Canadian Economy Nears Dangerous Juncture As Banks Face Multiple Threats

UPDATED by Mark Melin on 3.14.18 at 6:41 PM EST

As overall Canadian consumer debt continues to rise, key risk trends are growing among the nation’s seven largest banks. A report from Moody’s Investors Service notes greater vulnerabilities as interest rate hikes loom on the horizon.

“The strong credit quality of Canadian consumer loans, thanks largely to record low unemployment in recent years, is under threat on several fronts,” Moody’s analyst Jason Mercer noted in a March 13 report.

The change is primarily impacting Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, National Bank of Canada and Desjardins Group.

As interest rates rise, debt-servicing...