Equitable Bank Reaches New Milestone with Successful Completion of $500 Million Deposit Notes, Largest Issuance in the Bank's History

TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Equitable Bank (the "Bank" or "Equitable"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Equitable Group Inc. (the "Company") (TSX: EQB) (TSX: EQB.PR.C) (TSX: EQB.R) today announced the closing of two deposit notes for a combined total of $500 million, with a $250 million 1.8-year fixed-rate tranche and a $250 million 4-year fixed-rate tranche.

This dual-tranche transaction, the first from the Bank in 2022, is yet another milestone for Equitable's deposit note program, coming in as the largest issuance to date.

The 1.8-year $250 million deposit note was offered at a 2.753% fixed rate and is due December 4, 2023, while the 4-year $250 million deposit note was offered at a 3.362% fixed rate and is due March 2, 2026. The deposit notes, priced respectively at 123 and 162 basis points over the interpolated Government of Canada curve, were buoyed by strong confidence in the Bank's latest results and the recently announced agreement to acquire a majority interest in Concentra Bank. This latest transaction follows the previous largest single transaction for the Bank back in November, when Equitable announced the closing of a $400 million 2.5-year fixed rate deposit note.

Despite market volatility, the offering was broadly supported with the most investors to date in an Equitable deposit note offering and was oversubscribed by 2.4x and 1.9x for the 1.8-year and 4-year notes, respectively. Equitable's program now boasts $1.95 billion of outstanding deposit notes.

"Starting 2022 with another milestone issuance is an incredible launchpad for the year ahead and proof of the strength of the Bank's issuance program," said Chadwick Westlake, Equitable's Chief Financial Officer. "Funding diversification is more important than ever, and we are emboldened by the investor confidence we have seen as our strategy matures. We saw remarkable success in our 2021 program, and I am excited for the year ahead."

The issuance was completed with Scotiabank, BMO Capital Markets, CIBC Capital Markets and National Bank Financial Markets acting as joint leads and bookrunners, supported by RBC Capital Markets, and TD Securities acting as co-managers.

The deposit notes rank equally and rateably with all present and future unsecured and unsubordinated liabilities of the Bank. The deposit notes are not eligible for Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance.

About Equitable Group Inc.

Equitable Group Inc. ("EQB") trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: EQB, EQB.PR.C and EQB.R) and serves more than 325,000 Canadians through its wholly-owned subsidiary Equitable Bank, Canada's Challenger Bank™. Equitable Bank has a clear mandate to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people's lives. Founded over 50 years ago, Equitable Bank provides diversified personal and commercial banking and through its EQ Bank platform (eqbank.ca) has been named #1 Bank in Canada on the Forbes World's Best Banks 2021 list. Please visit equitablebank.ca for details.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements made in this news release, in other filings with Canadian securities regulators and in other communications include forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company's objectives, strategies and initiatives, financial result expectations and risk management, statements about or containing possible future issuances of deposit notes of the Bank, statements made by our CFO and any other statements made herein, whether with respect to the Company's businesses or the Canadian economy. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "planned", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases which state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, closing of transactions, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to risks related to capital markets and additional funding requirements, fluctuating interest rates and general economic conditions, legislative and regulatory developments, the nature of our customers and rates of default, and competition as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Management" in the Management's Discussion and Analysis and in the Company's documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All material assumptions used in making forward-looking statements are based on management's knowledge of current business conditions and expectations of future business conditions and trends, including their knowledge of the current credit, interest rate and liquidity conditions affecting the Company and the Canadian economy. Although the Company believes the assumptions used to make such statements are reasonable at this time and has attempted to identify in its continuous disclosure documents important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Certain material assumptions are applied by the Company in making forward-looking statements, including without limitation, assumptions regarding its continued ability to fund its mortgage business at current levels, a continuation of the current level of economic uncertainty that affects real estate market conditions, continued acceptance of its products in the marketplace, as well as no material changes in its operating cost structure and the current tax regime. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy securities in any province, state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction.

The Deposit Note has not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or delivered, directly or indirectly, or sold in the United States absent an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

SOURCE Equitable Bank

Richard Gill, Senior Director, Corporate Development & Investor Relations, [email protected], 647-600-7544; Sarah Farano, Investor Relations & Finance Manager, [email protected], 416-513-4144