TD Bank Group Reports Third Quarter 2014 Results

THIRD QUARTER FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS, compared with the third quarter a year ago:

• Reported diluted earnings per share were $1.11, compared with $0.79.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.15, compared with $0.82.
• Reported net income was $2,107 million, compared with $1,523 million.
• Adjusted net income was $2,167 million, compared with $1,584 million.

YEAR-TO-DATE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS, nine months ended July 31, 2014, compared with the corresponding period a year ago:

• Reported diluted earnings per share were $3.22, compared with $2.61.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $3.29, compared with $2.77.
• Reported net income was $6,137 million, compared with $5,024 million.
• Adjusted net income was $6,265 million, compared with $5,321 million.

THIRD QUARTER ADJUSTMENTS (ITEMS OF NOTE)

The third quarter reported earnings figures included the following items of note:

• Amortization of intangibles of $60 million after tax (3 cents per share), compared with $59 million after tax (3 cents per share) in the third quarter last year.
• Integration charges of $27 million after tax (2 cents per share) relating to the acquisition of the credit card portfolio of MBNA Canada, compared with $24 million after tax (1 cent per share) in the third quarter last year.
• A release of $19 million after tax (1 cent per share), due to the impact of the Alberta flood on the loan portfolio, compared with a loss of $48 million after tax (3 cents per share) in the third quarter last year.
• A gain of $24 million after tax (1 cent per share), due to the change in fair value of derivatives hedging the reclassified available-for-sale securities portfolio, compared with a gain of $70 million after tax (4 cents per share) in the third quarter last year.
• Set-up and conversion costs totalling $16 million after tax (1 cent per share) related to the affinity relationship with Aimia and the acquisition of 50% of CIBC's existing Aeroplan Visa credit card accounts.

TORONTO, Aug. 28, 2014 /CNW/ - TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank") today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended July 31, 2014. Adjusted earnings were $2.2 billion, a 37% increase from the third quarter last year, reflecting strong earnings contributions from all business segments. Results from the third quarter in 2013 included additional charges taken in the insurance business.

"TD's third quarter was especially strong, even after taking into account the additional charges in our insurance business last year," said Ed Clark, Group President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our performance was fueled by good organic growth, support from recent acquisitions and continued favourable credit conditions. We're very pleased that we achieved these results, while at the same time maintaining our investments in future growth."

Canadian Retail
Canadian Retail delivered net income of $1.4 billion for the third quarter, representing a 54% increase in adjusted earnings over the same quarter last year. This solid performance was driven by good loan and deposit growth, good credit quality, Aeroplan contribution, higher wealth assets, and very strong operating leverage. Insurance earnings reflected a significant rebound from last year when the business was affected by a combination of severe weather-related impacts and increased general insurance claims.

"Canadian Retail delivered a strong third quarter with all business lines contributing," said Tim Hockey, Group Head, Canadian Banking, Auto Finance and Wealth Management. "We were once again recognized as an industry leader in customer service and we will continue to focus on increasing our market share, driving efficiency and delivering industry-leading comfort and convenience through strategic investments in the business."

U.S. Retail
U.S. Retail generated net income of US$518 million, an increase of 4% compared with the third quarter last year. Excluding the Bank's investment in TD
 Ameritrade, the segment generated net income of US$449 million, an increase of 4%. Earnings were driven by strong organic growth, expense management, and improved asset quality, partially offset by lower gains on sales of securities.

TD Ameritrade contributed US$69 million in earnings to the segment, an increase of 1% compared with the third quarter last year.

"U.S. Retail continued to deliver on our organic growth strategy," said Mike Pedersen, Group Head, U.S. Banking. "Customer acquisition and deposit and lending growth were strong, with business lending especially good in the third quarter. The U.S. banking environment continues to face headwinds, but we remain focused on building the franchise and delivering legendary customer experiences."

Wholesale Banking
Wholesale Banking net income for the quarter was $216 million, an increase of 46% compared with the third quarter last year. The increase in earnings was primarily due to broad-based revenue growth across core businesses and favourable credit quality, partially offset by higher non-interest expenses.

"We are pleased with our earnings this quarter, which saw good origination, robust capital markets, and trading activity," said Bob Dorrance, Group Head, Wholesale Banking. "We will continue to attract new clients and expand existing relationships, and manage risks and expenses for the remainder of 2014."

Capital
TD's Common Equity Tier 1 Capital ratio on a Basel III fully phased-in basis was 9.3%, compared with 9.2% last quarter.

Conclusion
"These results exemplify the many strengths of TD: our franchise-driven model, relentless focus on the customer, and ability to grow our North American platform," said Clark. "Our exceptional team remains committed to making us the Better Bank for all of our stakeholders."

The foregoing contains forward-looking statements. Please see the "Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" on page 3.

This document was reviewed by the Bank's Audit Committee and was approved by the Bank's Board of Directors, on the Audit Committee's recommendation, prior to its release.

HOW WE PERFORMED

How the Bank Reports
The Bank prepares its Interim Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with IFRS, the current GAAP, and refers to results prepared in accordance with IFRS as "reported" results. The Bank also utilizes non-GAAP financial measures to arrive at "adjusted" results to assess each of its businesses and to measure the overall Bank performance. To arrive at adjusted results, the Bank removes "items of note", net of income taxes, from reported results. The items of note relate to items which management does not believe are indicative of underlying business performance. The Bank believes that adjusted results provide the reader with a better understanding of how management views the Bank's performance. The items of note are listed in the table on the following page. As explained, adjusted results are different from reported results determined in accordance with IFRS. Adjusted results, items of note, and related terms used in this document are not defined terms under IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar terms used by other issuers. The Bank implemented New IFRS Standards and Amendments which required retrospective application, effective the first quarter of fiscal 2014. As a result, certain comparative amounts have been restated. For more information refer to Note 2 of the Interim Consolidated Financial Statements in this document.

The following table provides a reconciliation between the Bank's adjusted and reported results.

Return on Common Equity

The Bank's methodology for allocating capital to its business segments is aligned with the common equity capital requirements under Basel III. Beginning November 1, 2013, capital allocated to the business segments is based on 8% CET1 which includes an additional allocation charge of 1% of risk-weighted assets (RWA) to account for the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (OSFI) common equity capital surcharge for Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), resulting in a CET1 Capital ratio minimum requirement of 8% effective January 1, 2016. The return measures for business segments reflect a return on common equity methodology.

Adjusted return on common equity (ROE) is adjusted net income available to common shareholders as a percentage of average common equity.

Adjusted ROE is a non-GAAP financial measure as it is not a defined term under IFRS. Readers are cautioned that earnings and other measures adjusted to a basis other than IFRS do not have standardized meanings under IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar terms used by other issuers.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN 2014

Disposal of TD Waterhouse Institutional Services
On November 12, 2013, TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., a subsidiary of the Bank, completed the sale of the Bank's institutional services business, known as TD Waterhouse Institutional Services, to a subsidiary of National Bank of Canada. The transaction price was $250 million in cash, subject to certain price adjustment mechanisms. A pre-tax gain of $231 million was recorded in the Corporate segment in other income in the first quarter of 2014, and an additional pre-tax gain of $10 million was recorded in other income upon the settlement of the price adjustment mechanisms in the third quarter of 2014.

Acquisition of certain CIBC Aeroplan Credit Card Accounts
On December 27, 2013, the Bank, Aimia Inc. (Aimia), and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) closed a transaction under which the Bank acquired approximately 50% of CIBC's existing Aeroplan credit card portfolio, which primarily included accounts held by customers who did not have an existing retail banking relationship with CIBC. The Bank accounted for the purchase as an asset acquisition. The results of the acquisition have been recorded in the Canadian Retail segment.

The Bank acquired approximately 540,000 cardholder accounts with an outstanding balance of $3.3 billion at a price of par plus $50 million less certain adjustments for total cash consideration of $3.3 billion. At the date of acquisition, the Bank recorded the credit card receivables acquired at their fair value of $3.2 billion and an intangible asset for the purchased credit card relationships of $149 million. The purchase price is subject to refinement based on final purchase consideration adjustments.

In connection with the purchase agreement, the Bank agreed to pay CIBC a further $127 million under a commercial subsidy agreement. This payment was recognized as a non-interest expense in the first quarter of 2014.

HOW OUR BUSINESSES PERFORMED

Effective November 1, 2013, the Bank revised its reportable segments and, for management reporting purposes, reports its results under three key business segments: Canadian Retail, which includes the results of the Canadian personal and commercial banking businesses, Canadian credit cards, TD Auto Finance Canada, and Canadian wealth and insurance businesses; U.S. Retail, which includes the results of the U.S. personal and commercial banking businesses, U.S. credit cards, TD Auto Finance U.S., U.S. wealth business, and the Bank's investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking. The Bank's other activities are grouped into the Corporate segment. The prior period segmented results have been restated accordingly.

Effective December 27, 2013, and January 1, 2014, the results of the acquired Aeroplan credit card portfolio and the results of the related affinity relationship with Aimia Inc. (collectively, "Aeroplan") are reported in the Canadian Retail segment. Effective March 27, 2013, the results of the acquisition of Epoch Investment Partners, Inc. (Epoch) are reported in the U.S. Retail segment. Effective March 13, 2013, results of the acquisition of the credit card portfolio of Target Corporation and related program agreement (collectively, "Target") are reported in the U.S. Retail segment.

Results of each business segment reflect revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities generated by the businesses in that segment. The Bank measures and evaluates the performance of each segment based on adjusted results where applicable, and for those segments the Bank indicates that the measure is adjusted. Net income for the operating business segments is presented before any items of note not attributed to the operating segments. For further details, see the "How the Bank Reports" section, the "Business Focus" section in the 2013 MD&A, and Note 31 to the Bank's Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended October 31, 2013. For information concerning the Bank's measure of adjusted return on average common equity, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, see the "How We Performed" section of this document.

Net interest income within Wholesale Banking is calculated on a taxable equivalent basis (TEB), which means that the value of non-taxable or tax-exempt income, including dividends, is adjusted to its equivalent before-tax value. Using TEB allows the Bank to measure income from all securities and loans consistently and makes for a more meaningful comparison of net interest income with similar institutions. The TEB increase to net interest income and provision for income taxes reflected in Wholesale Banking results are reversed in the Corporate segment. The TEB adjustment for the quarter was $131 million, compared with $80 million in the third quarter last year, and $106 million in the prior quarter.

Quarterly comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013
Canadian Retail net income for the quarter on a reported basis was $1,400 million, an increase of $490 million, or 54%, compared with the third quarter last year. Adjusted net income for the quarter was $1,443 million, an increase of $509 million, or 54%, compared with the third quarter last year. The increase in adjusted earnings was primarily due to good loan and deposit volume growth, higher wealth assets under management, the addition of Aeroplan and a significant rebound in insurance earnings due to additional losses last year as a result of strengthened reserves for general insurance automobile claims and claims resulting from severe weather-related events. The reported annualized return on common equity for the quarter was 43.4%, while the adjusted annualized return on common equity was 44.7%, compared with 32.8% and 33.7%, respectively, in the third quarter last year.

Canadian Retail revenue is derived from the Canadian personal and commercial banking businesses, Canadian credit cards, TD Auto Finance Canada, and Canadian wealth and insurance businesses. Revenue for the quarter was $4,934 million, an increase of $446 million, or 10%, compared with the third quarter last year. Net interest income increased $167 million, or 7%, driven primarily by good loan and deposit volume growth and the addition of Aeroplan. Non-interest income increased $279 million, or 13%, largely driven by wealth asset growth, insurance business growth and the change in fair value of investments which is largely offset in claims, new chequing account growth, and the addition of Aeroplan. Margin on average earning assets was 2.98%, a 4 basis point (bps) increase, primarily due to the addition of Aeroplan.

The personal banking business generated good lending volume growth of $13 billion, or 5%. Compared with the third quarter last year, average real estate secured lending volume increased $7 billion, or 3%. Auto lending average volume increased $1 billion, or 8%, while all other personal lending average volumes increased $4 billion, or 14%, largely due to the addition of Aeroplan. Business loans and acceptances average volume increased $5 billion, or 11%. Average personal deposit volumes increased $4 billion, or 3%, due to strong growth in core chequing and savings accounts, partially offset by lower term deposit volume. Average business deposit volumes increased $4 billion, or 6%.

Assets under administration increased $15 billion, or 6%, compared with the third quarter last year, mainly driven by market appreciation and growth in new client assets for the period, partially offset by the sale of the TD Waterhouse Institutional Services business. Assets under management increased $31 billion, or 16%, mainly driven by market appreciation and growth in new client assets.

PCL for the quarter was $228 million, an increase of $12 million, or 6%, compared with the third quarter last year. Personal banking PCL was $216 million, an increase of $5 million, or 2%, due to the addition of Aeroplan, partially offset by better credit performance and lower bankruptcies in other personal banking businesses. Business banking PCL was $12 million, an increase of $7 million, primarily driven by prior year recoveries. Annualized PCL as a percentage of credit volume was 0.27%, a decrease of 1 bps, compared with the third quarter last year. Net impaired loans were $838 million, a decrease of $42 million, or 5%, compared with the third quarter last year. Net impaired loans as a percentage of total loans were 0.25%, compared with 0.28% as at July 31, 2013.

Insurance claims and related expenses for the quarter were $771 million, a decrease of $369 million, or 32%, compared with the third quarter last year, primarily due to additional losses as a result of strengthened reserves in the same period a year ago for general insurance automobile claims and claims resulting from severe weather-related events, partially offset by higher current year claims driven by business growth and the change in fair value of investments backing claims, which is largely offset in non-interest income.

Reported non-interest expenses for the quarter were $2,076 million, an increase of $142 million, or 7%, compared with the third quarter last year. Adjusted non-interest expenses for the quarter were $2,018 million, an increase of $117 million, or 6%, compared with the third quarter last year. The increase was primarily driven by higher employee-related costs including higher revenue-based variable compensation in the wealth business, volume growth and the addition of Aeroplan, partially offset by initiatives to increase productivity.

The average full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing levels decreased by 175 compared with the third quarter last year driven by productivity gains. The reported efficiency ratio for the quarter improved to 42.1%, while the adjusted efficiency ratio improved to 40.9%, compared with 43.1% and 42.4%, respectively, in the third quarter last year.

Quarterly comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q2 2014
Canadian Retail net income for the quarter on a reported basis increased $74 million, or 6%, compared with the prior quarter. Adjusted net income for the quarter increased $94 million, or 7%, compared with the prior quarter. The increase in adjusted earnings was primarily due to three extra calendar days in the third quarter and volume growth. The reported annualized return on common equity for the quarter was 43.4%, while the adjusted annualized return on common equity was 44.7%, compared with 43.0% and 43.7%, respectively, in the prior quarter.

Revenue for the quarter increased $256 million, or 5%, compared with the prior quarter. Net interest income increased $114 million, or 5%, primarily due to three extra calendar days in the third quarter. Non-interest income increased $142 million, or 6%, primarily due to three extra calendar days, higher insurance business growth and seasonal revenue, and higher fee-based revenue driven by wealth asset growth. Margin on average earning assets was 2.98%, a 1 bps increase compared with the prior quarter.

The personal banking business generated average lending volume growth of $3.2 billion, or 1%. Compared with the prior quarter, average real estate secured lending volume increased $2.1 billion, or 1%. Auto lending average volume increased $0.6 billion, or 4%, while all other personal lending average volumes increased $0.5 billion. Business loans and acceptances average volume increased $0.9 billion, or 2%. Average personal deposit volumes increased $1.0 billion, or 1%, due to growth in core chequing and savings accounts, partially offset by lower term deposit volume. Average business deposit volumes increased $1.7 billion, or 2%, compared with the prior quarter.

Assets under administration increased $7 billion, or 3%, compared with the prior quarter. Assets under management increased $9 billion, or 4%, compared with the prior quarter. These increases were mainly driven by market appreciation and growth in new client assets.

PCL for the quarter decreased $10 million, or 4%, compared with the prior quarter. Personal banking PCL increased $8 million, while business banking PCL decreased $18 million, primarily due to a provision against a single client in the prior quarter. Annualized PCL as a percentage of credit volume was 0.27%, a decrease of 3 bps, compared with the prior quarter. Net impaired loans decreased $55 million, or 6%, compared with the prior quarter. Net impaired loans as a percentage of total loans were 0.25%, compared with 0.27% in the prior quarter.

Insurance claims and related expenses for the quarter increased $112 million, or 17%, compared with the prior quarter, primarily due to an increase in claims driven by business growth, seasonality, and an increase in severe weather-related events.

Reported non-interest expenses for the quarter increased $57 million, or 3%, compared with the prior quarter. Adjusted non-interest expenses for the quarter increased $31 million, or 2%, compared with the prior quarter. The increase was primarily due to three extra calendar days in the third quarter.

The average FTE staffing levels increased by 258 compared with the prior quarter driven primarily by higher seasonal staffing. The reported efficiency ratio for the quarter improved to 42.1%, while the adjusted efficiency ratio improved to 40.9%, compared with 43.2% and 42.5%, respectively, in the prior quarter.

Year-to-date comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013
Canadian Retail reported net income for the nine months ended July 31, 2014, was $3,930 million, an increase of $598 million, or 18%, compared with the same period last year. Adjusted net income was $4,132 million, an increase of $722 million, or 21%, compared with the same period last year. The increase in adjusted earnings was primarily due to loan and deposit volume growth, higher wealth assets under management, the addition of Aeroplan, favourable credit performance and additional losses as a result of strengthened reserves in the same period a year ago for general insurance automobile claims and claims resulting from severe weather-related events. The reported annualized return on common equity was 42.0%, while the adjusted annualized return on common equity was 44.1%, compared with 41.2% and 42.2%, respectively, in the same period last year.

Revenue was $14,241 million, an increase of $1,056 million, or 8%, compared with the same period last year. Net interest income increased $479 million, or 7%, driven primarily by good loan and deposit volume growth, and the addition of Aeroplan. Non-interest income increased $577 million, or 9%, largely driven by wealth asset growth, higher credit card and direct investing transaction volumes, the addition of Aeroplan, and higher insurance revenue and the change in fair value of investments which is largely offset in claims. Margin on average earning assets was 2.96%, a 4 bps increase primarily due to the addition of Aeroplan.

The personal banking business generated solid average lending volume growth of $12 billion, or 5%. Compared with the same period last year, average real estate secured lending volume increased $7.8 billion, or 4%. Auto lending average volume increased $0.9 billion, or 7%, while all other personal lending average volumes increased $3.3 billion, or 11%, largely due to the addition of Aeroplan. Business loans and acceptances average volume increased $5.3 billion, or 12%. Average personal deposit volumes increased $3.7 billion, or 3%, due to strong growth in core chequing and savings accounts, partially offset by lower term deposit volume. Average business deposit volumes increased $5.1 billion, or 7%.

Assets under administration increased $15 billion, or 6%, compared with the same period last year, mainly driven by market appreciation and growth in new client assets for the period, partially offset by the sale of the TD Waterhouse Institutional Services business. Assets under management increased $31 billion, or 16%, mainly driven by market appreciation and growth in new client assets for the period.

PCL was $696 million, a decrease of $9 million, or 1%, compared with the same period last year. Personal banking PCL was $643 million, a decrease of $16 million, or 2%, due primarily to better credit performance and lower bankruptcies, partially offset by the addition of Aeroplan. Business banking PCL was $53 million, an increase of $7 million, or 15%, compared with the same period last year. Annualized PCL as a percentage of credit volume was 0.29%, a decrease of 2 bps, compared with the same period last year.

Insurance claims and related expenses were $2,113 million, a decrease of $232 million, or 10%, compared with the same period last year, primarily due to additional losses as a result of strengthened reserves in the same period a year ago for general insurance automobile claims and claims resulting from severe weather-related events, partially offset by higher current year claims driven by severe winter conditions, business growth, and the change in fair value of investments backing claims which is largely offset in non-interest income.

Reported non-interest expenses were $6,214 million, an increase of $492 million, or 9%, compared with the same period last year. Adjusted non-interest year-to-date expenses were $5,940 million, an increase of $324 million, or 6%, compared with the same period last year. The increase was driven by higher employee-related costs including higher revenue-based variable expenses in the wealth business, the addition of Aeroplan, investments in the business, and volume growth, partially offset by initiatives to increase productivity.

The average FTE staffing levels decreased by 275 compared with the same period last year, as increases in front line sales staff and the addition of Aeroplan, were more than offset by productivity gains. The reported efficiency ratio for the quarter worsened to 43.6%, while the adjusted efficiency ratio improved to 41.7%, compared with 43.4% and 42.6%, respectively, in the same period last year.

Business Outlook
During the third quarter, TD Canada Trust was recognized as an industry leader in customer service. We will continue to focus on our legendary customer service and convenience position across all channels and business lines. This will help drive volume growth and deepen customer relationships. We do not anticipate any major changes to the operating environment for the remainder of the year. We expect current levels of loan growth to largely hold while margins are expected to decline in the fourth quarter. Credit loss rates are expected to remain relatively stable. Insurance results will continue to depend upon, among other things, the frequency and severity of weather-related events, as well as a challenging environment due to regulatory reforms and legislative changes. We will continue to focus on increasing productivity, but expect an increase in quarterly expenses due to seasonality, timing of investment spend, and business growth.

Quarterly comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013
U.S. Retail reported and adjusted net income for the quarter was $561 million (US$518 million), which included net income of $485 million (US$449 million) from the U.S. Retail Bank and $76 million (US$69 million) from TD's investment in TD Ameritrade. Canadian dollar earnings growth benefited from a strengthening of the U.S. dollar. The annualized return on common equity for the quarter was 9%, unchanged from the third quarter last year.

U.S. Retail Bank earnings of US$449 million were up 4% compared with the third quarter last year. Higher earnings were primarily due to strong organic growth and lower provisions for credit losses, partially offset by lower gains on sales of securities. The contribution from TD Ameritrade of US$69 million was up 1% compared with the third quarter last year, primarily driven by increased asset-based revenue, partially offset by higher operating expenses.

U.S. Retail revenue is derived from personal banking, business banking, investments, auto lending, credit cards, and wealth management. Revenue for the quarter was US$1,891 million, a decrease of US$79 million, or 4%, compared with the third quarter last year. Excluding the US$115 million decline in gains on sales of securities, revenue for the quarter increased US$35 million, or 2%, primarily due to increased volume growth and higher fee income. Net interest income benefited in both periods from higher accretion on acquired loans which partially offset margin compression. Average loan volumes increased US$8 billion, or 8%, compared with the third quarter last year, due to growth in business loans of 13% and growth in personal loans of 3%. Average deposit volumes increased US$10 billion, or 5%, compared with the third quarter last year driven by 6% growth in personal deposit volume, 7% growth in business deposit volume, and 3% growth in TD Ameritrade deposit volume. Margin on average earning assets was 3.76%, a 4 bps decrease compared with the third quarter last year primarily driven by lower loan margins due to heightened competition.

PCL for the quarter was US$118 million, a decrease of US$99 million, or 46%, compared with the third quarter last year primarily due to improved credit quality. Personal banking PCL was US$126 million, a decrease of US$78 million, or 38%, compared with the third quarter last year primarily due to lower provisions for auto loans and home equity products. Business banking PCL was a recovery of US$10 million, a decrease of US$34 million, or 142%, compared with the third quarter last year reflecting lower net charge-offs and continued improvements in credit quality. Annualized PCL as a percentage of credit volume for loans excluding debt securities classified as loans was 0.41%, a decrease of 47 bps, compared with the third quarter last year. Net impaired loans, excluding acquired credit-impaired loans and debt securities classified as loans, were US$1.2 billion, a decrease of US$78 million, or 6%, compared with third quarter last year. Net impaired loans as a percentage of total loans were 1.1% as at July 31, 2014, relatively flat compared with July 31, 2013. Net impaired debt securities classified as loans were US$921 million, a decrease of US$112 million, or 11%, compared with the third quarter last year.

Non-interest expenses for the quarter were US$1,220 million, a decrease of US$11 million, or 1%, primarily due to permanent expense reductions, partially offset by higher personnel related costs to support business growth.

The average FTE staffing levels increased by 843 compared with the third quarter last year. The reported and adjusted efficiency ratio for the quarter increased to 64.5%, compared with 62.5% in the third quarter last year.

Quarterly comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q2 2014
U.S. Retail reported and adjusted net income for the quarter increased $13 million (US$23 million) compared with the prior quarter, which included an increase in net income of $15 million (US$24 million) from the U.S. Retail Bank and a decrease of $2 million (US$1 million) from TD's investment in TD Ameritrade. The annualized return on common equity for the quarter was 9%, compared with 9.1% in the prior quarter.

U.S. Retail Bank earnings increased US$24 million, or 6%, compared with the prior quarter. Higher earnings were primarily due to lower provisions for credit losses and higher net interest income, partially offset by lower non-interest income and increased non-interest expenses. The contribution from TD Ameritrade remained relatively flat compared with the prior quarter.

Revenue for the quarter increased US$5 million compared with the prior quarter primarily due to strong volume growth and seasonal increase in deposit fees, partially offset by lower security gains. Net interest income increased US$22 million, or 2%, compared with the prior quarter primarily due to increased volumes and number of days in the quarter, partially offset by lower net interest margins. Net interest income benefited in both periods from higher accretion on acquired loans which partially offset margin compression. Average loan volumes increased US$3 billion, or 2%, compared with the prior quarter, due to growth in business loans of 4% and growth in personal loans of 1%. Average deposit volumes remained relatively flat compared with the prior quarter. Margin on average earning assets was 3.76%, a 1 bps decrease compared with the prior quarter due primarily to lower loan origination margins.

PCL for the quarter decreased US$37 million, or 24%, compared with the prior quarter due primarily to improving credit quality in commercial, credit card and auto loans partially offset by higher provisions for home equity and small business loans. Personal banking PCL was US$126 million, a decrease of US$28 million, or 18%, from the prior quarter primarily due to lower provisions on credit cards and auto loans, partially offset by provisions on other retail products. Business banking PCL was a recovery of US$10 million, an improvement of US$9 million from the prior quarter primarily due to continued improvement in credit quality. Annualized adjusted PCL as a percentage of credit volume for loans excluding debt securities classified as loans was 0.41%, a decrease of 15 bps, compared with the prior quarter. Net impaired loans, excluding acquired credit-impaired loans and debt securities classified as loans, remained relatively flat compared with the prior quarter. Net impaired loans as a percentage of total loans were 1.1% as at July 31, 2014, relatively flat compared with April 30, 2014. Net impaired debt securities classified as loans decreased US$25 million, or 3%, compared with the prior quarter.

Non-interest expenses for the quarter increased US$7 million primarily due to higher personnel related costs mostly due to the increased number of days in the quarter.

The average FTE staffing levels increased by 91 compared with the prior quarter. The reported and adjusted efficiency ratio for the quarter increased to 64.5%, compared with 64.3% in the prior quarter.

Year-to-date comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013
U.S. Retail reported net income for the nine months ended July 31, 2014 was $1,601 million (US$1,476 million), which included net income of $1,379 million (US$1,272 million) from the U.S. Retail Bank and $222 million (US$204 million) from TD's investment in TD Ameritrade. Canadian dollar earnings growth benefited from a strengthening of the U.S. dollar. The reported and adjusted annualized return on common equity for the nine months ended July 31, 2014 was 8.7%, compared with 8.0% on a reported basis and 8.4% on an adjusted basis for the same period last year.

U.S. Retail Bank earnings of US$1,272 million were up 7% on an adjusted basis compared with the same period last year. Higher earnings were primarily due to strong organic growth, favourable credit performance, and the full impact of Target and Epoch, partially offset by lower gains on sales of securities. The contribution from TD Ameritrade of US$204 million was up 21% compared with the same period last year, primarily driven by increased transaction-based and asset-based revenue, partially offset by higher operating expenses.

Revenue was US$5,712 million, an increase of US$435 million, or 8%, compared with the same period last year primarily due to increased loan and deposit volumes and the full impact of Target and Epoch, partially offset by lower gains on sales of securities. Excluding Target, average loan volumes increased US$8 billion, or 9%, compared with the same period last year, with a 7% increase in personal loans and an 11% increase in business loans. Average deposit volumes increased US$14 billion, or 7%, compared with the same period last year driven by 7% growth in personal deposits, 9% growth in business deposits, and 7% growth in TD Ameritrade deposits. Margin on average earning assets was 3.78%, a 20 bps increase compared with the same period last year primarily due to the inclusion of Target, partially offset by lower net interest margins due to heighted competition and unfavourable asset mix.

PCL was US$496 million, a decrease of US$91 million, or 16%, compared with the same period last year primarily due to broad-based improvements in credit quality. Personal banking PCL was US$513 million, an increase of US$51 million, or 11%, compared with the same period last year primarily due to provisions for Target and increased provisions on other retail products. Business banking PCL was a recovery of US$25 million, a decrease of US$155 million, or 119%, compared with the same period last year reflecting continued improvements in credit quality. Annualized PCL as a percentage of credit volume for loans excluding debt securities classified as loans was 0.79%, comparable to the same period last year.

Non-interest expenses were US$3,658 million, an increase of US$284 million, or 8%, on a reported basis and an increase of US$382 million, or 12%, on an adjusted basis, compared with the same period last year primarily due to a full year impact of the Target and Epoch acquisitions. Excluding acquisitions, non-interest expenses increased 2% due to investments to support business growth offset primarily by productivity improvements.

The average FTE staffing levels increased by 790 compared with the same period last year. The reported and adjusted efficiency ratio increased to 64.1%, compared with 63.9% on a reported basis and 62.1% on an adjusted basis for the same period last year.

Business Outlook
Our expectation for modest earnings growth for the 2014 fiscal year remains consistent. For the remainder of the year, we expect continued modest economic growth and low short term interest rates. We expect competition for loans and deposits to remain intense, credit will remain benign and the regulatory environment will be challenging as the complexity of the regulatory framework continues to evolve and obligations imposed on banks to adapt and comply increase. Consistent with industry trends, net interest margin is expected to decline as core margin pressure continues and accretion benefits on acquired loans decline. Provision for credit losses is expected to begin to normalize as the high rate of recoveries we experienced this year is expected to slow and the loan portfolio continues to grow. We will continue to invest in growth and regulatory compliance but mitigating the rate of growth in expenses through productivity will remain a focus.

Quarterly comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013
Wholesale Banking net income for the quarter was $216 million, an increase of $68 million, or 46%, compared with the third quarter last year. The increase in earnings was primarily due to higher revenue and lower PCL, partially offset by higher non-interest expenses. The annualized return on common equity for the quarter was 18.4%, compared with 14.3% in the third quarter last year.

Wholesale Banking revenue is derived primarily from capital markets services and corporate lending. The capital markets businesses generate revenue from advisory, underwriting, trading, facilitation, and trade execution services. Revenue for the quarter was $680 million, an increase of $116 million, or 21%, compared with the third quarter last year primarily due to broad-based performance across core businesses. The increase in revenue included higher trading-related revenue, equity and debt underwriting volumes, and M&A fees that benefited from improved client activity and robust capital markets in the quarter.

PCL for the quarter was $5 million, a decrease of $18 million compared with the third quarter last year, and consisted primarily of the accrual cost of credit protection. PCL in the prior year consisted primarily of a specific credit provision in the corporate lending and investment portfolio.

Non-interest expenses for the quarter were $392 million, an increase of $41 million, or 12%, compared with the third quarter last year mainly due to higher variable compensation commensurate with revenue, partially offset by lower operating expenses.

CET1 risk-weighted assets were $57 billion as at July 31, 2014, an increase of $11 billion, or 24%, compared with July 31, 2013. The increase was primarily due to the inclusion of the Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) capital charge. 

Quarterly comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q2 2014
Wholesale Banking net income for the quarter increased $9 million, or 4%, compared with the prior quarter. The increase was largely due to lower non-interest expenses. The annualized return on common equity for the quarter was 18.4%, compared with 18.2% in the prior quarter.

Revenue for the quarter was relatively flat compared with the prior quarter. Higher equity and debt underwriting fees on robust capital markets activity were largely offset by lower interest rate and credit trading-related revenue.

PCL for the quarter decreased $2 million compared with the prior quarter and consisted primarily of the accrual cost of credit protection.

Non-interest expenses for the quarter decreased $13 million, as the prior quarter included expenses related to the settlement of a commercial dispute.

CET1 risk-weighted assets were $57 billion as at July 31, 2014, an increase of $1 billion compared with April 30, 2014.

Year-to-date comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013
Wholesale Banking net income for the nine months ended July 31, 2014, was $653 million, an increase of $125 million, or 24%, compared with the same period last year. The increase in earnings was primarily due to higher trading-related revenue and underwriting and M&A fees. The annualized return on common equity was 19.0%, compared with 16.8% in the same period last year.

Revenue was $2,076 million, an increase of $269 million, or 15%, compared with the same period last year. The increase in revenue was primarily related to higher fixed income and equity trading from improved capital markets activity and strong underwriting and M&A fees.

PCL was $12 million, a decrease of $9 million compared with the same period last year, and consisted primarily of the accrual cost of credit protection. PCL in the prior year consisted primarily of the accrual cost of credit protection and a specific credit provision in the corporate lending and investment portfolio.

Non-interest expenses were $1,208 million, an increase of $89 million, or 8%, compared with the same period last year. The increase was primarily due to higher variable compensation commensurate with revenue and the impact of foreign exchange translation.

Business Outlook
We are encouraged by the improvement in capital markets and the economy, but a combination of geopolitical risks, impact of regulatory reforms, and a sustained low interest rate environment will continue to affect our business. Our diversified, integrated business model will continue to deliver solid results and grow our franchise. We continue to stay focused on growing and deepening our client relationships, being a valued counterparty, managing our risks, and managing productivity for the remainder of 2014.

Quarterly comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013
Corporate segment's reported net loss for the quarter was $70 million, compared with a reported net loss of $48 million in the third quarter last year. Adjusted net loss was $53 million, compared with an adjusted net loss of $11 million in the third quarter last year. Adjusted net loss increased primarily due to higher net corporate expenses, as a result of ongoing investment in enterprise projects and initiatives. Other items were slightly favourable as positive tax items were largely offset by lower income from treasury and other hedging activities and a decline in releases for incurred but not identified credit losses related to the Canadian loan portfolio.

Quarterly comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q2 2014
Corporate segment's reported net loss for the quarter was $70 million, compared with a reported net loss of $93 million in the prior quarter. Adjusted net loss was $53 million, compared with an adjusted net loss of $30 million in the prior quarter. The increase in adjusted net loss was due to higher net corporate expenses and lower contribution from Other items. The unfavourable impact of Other items was due to the gain on sale of TD Ameritrade shares recognized in the second quarter ($46 million after tax) and lower income from treasury and balance sheet management activities, partially offset by positive tax items.

Year-to-date comparison - Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013
Corporate segment's reported net loss for the nine months ended July 31, 2014, was $47 million, compared with a reported net loss of $140 million in the same period last year. Adjusted net loss for the nine months ended July 31, 2014, was $121 million, compared with adjusted net income of $9 million in the same period last year. The decline in adjusted net income was due to higher net corporate expenses and lower contributions from Other items. Net corporate expenses increased as a result of higher enterprise projects and initiatives. The unfavourable impact of Other items was due to lower gains from treasury and other hedging activities and a decline in releases for incurred but not identified credit losses related to the Canadian loan portfolio, largely offset by the gains on sales of TD Ameritrade shares this year ($85 million after tax) and positive tax items.

Business Outlook
We expect Corporate segment losses to increase in the fourth quarter of this year as compared to the current quarter due to higher expenses and a reduced level of favourable tax items.

SHAREHOLDER AND INVESTOR INFORMATION

Shareholder Services

For all other shareholder inquiries, please contact TD Shareholder Relations at 416-944-6367 or 1-866-756-8936 or email tdshinfo@td.com. Please note that by leaving us an e-mail or voicemail message, you are providing your consent for us to forward your inquiry to the appropriate party for response.

General Information
Contact Corporate & Public Affairs: 416-982-8578

Products and services: Contact TD Canada Trust, 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 1-866-567-8888
French: 1-866-233-2323
Cantonese/Mandarin: 1-800-328-3698
Telephone device for the hearing impaired (TTY): 1-800-361-1180

Internet website: http://www.td.com
Internet e-mail: customer.service@td.com

Access to Quarterly Results Materials
Interested investors, the media and others may view this third quarter earnings news release, results slides, supplementary financial information, and the Report to Shareholders on the TD website at www.td.com/investor/.

Quarterly Earnings Conference Call
TD Bank Group will host an earnings conference call in Toronto, Ontario on August 28, 2014. The call will be webcast live through TD's website at 3 p.m. ET. The call and webcast will feature presentations by TD executives on the Bank's financial results for the third quarter, discussions of related disclosures, and will be followed by a question-and-answer period with analysts. The presentation material referenced during the call will be available on the TD website at www.td.com/investor/qr_2014.jsp on August 28, 2014, by approximately 12 p.m. ET. A listen-only telephone line is available at 416-260-0113 or 1-800-524-8950 (toll free).

The webcast and presentations will be archived at www.td.com/investor/qr_2014.jsp. Replay of the teleconference will be available from 6 p.m. ET on August 28, 2014, until September 29, 2014, by calling 647-436-0148 or 1-888-203-1112 (toll free). The passcode is 9633525.

Annual Meeting
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Toronto, Ontario

About TD Bank Group
The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by branches and serves over 22 million customers in three key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Retail, including TD Canada Trust, TD Auto Finance Canada, TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.) and an investment in TD Ameritrade; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with approximately 8.8 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$922 billion in assets on July 31, 2014. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

SOURCE TD Bank Group