High Dividend Stocks – Strong Retail Focus Cuts TD’s Risk

Article Excerpt

TORONTO-DOMINION BANK $68 (Toronto symbol TD; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 747.7 million; Market cap: $50.8 billion; SI Rating: Above average) earned $1.32 a share in its second fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2008, down 2.9% from $1.36 a year earlier. These figures exclude restructuring costs related to the bank’s recent purchase of U.S.-based Commerce Bancorp, Inc. and other one-time items. Loan loss provisions grew 35%. Revenue slipped to $3.4 billion from $3.5 billion. Lower fees and trading losses at its investment banking operations offset strong gains at its Canadian and U.S. retail banking operations. TD’s stock fell to $59 in March 2008 due to fears of subprime loan losses at its expanding U.S. operations. However, Commerce Bancorp has only nominal exposure to subprime loans. The stock now trades at 11.9 times its projected fiscal 2008 earnings of $5.73 a share. TD is one of our high dividend stocks, with the $2.36 dividend yielding 3.5%. TD Bank is a buy. …