EDMONTON, November 4, 2011 – Canadian Western Bank (the “Bank”)(TSX: CWB) today announced the completion of a $150 million issuance of Senior Deposit Notes (“the Notes”) in the debt capital markets to a broad group of investors. Proceeds of the issue were added to the Bank’s general funds and will be utilized for general banking purposes.
The Notes bear interest on a fixed rate basis at 2.57%, paid semi-annually, representing a spread of 131.5 basis points above the benchmark Government of Canada instrument. The Notes will mature on November 4, 2014 and will not be redeemable prior to the maturity date. The current rating assigned by DBRS Limited on Canadian Western Bank’s deposits and senior debt is “A (low)” with a stable trend.
“We were very pleased with the success of this placement, which represented our second issuance of senior debt this year,” said Tracey Ball, the Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “Selectively utilizing the debt capital markets is part of our strategy to further diversify the Bank’s funding base over time. It was great to see the strong level of interest expressed by the group of accredited investors who chose to participate in this offering.”
RBC Capital Markets and National Bank Financial acted as co-lead agents on the issue.
About Canadian Western Bank Group
Canadian Western Bank offers highly personalized service through 40 branch locations and is the largest publicly traded Canadian bank headquartered in Western Canada. The Bank specializes in mid-market commercial lending and offers a full complement of personal banking services. The Bank, along with its operating affiliates, National Leasing Group Inc., Canadian Western Trust Company, Valiant Trust Company, Canadian Direct Insurance Incorporated, Adroit Investment Management Ltd. and Canadian Western Financial Ltd., collectively offer a diversified range of financial services across Canada and are together known as Canadian Western Bank Group. The common shares of Canadian Western Bank are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “CWB”. Refer to www.cwbankgroup.com for additional information.
For Further Information Contact:
Kirby Hill, Director, Investor and Public Relations, External Communications Canadian Western Bank, Phone: (780) 441-3770