TD rebounds with economy

Article Excerpt

TORONTO-DOMINION BANK $95 is a buy. The lender (Toronto symbol TD; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $171.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.9; Dividend yield: 3.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.td.com) continues to benefit from rising loan demand and credit card use as the economy re-opens in the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns. In its fiscal 2022 second quarter, ended April 30, 2022, revenue rose 7.9%, to $11.04 billion from $10.23 billion a year earlier. TD is also setting aside more funds to cover future bad loans as the economy recovers. Those provisions totalled $27 million in the latest quarter compared to a net credit of $377 million a year earlier. That’s partly why earnings in the quarter before unusual items fell 1.6%, to $3.71 billion from $3.78 billion. Due to fewer shares outstanding, per-share earnings declined 1.0%, to $2.02 from $2.04. TD now expects to complete its $13.4 billion U.S. acquisition of Tennessee-based First Horizon Corporation (New York symbol FHN)…