CI Financial amends Normal Course Issuer Bid

TSX Symbol: CIX

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2018 /CNW/ - CI Financial Corp. ("CI") announced today that The Toronto Stock Exchange has accepted its Amended Notice of Intention to Make a Normal Course Issuer Bid (the "Notice").

CI amends the Notice to increase the number of common shares that may be purchased from 12,500,000 to 20,000,000, by way of a normal course issuer bid through the facilities of The Toronto Stock Exchange and alternative Canadian trading systems. Common shares may be purchased by CI or purchased by a trustee to satisfy obligations under equity-based compensation plans for CI.  All common shares purchased by CI (but not those purchased by such a trustee) will be cancelled. The 20,000,000 common shares represent 7.96% of the total public float for CI, as of June 9, 2017.  As of January 16, 2018, there are 271,309,933 issued and outstanding common shares of CI.

It is expected that the increased purchases under the normal course issuer bid may commence on January 19, 2018 and will terminate on June 17, 2018, or on such earlier date as CI completes its purchases or provides notice of termination.  Purchases will be effected through the facilities of The Toronto Stock Exchange at prevailing market prices, or such other means as may be permitted by The Toronto Stock Exchange. CI is permitted to purchase up to 112,903 common shares daily, being twenty-five percent of the average daily trading volume of the common shares for the six months ended as of May 31, 2017 451,614.

CI believes that the market price of the common shares may, at certain times throughout the duration of the normal course issuer bid, be undervalued based on CI's financial performance and prospects and accordingly the directors are of the opinion that the purchase of common shares is an appropriate use of funds in order to increase shareholder value.

Under its current normal course issuer bid, CI purchased 10,600,202 of its common shares at a weighted average price of $28.28 per common share between June 18, 2017 and January 16, 2018, through the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange and other alternative Canadian trading systems.

CI Financial Corp. (TSX: CIX) is an independent Canadian company offering global asset management and wealth management advisory services. Its primary operating businesses are CI Investments Inc., Sentry Investments Inc., Assante Wealth Management (Canada) Ltd., Stonegate Private Counsel, Grant Samuel Funds Management Pty Ltd. of Australia, First Asset Investment Management Inc., and BBS Securities Inc. Further information is available at www.cifinancial.com

SOURCE CI Financial Corp.