The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that ripple effects from the collapse of a Canadian trucking conglomerate are leading Canadian Western Bank to brace for more bad loans. The Globe's Jameson Berkow writes that the Edmonton-based lender reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter profit Wednesday, partly because it was forced to set aside $40-million in new provisions against loans that could default. That figure was nearly double what Bay Street analysts were expecting, and CWB said provisions are likely to remain elevated until after its sale to National Bank of Canada, which is expected to be completed early next year. CWB was originally expected to release its quarterly results on Dec. 6 but abruptly delayed publication after discovering a legal claim against CWB Maxium Financial, a commercial financing unit the bank acquired in 2016. CWB said Wednesday that an "in-depth investigation" has since determined "this matter has no impact on our financial statements." Collapsing valuations in the trucking industry, however, did affect CWB's finances in its latest quarter, and the lender expects the fallout will persist well into 2025. CWB forecasts "slightly higher losses" in the first half of 2025.