This high yield looks safe

Article Excerpt

CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OF COMMERCE $55 is a buy. The bank (Toronto symbol CM; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 924.0 million; Market cap: $50.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.2; Dividend yield: 6.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.cibc.com) is the smallest of Canada’s Big Five banks by market cap. Rising interest rates and inflation are prompting CIBC to set aside more funds for potential future loan losses. In its fiscal 2023 third quarter, ended July 31, 2023, those provisions jumped 202.9% to $736 million from $243 million a year earlier. As well, the bank’s non-interest expenses, such as employee salaries, rose 5.9%. As a result, earnings before unusual items in the quarter declined 14.8%, to $1.69 a share (or a total of $1.46 billion) from $1.85 a share (or $1.72 billion) a year earlier. However, overall revenue increased 5.0%, to $5.85 billion from $5.57 billion, mainly because the bank is earning higher interest income on its loans. CIBC will probably earn $6.76 a share…