality capital, these changes will have a direct implication on business models and resources, and could change the landscape of banking. Most Canadian banks have already started to take action in order to meet these new regulatory requirements.

This edition of Canadian Banks reviews the 2011 financial results for the Big Six. We also take an in-depth look at the banks’ 2011 results and some of the business impacts the upcoming regulatory changes will have.