Good time to buy U.S. big banks

Article Excerpt

U.S. banks have improved their operations considerably since the financial crisis a decade ago. Key performance indicators, such as their net interest margins, are once again approaching pre-crisis levels. A slower-than-expected rise in interest rates, however, has limited investor interest. Still, leading banks should continue to benefit from the expanding U.S. economy. Their now-lower valuations also add to their appeal. Here are two ETFs that provide investors with exposure to a basket of U.S. banks. (See the supplement on page 59 for more information.) BMO EQUAL WEIGHT U.S. BANKS INDEX ETF $25.82 (Toronto symbol ZBK; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $829 million) invests mainly in large U.S. banks. There are over 4,700 registered banks in the U.S., down from about 7,000 during the 2008 financial crisis U.S. regulators closed 528 banks from 2008 to 2017, but none in 2018 As a group, U.S. banks reported record earnings of $236.7 billion in 2018 The ETF trades in Canadian dollars; however, its assets are in U.S….