by Jester » Wed 10 Dec 2008, 04:04:44
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ki11ercane', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jester', 'J')ust when I don't think I can lose anymore faith in society...
The bank of Canada lowered the prime rate by .75 to help the Canadian economy... so TD and CIBC have decided not to pass on the benefits to the public, and are only dropping their rates by .50 and will pocket the rest of the benefits that come from that difference in interest rates.
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsN ... 0720081209TORONTO (Reuters) - Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) was the first Canadian bank to lower its prime lending rate on Tuesday after the Bank of Canada delivered a surprisingly large 75 basis point cut to its key overnight rate, but TD only went so far as to chop 50 basis points off its prime rate.
The bank's retail unit, TD Canada Trust, said its prime rate will fall to 3.5 percent from 4.0 percent, effective Wednesday.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) also said it would cut its prime rate by half a percentage point to 3.5 percent.
The prime rate determines rates that banks charge on a host of loans and credit products, including some mortgages.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Bank of Canada cut its overnight rate target by a steeper than expected 75 basis points, to 1.5 percent, citing significant deterioration in the outlook for the world economy. Most analysts had expected to see only a 50 basis point point cut by the central bank.
False.
Bank of Canada Prime Rate is the rate banks use to borrow money between banks including the Bank of Canada, not Johnny Canuck. The banks are under no obligation to follow the Fed rate, and typically when the economy is soft they hold off matching the Fed rate until they can liquidate their positions on money they have on had at a higher rate borrowed from the Fed.
You don't seem to understand that a drop from 2.25 to 1.5 is not a 0.75% drop, it's a 33% LOSS in interest revenue for the banks on their current liquid stock of cash. If they borrowed a billion dollars each from the Fed at the higher rate, they will lose tens of millions if they decided to sell that inventory of cash tomorrow at the lower rate. They instead choose to increase their spread of profit loss over a less intrusive rate on the cash they have on hand until it gone. Usually what happens is when one of the Big Five can move on their rate because of their inventory of more expensive money is gone, they get more cash from the Fed at the new rate and the rest of the banks follow to remain competitive, even if it means the other 4 Big Banks will lose money.
These arseholes are just like the gas stations here. You have to actually wonder why they bother putting different names on the banks. They all sell money at the same rate. Imagine what would happen if <god forbid> one of the banks sold their cash for one basis point less than the rest. ZOMG!
They've had a couple months to liquidate, but instead, lending has slowed. They aren't trying to liquidate squat. They will be more than happy to borrow at the new lower rate, and lend it out without extending the same change to the public.
This is done by the BOC to stimulate lending, but what the banks are doing is not. The banks are eliminating the beneficial effect that could have come.