New assets broaden TD

Article Excerpt

TD BANK $77.16 (Toronto symbol TD; Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $142.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.5%; www.td.com) is Canada’s second-largest bank, with total assets of $1.26 trillion. TD will now buy Regina-based wealth management firm Greystone Managed Investments Inc. That privately held business mainly serves institutional investors and has $36 billion in assets under management. The purchase will make TD the largest wealth management firm in Canada, with $393 billion in assets under management. Greystone also brings expertise in non- traditional investment areas such as real estate, mortgages and infrastructure. The firm’s institutional clients, which includes pension funds and others, will help TD build assets at a time when competition for individual investors is fierce. Rivals include more than just established competitors but also robo-advisors and lower-fee exchange-traded funds. TD will pay $729 million (70% cash and 30% in TD shares) for Greystone when it completes the purchase later this year. To put that price in context, the bank earned…