The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has announced:
that it had entered into an agreement with a group of underwriters led by CIBC World Markets Inc. for an issue of 10 million Basel III-compliant non-cumulative Rate Reset Class A Preferred Shares, Series 41 (the “Series 41 Shares”) priced at $25.00 per Series 41 Share to raise gross proceeds of $250 million.
CIBC has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional two million Series 41 Shares at the same offering price, exercisable at any time up to two days prior to closing. Should the underwriters’ option be fully exercised, the total gross proceeds of the financing will be $300 million.
The Series 41 Shares will yield 3.75% per annum, payable quarterly, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of CIBC, for an initial period ending January 31, 2020. On January 31, 2020, and on January 31 every five years thereafter, the dividend rate will reset to be equal to the then current five-year Government of Canada bond yield plus 2.24%.
Subject to regulatory approval and certain provisions of the Series 41 Shares, on January 31, 2020 and on January 31 every five years thereafter, CIBC may, at its option, redeem all or any part of the then outstanding Series 41 Shares at par.
Subject to the right of redemption, holders of the Series 41 Shares will have the right to convert their shares into non-cumulative Floating Rate Class A Preferred Shares, Series 42 (the “Series 42 Shares”), subject to certain conditions, on January 31, 2020 and on January 31 every five years thereafter. Holders of the Series 42 Shares will be entitled to receive a quarterly floating rate dividend, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of CIBC, equal to the three-month Government of Canada Treasury Bill yield plus 2.24%.
Holders of the Series 42 Shares may convert their Series 42 Shares into Series 41 Shares, subject to certain conditions, on January 31, 2025 and on January 31 every five years thereafter.
The expected closing date is December 16, 2014. CIBC will make an application to list the Series 41 Shares as of the closing date on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The net proceeds of this offering will be used for general purposes of CIBC.
CM has only one other FixedReset outstanding, CM.PR.O, which is a NVCC-compliant FixedReset, 3.90%+232, which commenced trading 2014-6-11 after being announced 2014-6-2.