Earnings at Bank of Montreal and Bank of Nova Scotia were marred by increasingly cash-strapped consumers and businesses amid a challenging economic landscape.

The two Toronto-based banks — the first of the big Canadian lenders to report fiscal first-quarter results — diverged in their results, with BMO missing estimates on lower capital-markets, insurance and corporate-services revenue and Scotiabank topping expectations. Still, both lenders set aside more money for potentially bad loans as higher interest rates continue to hurt credit quality, with missed payments beginning to mount.