Volatility in global markets and an unexpected
slowdown in economic growth in Canada were
reflected in our financial results for the third
quarter of 1998.
Although earnings of $287 million were down $8
million or 2.7 per cent from the strong third quarter
of 1997, we made further progress in building our
businesses and achieved market share gains in key
areas. We also took advantage of strong capital
markets during the quarter to take special security
gains of $200 million, which we are using to boost
general reserves in keeping with higher regulatory
goals for our industry.
Reviewing the merger process
Since the second quarter when we announced the
prospective merger of TD and CIBC, we have been
responding to requests for information from the
Competition Bureau and have had discussions with
government officials and Members of Parliament.
The review process is well underway, and indications
are that the Minister of Finance should be in a
position to rule on our merger proposal during the
first half of 1999. We are confident that through this
process, Canadians will gain a better sense of the
changes that have been transforming financial
services around the world and of the new competitive
forces that we face in our domestic markets.
Building our businesses
During the quarter, TD continued to achieve strong
growth in core retail businesses, including mortgages
(where we had a record quarter, with over $3 billion
in funds advanced) and personal loans (which have
grown 41% year-over-year). We also achieved market
share gains in retail brokerage and key securities
businesses, such as high yield, foreign exchange
and eurobonds.
We believe this progress confirms the ability of our
exceptional people to remain focused on "business
as usual" during a time of accelerating change. It
also confirms that we are on the right strategic
course in terms of repositioning our branch banking
network and investing in wealth management and
securities businesses.
Among the highlights of the third quarter:
- Euromoney magazine singled out TD Securities as
the best securities firm in Canada. As well, TD
Securities was recognized in the Financial Post 500 as
the fourth largest securities dealer in Canada up
from fifth a year ago.
- in corporate banking, Bank Loan Report ranked our
loan syndication group second in the world (and the
only non-U.S. bank in the top 10) in originating and
syndicating leveraged transactions.
- in Smart Money magazine's annual survey of the
best discount brokers in the United States,
Waterhouse ranked #1 overall for the second year
in a row and newly-acquired Jack White &
Company ranked #2 of 22 firms evaluated.
- a J.D. Power and Associates survey of 5,000 car
purchasers named TD customers as having the
highest levels of satisfaction when arranging
financing to buy a new vehicle.
- as part of our national commitment to providing
better financial advice to retail banking customers,
we launched a mobile sales force of Financial
Planners.
- we broke new ground with the North American
launch of the first ever Dow Jones Index funds the
Green Line Dow Jones Industrial Average Index
Fund through TD Asset Management in Canada
and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Fund
through Waterhouse Asset Management Inc. in
the U.S.
- we exceeded the 200,000 mark in TD Access Web
and PC Banking customers in Canada and introduced
TD Access Web Business a comprehensive, secure
and easy-to-use internet banking service for our
Main$treet Banking small business customers, as well
as TD Access WebFunds an internet-based mutual
fund trading service.
- we launched "Green Line Australia" as the new
name for our growing Australian discount brokerage
operations (formerly Pont Securities and Rivkin
Croll Smith), with encouraging market response.
- we opened four new "TD Store" in-store branches
with Wal-Mart, our retailing partner, for a total
of six.
O u t l o o k :
Signs of slower-than-anticipated economic
growth in Canada along with the recent decline in
the Canadian dollar, lower commodity prices and
continued economic problems in Asia have tempered
our outlook for the fourth quarter and into the next
fiscal year. These economic developments have
reinforced our commitment to diversifying our markets
and businesses in an effort to build shareholder value.
We believe we are on course to sustain a good
performance in fiscal 1998.
| A. Charles Baillie | William T. Brock |
| Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | Deputy Chairman |
Toronto, August 27, 1998


Personal and Commercial Banking
Net income for Personal and Commercial Banking
declined $7 million from the same quarter last year
with return on equity also falling 4 percentage
points to 17%. The reduction in net income reflects
increased effective tax rates. Net interest income
increased by $7 million.
Personal loans, residential mortgages (including
securitizations), and commercial loans and bankers'
acceptances continued to show strong growth of
21%, 10% and 11% respectively. This was partly
offset as margins declined due to increases in short-term
market interest rates causing a further
flattening of the yield curve, which largely eliminated
earnings on the interest rate gap position. Other
income grew by $10 million or 5%, in part due to
fees generated by increased activity related to
mortgage securitization, and borrowings by our
commercial customers.
Compared to the prior quarter, net income increased
by $6 million primarily due to good growth in net
interest and other income caused partly by the effect
of three more days in the quarter. Return on equity
fell by one percentage point to 17% as common
equity allocated to the segment increased by 15%.
Wealth Management Services
Wealth Management net income increased
$14 million over the same quarter last year driven by
strong results in Waterhouse, Mutual Funds and
Private Client Services. Compared with a year ago,
Waterhouse trading volumes increased 135% and the
number of active customers was up 108%. Return on
equity was unchanged at 13%. On a cash basis, return
on equity was 41%. Retail brokerage and mutual
fund assets under administration totalled $113 billion
at July 31st, an increase of 63% from a year ago.
Net income declined $1 million or 2% from the prior
quarter. Brokerage volumes increased in Waterhouse
in part due to the addition of Jack White, effective
from the end of May, but slightly contracted in
Canada in line with less active markets. Green Line
Australia results reflected the one-time costs of
rebranding. Mutual fund management fees increased
17% from the prior quarter reflecting growth in
assets under management and the longer quarter.

Investment Banking
Investment Banking increased its net income by
$103 million compared to the same quarter last year.
Excluding the impact of special security gains,
realized to take advantage of favourable valuations on
some of the Bank's investments in common shares,
net income decreased by 13%.
Investment Banking has continued to show strength
in fixed income and interest rate products. The high
yield business based in New York made particularly
impressive gains and its revenue was more than
double that of a year ago. TD Securities was the
top ranked Canadian firm in the U.S. market for
high yield underwriting during the second calendar
quarter of 1998. Merchant banking and credit
derivatives showed strong revenue growth from a
year ago.
The segment's return on equity improved
significantly, as the increased net income caused by
the special security gains more than offset an
increased capital allocation reflecting the growth of
this segment over last year.
After adjusting for the special security gains, both
net income and return on equity are below the levels
reported last quarter due to sharply lower trading
revenue as the world's equity markets fell from the
highs set earlier in the year.
Corporate Banking
Corporate Banking net interest income and other
income increased $27 million and $8 million
respectively, a $35 million increase in total revenues
compared to the same quarter last year. The increase
in revenues was partially offset by a $17 million
increase in the segment's provision for credit losses
and a $10 million increase in non-interest expenses,
resulting in an increase of $8 million in net income
before taxes. Income tax expenses increased $8
million compared to the same quarter last year due
to higher rates and pre-tax earnings.
In the U.S., TD's syndication business earned record
fees during the quarter as a result of several large
deals. Overall, syndication revenue increased by 84%
from last year. Net interest income for the segment
increased by 21% as the average earning assets grew
by 19% and margins improved. The segment also
benefited from improved margins in its trade finance
and corporate cash management businesses.
Net income improved slightly from last quarter while
return on equity increased by one percentage point
mostly due to the decreased capital requirement,
reflecting lower risk-weightings assigned to the
Bank's corporate loans.
Your Bank earned net income of $287 million in the third quarter of 1998, which was $8 million or 2.7%
lower than the same quarter last year. Compared to last year, other income grew $348 million or 53% to
$1,005 million - exceeding one billion dollars for the first time and establishing a new record. Other
income continues to be the main factor behind our revenue growth, benefiting from our strategy of
investing in wealth management businesses and expanding TD Securities, and from $200 million of
special securities gains.
Earnings per share this quarter were $.93 versus $.96
in the same quarter last year. Return on common
equity was 15.0% in the quarter compared to 17.8% a
year ago. On a cash basis, return on equity is 17.3%
this quarter compared to 19.8% last year.
Net interest income
Net interest income, on a tax equivalent basis,
increased $45 million or 6% from the third quarter
last year to $784 million this quarter. This increase
was a result of average earning assets growing $36
billion or 27% to $165 billion. While growth in retail
lending was strong and we continued to gain market
share this quarter, the majority of the growth in
earning assets was once again from increases in trading
securities and securities purchased under resale
agreements in support of our investment banking
businesses. These assets have generally been funded by
higher cost wholesale deposits. Although these assets
have a much lower margin than other intermediation
products, they contribute to net income and have
minimal credit risk, which makes them much less
capital intensive. This change in the mix toward lower
margin assets, higher cost sources of funds and a
flatter yield curve contributed to a 38 basis point
decline in margin from the third quarter last year.
Credit quality and provision for credit losses
During the quarter, a $200 million special increase in
general provisions for credit losses was established.
This special provision increased the Bank's total
accumulated general allowance to $650 million.
Excluding this special increase, the full year estimate
for the provision for credit losses in 1998 is unchanged
from last quarter at $250 million. This amount, which
is $90 million higher than last year, is based on
establishing the total provision for credit losses at the
estimated annual average experience over a credit cycle
and is also expected to contribute toward additional
general allowances. One quarter, or $63 million, of
this full year estimated expense was taken this quarter
and, including the special provision, brought the total
charge against income to $263 million.
Credit quality continues to be high with net impaired
loans of negative $321 million at the end of the
quarter. This is $606 million lower than the third
quarter last year and reflects the increased level of
general allowances and the Bank's continued strong
credit performance.
Other income
Other income generated a record $1,005 million in
revenues. This included $200 million in special
securities gains realized as a prudent response to the
increasing uncertainty in the equity markets. TD's
investment portfolio of securities continued to
perform well, realizing $48 million in net investment
securities gains in addition to the $200 million special
gains in the quarter. The surplus of market over book
value of the Bank's securities portfolios at the end of
the quarter was $770 million versus $893 million a
year ago.
Excluding the special securities gains and despite the
volatility in global markets, other income growth
continued to be strong increasing $148 million or 23%
from the same quarter last year. Investment and
securities services, which include our wealth
management businesses - Green Line, Waterhouse and
Green Line Australia discount brokerages, our full
service broker Evergreen, mutual funds and TD
Securities, increased $59 million or 22% over last year.
Compared to last year, trading activity by our
customers at Waterhouse and Evergreen increased by
135% and 17% respectively. In addition, mutual fund
revenue this quarter was $16 million or 40% higher
than last year as growth in assets under administration
in both Canada and the U.S. continued.
In addition, trading income at TD Securities grew
$25 million or 34% over last year but declined
$58 million or 38% from the very strong second
quarter. Credit fees were $18 million or 19% higher
than the previous year. Virtually all of this increase
is from growth in fees from increased activity by
our corporate customers. Card services revenue was
$3 million or 9% higher than last year as a result of
higher debit and credit card usage.
Non-interest expenses
Base expenses for the Bank increased by 3% over
the same quarter last year. Expenses attributable to
Year 2000, performance, growth in our retail
brokerage business, including our acquisition of
Jack White & Company this quarter, and in TD
Securities contributed an additional 19%, for total
expense growth of 22%.
The Banks efficiency ratio improved to 57.8%,
including $200 million in special investment securities
gains realized during the quarter. Excluding these
gains and goodwill amortization, our efficiency ratio
was 64.3% this quarter versus 60.4% last year. The
main reason for this deterioration is the change in mix
of our business. Fee generating businesses, such as
wealth management, have efficiency ratios inherently
higher than traditional intermediation businesses, such
as corporate lending. This quarter, wealth
management businesses generated 23% of total
revenues, excluding the special securities gains,
compared to 16% last year.
Balance sheet
Total assets as at July 31, 1998 were $209 billion which
is $53 billion or 34% higher than a year ago. Higher
securities purchased under resale agreements and
other trading securities balances, which support our
investment banking activities, continue to be the main
reason behind this growth, accounting for $37 billion
of the increase. Residential mortgage loans, gross of
securitizations, grew 9% or $3 billion. Personal loan
growth also remained strong increasing 41% or $4.2
billion from last year. Personal loan growth benefited
from increases in our Canadian market share as well
as growth in Waterhouse where personal loans grew
$2.4 billion to $3.5 billion. During the quarter we
began securitizing credit card receivables which
reduced credit card balances by $1.1 billion to
$1.4 billion at the end of the quarter. Gross of this
reduction, credit card loans grew 10% over last year.
Business and other loans including acceptances
increased 8% or $3.6 billion over last year.
Personal non-term deposits increased 14% or $2.8
billion over last year. Waterhouse, which contributed
$2.4 billion of this increase, has seen personal
deposits more than double over the last year. Partially
offsetting the growth in personal non-term deposits
was a 4% decline in personal term deposits leading to
a 4% or $1.9 billion increase in total personal deposits.
Deposits from business and government increased
52% or $31.6 billion over last year in line with the
growth in investment banking assets.
Total mutual funds under management at July 31,
1998 were $25.6 billion, an increase of $6.9 billion
or 37% from last year. Mutual funds under
management in Canada increased $1.6 billion or
12% with Waterhouse mutual funds increasing
$5.3 billion or 94%.
Capital
Common equity increased $318 million from last
quarter of which $174 million was from net income
after dividends. Due to the weakening of the Canadian
dollar relative to other currencies during the quarter,
foreign currency translation gains added another
$152 million to common equity this quarter compared
to last quarter.
The ratio of net common equity to risk-weighted
assets at 6.4% as at July 31, 1998 is 20 basis points
higher than at last quarter. We continue to actively
manage our risk-weighted assets and capital
requirements, including for the first time securitizing
credit card receivables. This contributed to total risk-weighted
assets declining by $800 million from last
quarter to $103 billion. Together with the increase in
common equity previously noted, our Tier 1 capital
ratio increased 20 basis points to 7.3%. Our total
capital ratio increased 50 basis points to 11.2% from
last quarter, benefiting from the increased level of
general allowances this quarter.