Canada’s other banks are also great picks

Article Excerpt

The success of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout is letting more businesses re-open. Consumers also continue to repay their loans on time. As a result, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions has increased the minimum capitalization ratio (CET1, or Common Equity Tier 1) for Canada’s banks to 10.5%. In 2020, it cut that ratio to 9.0% to give banks more flexibility to absorb loan losses and spur lending during the pandemic. Even so, the CET1 ratio for all five of Canada’s top banks (including TD, see page 71) are still comfortably above that new minimum. That’s good news for investors—along with the likelihood that regulators will lift the ban on dividend increases and share buybacks later this year. The probability of rising interest rates, along with declining loan-loss provisions, will also help boost earnings for the Big Five. ROYAL BANK OF CANADA $129 is a buy. Canada’s largest bank (Toronto symbol RY; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding:…