TD is a top safety-conscious pick

Article Excerpt

TD Bank shares are still down 22% from their peak of $109 in February 2022. That’s mainly because rising interest rates have forced it set aside more funds for potential loan defaults. However, Canada’s banking regulator has toughened lending standards and mortgage stress-test levels in the past few years. That should help minimize TD’s risk. TD BANK, $84.97, (Toronto symbol TD; Shares o/s: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $153.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.6%; www.td.com) is a buy. The lender continues to benefit from rising interest rates, which are letting it earn higher interest income on its loans. In its fiscal 2023 fourth quarter, ended October 31, 2023, revenue rose 7.7%, to $13.19 billion from $12.25 billion a year earlier. Concerns over higher interest rates and inflation have also prompted TD to set aside $878 million for potential loan losses, up 42.3% from $617 million a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, TD’s earnings in the latest quarter fell 16.1%, to $3.31 billion, or…