Montreal-based Laurentian Bank of Canada recently disclosed mortgage documentation and client representation issues, with a sample of mortgage loans sold to third-party purchasers, that have generated some concern, on our part, with respect to the rigor of the company's underwriting procedures and risk control functions. While there is currently no evidence of weakened asset quality in the sample or overall mortgage portfolio, we believe aggressive residential loan growth as well as the bank's exposure to the nonprime residential mortgage segment of the Canadian mortgage market has increased the near-term downside to the risk profile for Laurentian Bank. We are therefore placing our ratings on Laurentian Bank of Canada on CreditWatch with negative implications. On Dec. 20, 2017, S&P Global Ratings
