Bank Act

Marginal note:Declaration of dividend

• 79 (1) The directors of a bank may declare and a bank may pay a dividend by issuing fully paid shares of the bank or options or rights to acquire fully paid shares of the bank and, subject to subsections (4) and (5), the directors of a bank may declare and a bank may pay a dividend in money or property, and where a dividend is to be paid in money, the dividend may be paid in a currency other than the currency of Canada.

• Marginal note:Notice to Superintendent

  (2) The directors of a bank shall notify the Superintendent of the declaration of a dividend at least ten days prior to the day fixed for its payment.

• Marginal note:Share dividend

  (3) If shares of a bank are issued in payment of a dividend, the bank shall record in the stated capital account maintained or to be maintained for the shares of the class or series issued in payment of the dividend the declared amount of the dividend stated as an amount of money.

• Marginal note:When dividend not to be declared

  (4) The directors of a bank shall not declare and a bank shall not pay a dividend if there are reasonable grounds for believing that the bank is, or the payment would cause the bank to be, in contravention of any regulation referred to in subsection 485(1) or (2) or any direction made pursuant to subsection 485(3).

• Marginal note:When dividend not to be declared

  (5) The directors of a bank shall not declare and a bank shall not pay a dividend in any financial year without the approval of the Superintendent if, on the day the dividend is declared, the total of all dividends declared by the bank in that year would exceed the aggregate of the bank’s net income up to that day in that year and of its retained net income for the preceding two financial years.