FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS, compared with the first quarter last year:

• Reported diluted earnings per share were $1.77, compared with $1.61.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.83, compared with $1.66.
• Reported net income was $3,277 million, compared with $2,989 million.
• Adjusted net income was $3,380 million, compared with $3,072 million.

FIRST QUARTER ADJUSTMENTS (ITEMS OF NOTE)
The first quarter reported earnings figures included the following items of note:

• Amortization of intangibles of $74 million ($65 million after-tax or 4 cents per share), compared with $70 million ($59 million after-tax or 3 cents per share) in the first quarter last year.
• Acquisition and integration charges related to the Schwab transaction of $38 million ($38 million after-tax or 2 cents per share).

TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2021 /CNW/ - TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank") today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended January 31, 2021. Reported earnings were $3.3 billion, up 10% compared with the same quarter last year, and adjusted earnings were $3.4 billion, up 10%.

"TD reported strong results in the first quarter, benefiting from our diversified business model, focused approach to managing the COVID-19 crisis and an improving macroeconomic environment," said Bharat Masrani, Group President and CEO, TD Bank Group. "Throughout the quarter, we made important investments to deepen customer relationships across our businesses, including through enhanced digital capabilities and advice programs to meet the rapidly changing needs of those we serve."

"The Bank's purpose – to enrich lives – remains at the centre of our efforts. In the quarter, fifteen organizations were provided a total of $10 million in grants through the TD Ready Challenge to develop innovative solutions that address the inequities exacerbated by the pandemic. We invested in training and development for thousands of colleagues, opening new career opportunities. In addition to timely support and advice to customers and clients, we also continue to work with governments to facilitate access to relief programs and introduce new initiatives to help those most impacted by the pandemic," added Masrani.

Canadian Retail
Canadian Retail reported net income was $2,037 million, an increase of 14% compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting lower provisions for credit losses (PCL) and higher revenue. On an adjusted basis, net income was $2,037 million, an increase of 12% year-over-year. Revenue increased 1%, reflecting higher loan and deposit volumes, higher transaction and fee-based revenue in the Wealth business, and higher insurance revenue, partially offset by lower margins. PCL decreased $249 million from the prior year, reflecting lower performing and impaired PCLs. Reported expenses increased 1%, with higher volume-driven expenses, partially offset by prior year charges related to the Greystone acquisition.

Business momentum was very good this quarter, reflecting strong mortgage originations and chequing account growth in the Personal Bank, record retail net asset growth across our Wealth franchise, and solid Insurance premium growth. Canadian Retail continued to serve customers and clients through their channel of choice with an expanded array of digital and advice capabilities. New and existing self-serve options made it easier for customers to bank conveniently from the safety of their homes. TD Insurance saw increased take-up of its digital term life applications, and the Personal Bank introduced new mobile tools for virtual appointments with its Ready to Invest portal and enhanced the ability to buy mutual funds and GICs online. The Bank continued to support business customers in accessing the latest Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program features.

U.S. Retail
U.S. Retail net income was $1,000 million (US$776 million), a decrease of 13% compared with the same quarter last year. Schwab contributed $209 million (US$161 million) in earnings to the segment, compared with the contribution of $201 million (US$152 million) from TD Ameritrade in the first quarter last year. 

The U.S. Retail Bank, which excludes the Bank's investment in Schwab, reported net income of $791 million (US$615 million), a decrease of 16% from the same quarter last year. Revenue declined 8% as loan and deposit growth were more than offset by lower deposit margins and fee income. PCL was $135 million (US$103 million), a decrease of $184 million (US$140 million) compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting lower performing and impaired PCLs. Expenses increased 6%, primarily reflecting store optimization costs.

The U.S. Retail Bank continued to deliver new capabilities and solutions to enhance the customer experience this quarter. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank^® merged the products, services and expertise of the Commercial and Corporate and Specialty Banking teams to provide a more comprehensive and scaled offering for commercial customers. The Bank also facilitated access to renewed funding for its small business customers through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) implemented by the Small Business Administration. In addition, TD Auto Finance received the highest ranking in Dealer Satisfaction in the National Banking category, according to the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study^SM.

Wholesale
Wholesale Banking reported net income of $437 million this quarter, an increase of $156 million compared to the same quarter last year, reflecting higher revenue, partially offset by higher non-interest expenses. Revenue for the quarter was $1,310 million, an increase of 25% from a year ago, reflecting higher trading-related revenue, and higher loan, underwriting and advisory fees. The Wholesale Bank's strong performance reflects its diversified business mix and client-focused franchise that provides trusted advice and critical access to markets for clients.

Capital
TD's Common Equity Tier 1 Capital ratio on a Basel III fully phased-in basis was 13.6%.

Conclusion
"While we are proud of our progress and performance, we recognize that COVID-19 is still with us and that the economic recovery will remain uncertain for some time. We will advance our strategy, make the right investments, and serve our customers and communities as we continue to navigate this challenging period. I want to thank our customers for putting their trust in TD, and our 90,000 colleagues for their tremendous efforts this quarter and throughout the past year," concluded Masrani.

The foregoing contains forward-looking statements. Please refer to the "Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements".

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

ECONOMIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK
The global economic recovery slowed in the final calendar quarter of 2020 as the COVID-19 virus spread and lockdown measures were reinstated across several countries. For the calendar year as a whole, global real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have contracted by 3.5%.

Elevated caseloads and new, more virulent strains of the virus have led some countries to maintain or renew restrictions on activity at the start of calendar 2021. As a result, global economic activity is likely to remain weak through the first quarter. However, vaccine distribution has begun in earnest, and while the pace of the rollout has disappointed expectations in some jurisdictions, many advanced countries remain committed to vaccinating the most vulnerable segments of their population before the summer commences. This should support a noticeable acceleration in global GDP growth over the remainder of the year.

Overall, TD Economics expects global real GDP to rebound by 5.5% in calendar 2021. However, growth rates are likely to vary considerably across countries, reflecting differences in access to vaccines, government and central bank policy supports, and pre-pandemic structural factors.

Among advanced economies, the U.S. has been an outperformer. Real GDP expanded by 4% (annualized) in the final calendar quarter of 2020, building on a 33.4% rebound in the third quarter. For 2020 overall, the U.S. economy contracted by 3.5%. By comparison, the UK and the European Union saw GDP decline by 9.9% and 6.4%, respectively.

U.S. business restrictions have been less severe and less widespread than in other countries, contributing to the U.S. economy's outperformance. The decline in U.S. economic activity was concentrated in the first half of the year, and the economy recovered ground steadily as the year progressed. By the fourth quarter, real GDP was just 2.5% below its pre-crisis level. Similarly, after peaking at 14.7% in April, the unemployment rate fell to 6.3% in January 2021. While industries requiring a high level of personal contact, such as leisure and accommodation, have continued to shed jobs in recent months, other sectors of the economy, such as professional and business services have seen job gains.

The U.S. economy has also benefited from supportive fiscal policy. A US$900 billion stimulus bill passed at the end of calendar 2020 has already propelled higher consumer spending at the start of this year, and another round of fiscal stimulus is in the works. President Biden has put forward an ambitious US$1.9 trillion plan, which includes additional direct payments to households, extended emergency unemployment benefits, another round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding, support for state and local governments, and increased funding for vaccinations, testing, and safe school re-openings. Together with the prospect of business restrictions being lifted as the vaccination program makes headway, and high household savings being spent through the remainder of this year, this additional stimulus poses upside risks to the outlook.

Through this period, the Federal Reserve is expected to maintain its quantitative easing program and keep the federal funds rate at the effective lower bound (between 0.0% and 0.25%). The Federal Reserve has stated its willingness to allow inflation to push above its 2% long-term target for a period of time to make up for recent history in which it has fallen short of this goal. This provides the Federal Reserve with some flexibility to allow the economy to grow at a faster pace without changing course. TD Economics expects the federal funds rate to remain at its current setting until calendar 2023.

The Canadian economy showed resilience in the face of tighter restrictions and rising COVID-19 cases in the fourth calendar quarter of 2020, and real GDP growth will likely exceed prior expectations. Still, Canada is set to underperform the U.S., with full-year GDP estimated to have shrunk by 5.4%.

Canada's near-term economic momentum is expected to be held in check by concerns over new and more virulent strains of the virus, which have led several provinces to ease lockdown measures slowly and caused other restrictions to be introduced, such as the federal government's enhanced controls on international travel. Economic growth in the first calendar quarter is expected to be meagre, and there is already evidence of renewed upward pressure on the unemployment rate, which touched a five-month high in January. Looking ahead to the second quarter and beyond, the outlook will depend on the pace of vaccine distribution, where Canada trails the U.S. The federal government has indicated that significantly more vaccines will be delivered by the end of March, which would permit a gradual easing of restrictions through the spring. In turn, the pace of economic recovery would be expected to accelerate and be sustainable at this higher level.

As in the U.S., the build-up of household savings in Canada is expected to be a key driver of economic growth as lockdowns are loosened. Since the second calendar quarter of 2020, the national household saving rate has averaged 21%, well above its average over the past decade of just over 3%. While households are expected to maintain higher precautionary savings in the near term, these balances are eventually expected to unwind, providing support to consumer spending. As the recovery gains strength, households are likely to rotate some of their spending away from housing and household-oriented goods towards 'high-touch' services, which is expected to underpin a job recovery in these sectors.

In the meantime, continued monetary and fiscal supports are expected to provide a bridge to the other side of the health crisis. In its upcoming spring budget, the federal government is likely to announce additional fiscal support in the order of $70-100 billion over three years. The Bank of Canada has stated that it expects to continue its financial asset purchase programs well through the recovery phase and to leave the overnight rate on hold until 2023. Should the considerable level of excess household savings lead to a significant acceleration in consumer spending, a faster return to the inflation target would imply an earlier increase in the policy rate. Against the backdrop of a durable economic recovery supported by vaccine distribution, TD Economics expects the Canadian dollar will trade in a range of 79-81 US cents over the next four calendar quarters.

THE BANK'S RESPONSE TO COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant negative impact on economies around the world. Although the recent introduction of several vaccines for COVID-19 constitutes an encouraging development, uncertainty remains as to the effectiveness and distribution of vaccines, as well as to their acceptance by the public, and the reduction of the anticipated infection rates following the emergence of COVID-19 variants that may be more contagious. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, governments continue to adjust their response.  Consequently, the extent of lockdown measures and progress towards reopening continues to vary across different regions. All of these factors contribute to the uncertainty regarding the timing of a full recovery. TD remains actively engaged with governments, supervisory agencies and public health authorities in the response to COVID, guided by the principles of supporting the well-being of its customers and colleagues and maintaining the Bank's operational and financial resilience.

In fiscal 2020, the Bank offered several forms of direct financial assistance to customers experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19, including deferral of loan payments. The bulk of this assistance has now largely run its course, except for deferrals of real estate secured loans in the U.S., where the original program allowed deferrals to be extended for up to 12 months, and certain U.S. consumer unsecured products. There have been few other customer requests for extensions. The table below presents the gross loan balances that remained subject to COVID-related deferral programs as at January 31, 2021 and includes all extensions. Delinquency rates for customers that have exited deferral are higher than for the broader population but remain low in absolute terms, reflecting the continuation of government support and TD's proactive outreach to clients. While COVID-related programs have generally expired, the Bank continues to provide advice and assistance to customers through its usual channels, TD Helps in Canada and TD Cares in the U.S. Any financial relief offered through these channels is not reflected in the table. The Bank also continues to support programs for individuals and businesses introduced by the Canadian and U.S. governments, as described further below.

In addition to direct financial assistance, the Bank is supporting programs for individuals and businesses introduced by the Canadian and U.S. governments.

Canada Emergency Business Account Program
Under the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) Program, with funding provided by Her Majesty in Right of Canada (the "Government of Canada") and Export Development Canada (EDC) as the Government of Canada's agent, the Bank provides eligible business banking customers with an interest-free, partially forgivable loan of up to $60,000 until December 31, 2022. If the loan is not repaid by December 31, 2022, it will be extended for an additional 3-year term bearing an interest rate of 5% per annum. As of January 31, 2021, the Bank had provided approximately 194,000 customers (October 31, 2020 – 184,000) with CEBA loans and had funded approximately $9.8 billion (October 31, 2020 – $7.3 billion) in loans under the program.

U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Paycheck Protection Program
Under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) implemented by the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Bank provides loans to small businesses to assist them in retaining workers, maintaining payroll, and covering other expenses. PPP loans have a 2-year or 5-year term, bear an interest rate of 1% per annum, and are 100% guaranteed by the SBA. The full principal amount of the loan and any accrued interest are eligible for forgiveness if the loan is used for qualifying expenses. The Bank will be paid by the SBA for any portion of the loan that is forgiven. As of January 31, 2021, the Bank had approximately 79,000 PPP loans outstanding (October 31, 2020 – 86,000). The gross carrying amount of loans was approximately US$7.5 billion (October 31, 2020 – US$8.2 billion). During the first quarter of 2021, approximately US$0.7 billion was forgiven and no new loans have been originated.

Other Programs
The Bank continues to work with federal Crown Corporations, including EDC and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to deliver various other guarantee and co-lending programs for the Bank's clients. This includes the new Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) Guarantee to provide support to Canadian businesses that have been highly affected by and are facing economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which will launch in the second fiscal quarter. In addition, TD is working with Canada's federal government to facilitate access to the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) and Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) through Canada Revenue Agency direct deposit.

HOW THE BANK REPORTS

The Bank prepares its Interim Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with IFRS and refers to results prepared in accordance with IFRS as "reported" results. The Bank also utilizes non-GAAP financial measures referred to as "adjusted" results to assess each of its businesses and to measure the Bank's overall performance. To arrive at adjusted results, the Bank removes "items of note", 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 disclosed in Table 3. As explained, adjusted results differ 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's U.S. strategic cards portfolio comprises agreements with certain U.S. retailers pursuant to which TD is the U.S. issuer of private label and co-branded consumer credit cards to their U.S. customers. Under the terms of the individual agreements, the Bank and the retailers share in the profits generated by the relevant portfolios after credit losses. Under IFRS, TD is required to present the gross amount of revenue and provision for credit losses (PCL) related to these portfolios in the Bank's Interim Consolidated Statement of Income. At the segment level, the retailer program partners' share of revenues and credit losses is presented in the Corporate segment, with an offsetting amount (representing the partners' net share) recorded in Non-interest expenses, resulting in no impact to Corporate reported Net income (loss). The Net income (loss) included in the U.S. Retail segment includes only the portion of revenue and credit losses attributable to TD under the agreements.

The Bank accounts for its investment in Schwab using the equity method and reports its share of Schwab's earnings with a one-month lag. At the segment level, the Share of net income from investment in Schwab is reported in the U.S. Retail segment. Amounts for amortization of acquired intangibles and the acquisition and integration charges related to the Schwab transaction are recorded in the Corporate segment.

The following table provides the operating results on a reported basis for the Bank.

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 largely aligned with the common equity capital requirements under Basel III. Capital allocated to the business segments is based on 9% Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) Capital in fiscal 2021. Capital allocated to the business segments was decreased to 9% CET1 Capital effective the second quarter of 2020 compared with 10.5% in the first quarter of 2020.

Adjusted 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.

Return on Tangible Common Equity
Tangible common equity (TCE) is calculated as common shareholders' equity less goodwill, imputed goodwill and intangibles on the investments in Schwab and TD Ameritrade and other acquired intangible assets, net of related deferred tax liabilities. ROTCE is calculated as reported net income available to common shareholders after adjusting for the after–tax amortization of acquired intangibles, which are treated as an item of note, as a percentage of average TCE. Adjusted ROTCE is calculated using reported net income available to common shareholders, adjusted for all items of note, as a percentage of average TCE. Adjusted ROTCE provides a useful measure of the performance of the Bank's income producing assets, independent of whether they were acquired or developed internally. TCE, ROTCE, and adjusted ROTCE are each non-GAAP financial measures and are not defined terms 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.

PENDING ACQUISITIONS 

Announced Acquisition of Wells Fargo's Canadian Direct Equipment Finance Business
On January 14, 2021, the Bank and Wells Fargo & Company ("Wells Fargo") announced a definitive agreement for the Bank to acquire Wells Fargo's Canadian Direct Equipment Finance business. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of calendar 2021, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The results of the acquired business will be consolidated from the date of close of the transaction and will be included in the Canadian Retail segment.

HOW OUR BUSINESSES PERFORMED

For management reporting purposes, the Bank reports its results under three key business segments: Canadian Retail, which includes the results of the personal and commercial banking, wealth, and insurance businesses; U.S. Retail, which includes the results of the personal and business banking operations, wealth management services, and the Bank's investment in Schwab; and Wholesale Banking. The Bank's other activities are grouped into the Corporate segment.

Results of each business segment reflect revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities generated by the businesses in that segment. Where applicable, the Bank measures and evaluates the performance of each segment based on adjusted results and ROE, and for those segments, the Bank indicates that the measure is adjusted. For further details, refer to the "How the Bank Reports" section of this document including the Bank's response to COVID-19, the "Business Focus" section in the Bank's 2020 MD&A, and Note 29 Segmented Information of the Bank's Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended October 31, 2020. For information concerning the Bank's measure of ROE, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, refer to the "How We Performed" section of this document.

PCL related to performing (Stage 1 and Stage 2) and impaired (Stage 3) financial assets, loan commitments, and financial guarantees is recorded within the respective segment.

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 certain 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's results are reversed in the Corporate segment. The TEB adjustment for the quarter was $42 million, compared with $44 million in the prior quarter and $38 million in the first quarter last year.

Share of net income from investment in Schwab is reported in the U.S. Retail segment. Amounts for amortization of intangibles and the acquisition and integration charges related to the Schwab transaction are recorded in the Corporate segment.

Quarterly comparison – Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020
Canadian Retail reported net income for the quarter was $2,037 million, an increase of $248 million, or 14%, compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting lower PCL and higher revenue. On an adjusted basis, net income increased $224 million, or 12%. The reported and adjusted annualized ROE for the quarter was 46.0%, compared with 37.1% and 37.6%, respectively, in the first quarter last year.

Canadian Retail revenue is derived from the personal and commercial banking, wealth, and insurance businesses. Revenue for the quarter was $6,345 million, an increase of $90 million, or 1%, compared with the first quarter last year.

Net interest income was $2,978 million, a decrease of $189 million, or 6%, compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting lower margins, partially offset by volume growth. Average loan volumes increased $17 billion, or 4%, reflecting 4% growth in personal loans and 3% growth in business loans. Average deposit volumes increased $73 billion, or 21%, reflecting 15% growth in personal deposits, 25% growth in business deposits, and 44% growth in wealth deposits. Net interest margin was 2.65%, a decrease of 29 basis points (bps), reflecting lower interest rates.

Non-interest income was $3,367 million, an increase of $279 million, or 9%, reflecting higher transaction and fee-based revenue in the wealth business and higher insurance revenue, partially offset by lower fees in the banking businesses.

Assets under administration (AUA) were $484 billion as at January 31, 2021, an increase of $45 billion, or 10%, compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting market appreciation and new asset growth. Assets under management (AUM) were $380 billion as at January 31, 2021, an increase of $15 billion, or 4%, compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting market appreciation.

PCL was $142 million, a decrease of $249 million, or 64%, compared with the first quarter last year. PCL – impaired for the quarter was $167 million, a decrease of $153 million, or 48%, primarily reflected in the consumer lending portfolios, largely related to the impact of bank and government assistance programs. PCL – performing was a recovery of $25 million, a decrease of $96 million, reflecting a prior year increase to the performing allowance for credit losses and allowance releases this quarter, largely related to an improvement in the economic outlook. Total PCL as an annualized percentage of credit volume was 0.12%, a decrease of 24 bps, compared with the first quarter last year.

Insurance claims and related expenses for the quarter were $780 million, flat compared with the first quarter last year. Higher current year claims were offset by more favourable prior years' claims development and fewer severe weather-related events in the current quarter, as well as a decrease in the fair value of investments supporting claims liabilities which resulted in a similar decrease in non-interest income.

Reported non-interest expenses for the quarter were $2,654 million, an increase of $18 million, or 1%, compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting higher volume-driven expenses, partially offset by prior year charges related to Greystone. On an adjusted basis, non-interest expenses increased $42 million, or 2%, compared with the first quarter last year.

The reported and adjusted efficiency ratio for the quarter was 41.8%, compared with 42.1% and 41.8%, respectively, in the first quarter last year.

Quarterly comparison – Q1 2021 vs. Q4 2020
Canadian Retail reported net income for the quarter increased $235 million, or 13%, compared with the prior quarter, reflecting higher revenue, lower PCL and lower non-interest expenses, partially offset by higher insurance claims. On an adjusted basis, net income increased $211 million, or 12%. The reported and adjusted annualized ROE for the quarter was 46.0%, compared with 40.5% and 41.0%, respectively, in the prior quarter.

Revenue increased $316 million, or 5%, compared with the prior quarter. Net interest income was relatively flat, as volume growth was largely offset by lower deposit margins. Average loan volumes increased $7 billion, or 2%, reflecting growth in personal loans. Average deposit volumes increased $15 billion, or 4%, reflecting 3% growth in personal deposits, 5% growth in business deposits, and 7% growth in wealth deposits. Net interest margin was 2.65%, a decrease of 6 bps, reflecting changes in asset mix and the ongoing impact of the low interest rate environment.

Non-interest income increased $320 million, or 11%, reflecting higher transaction and fee-based revenue in the wealth business, higher insurance revenue, and higher fee-based income in the banking businesses.

AUA increased $51 billion, or 12%, and AUM increased $22 billion, or 6%, compared with the prior quarter, reflecting market appreciation and new asset growth.

PCL decreased $109 million, or 43%, compared with the prior quarter. PCL – impaired decreased $32 million, or 16%, primarily reflected in the commercial lending portfolios. PCL – performing was a recovery of $25 million, a decrease of $77 million, primarily reflecting a prior quarter increase to the performing allowance for credit losses in the commercial lending portfolio, and allowance releases this quarter, largely related to an improvement in the economic outlook. Total PCL as an annualized percentage of credit volume was 0.12%, a decrease of 10 bps.

Insurance claims and related expenses for the quarter increased $150 million, or 24%, compared with the prior quarter, reflecting less favourable prior years' claims development, higher current year claims, and an increase in the fair value of investments supporting claims liabilities which resulted in a similar increase in non-interest income.

Reported non-interest expenses decreased $30 million, or 1%, compared with the prior quarter, reflecting prior quarter charges related to Greystone. On an adjusted basis, non-interest expenses were relatively flat compared to the prior quarter. 

The reported and adjusted efficiency ratio was 41.8%, compared with 44.5% and 44.1%, respectively, in the prior quarter.

Quarterly comparison – Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020
U.S. Retail net income for the quarter was $1,000 million (US$776 million), a decrease of $146 million (US$93 million), or 13% (11% in U.S. dollars), compared with the first quarter last year. The annualized ROE for the quarter was 9.8%, compared with 11.1%, in the first quarter last year.

U.S. Retail net income includes contributions from the U.S. Retail Bank and the Bank's investment in Schwab. Reported net income for the quarter from the U.S. Retail Bank and the Bank's investment in Schwab were $791 million (US$615 million) and $209 million (US$161 million), respectively.

The contribution from Schwab of US$161 million increased US$9 million, or 6%, compared with the contribution from TD Ameritrade in the first quarter last year.

U.S. Retail Bank net income of US$615 million decreased US$102 million, or 14%, primarily reflecting lower revenue and higher expenses, partially offset by lower PCL.

U.S. Retail Bank revenue is derived from the personal and business banking and wealth management businesses. Revenue for the quarter was US$2,086 million, a decrease of US$118 million, or 5%, compared with the first quarter last year. Net interest income decreased US$89 million, or 5%, as lower deposit margins were partially offset by growth in loan and deposit volumes and income from PPP loans. Net interest margin was 2.24%, a decrease of 83 bps, reflecting continued deposit margin compression and balance sheet mix. Non-interest income decreased US$29 million, or 5%, primarily reflecting lower deposit and credit card fees as a result of higher deposit balances and lower customer activity, partially offset by a higher gain on the sale of mortgage loans.

Average loan volumes increased US$9 billion, or 5%, compared with the first quarter last year. Personal and business loans increased 1% and 9%, respectively, with the increase in business loans reflecting PPP originations. Average deposit volumes increased US$88 billion, or 32%, reflecting a 38% increase in sweep deposits, a 37% increase in business deposits, and a 20% increase in personal deposits.

AUA were US$26 billion as at January 31, 2021, an increase of US$4 billion, or 18%, compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting net asset growth. AUM were US$43 billion as at January 31, 2021, a decrease of US$1 billion, or 2%, compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting net outflows.

PCL for the quarter was US$103 million, a decrease of US$140 million, compared with the first quarter last year. PCL – impaired was US$147 million, a decrease of US$61 million, or 29%, primarily reflected in the consumer lending portfolios, largely related to the impact of bank and government assistance programs. PCL – performing was a recovery of US$44 million, a decrease of US$79 million, reflecting allowance releases in the consumer lending portfolios this quarter largely related to an improvement in the economic outlook, partially offset by an increase to provisions in the commercial lending portfolios. U.S. Retail PCL as an annualized percentage of credit volume and including only the Bank's contractual portion of credit losses in the U.S. strategic cards portfolio was 0.25%, a decrease of 34 bps, compared with the first quarter last year.

Non-interest expenses for the quarter were US$1,313 million, an increase of US$103 million, or 9%, compared with the first quarter last year, primarily reflecting US$76 million in store optimization costs, as well as additional expenses to support customers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, partially offset by productivity savings.

Income taxes reflect a provision of US$55 million, an increase of US$21 million, or 62%, compared with the first quarter last year, primarily reflecting changes to the estimated liability for uncertain tax positions in the prior year, partially offset by lower pre-tax earnings.

The efficiency ratio for the quarter was 62.9%, compared with 54.9%, in the first quarter last year.

Quarterly comparison – Q1 2021 vs. Q4 2020
U.S. Retail net income of $1,000 million (US$776 million) increased $129 million (US$118 million), or 15% (18% in U.S. dollars) compared with the prior quarter. The annualized ROE for the quarter was 9.8%, compared with 9.0% in the prior quarter.

The contribution from Schwab of US$161 million decreased US$94 million, or 37%, compared with the contribution from TD Ameritrade in the prior quarter.

U.S. Retail Bank net income of US$615 million increased US$212 million, or 53%, compared with the prior quarter, reflecting lower PCL and higher revenue, partially offset by higher expenses.

Revenue for the quarter increased US$32 million, or 2%, compared with the prior quarter. Net interest income increased US$13 million, or 1%, reflecting accelerated fee amortization from PPP loan forgiveness. Net interest margin was 2.24%, a decrease of 3 bps. Non-interest income increased US$19 million, or 4%, primarily reflecting higher deposit and credit card fees.

Average loan volumes decreased US$2 billion, or 1%, compared with the prior quarter, reflecting a decline in business loans of 3%, resulting from paydowns on commercial loans, partially offset by an increase in personal loans of 1%. Average deposit volumes increased US$15 billion, or 4%, reflecting a 4% increase in personal deposits, a 6% increase in sweep deposits, and a 1% increase in business deposits.

AUA were US$26 billion as at January 31, 2021, an increase of US$2 billion, or 8%, compared with the prior quarter. AUM were US$43 billion as at January 31, 2021, an increase of US$4 billion, or 10%, reflecting market appreciation.

PCL for the quarter decreased US$330 million, compared with the prior quarter. PCL – impaired increased US$36 million, primarily reflected in the consumer lending portfolios. PCL – performing decreased by US$366 million, reflecting a smaller increase to the performing allowance for credit losses in the commercial lending portfolios, and allowance releases in the consumer lending portfolios this quarter largely related to an improvement in the economic outlook. U.S. Retail PCL as an annualized percentage of credit volume and including only the Bank's contractual portion of credit losses in the U.S. strategic cards portfolio was 0.25%, or a decrease of 76 bps.

Non-interest expenses for the quarter were US$1,313 million, an increase of US$59 million, or 5%, reflecting US$76 million in store optimization costs, partially offset by the timing of certain expenses across quarters.

Income taxes reflect a provision of US$55 million, compared to a recovery in the prior quarter of US$36 million, an increase of US$91 million, primarily reflecting higher pre-tax income.

The efficiency ratio for the quarter was 62.9%, compared with 61.1% in the prior quarter.

Quarterly comparison – Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020
Wholesale Banking net income for the quarter was $437 million, an increase of $156 million, or 56%, compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting higher revenue, partially offset by higher non-interest expenses.

Wholesale Banking revenue is derived primarily from capital markets and corporate and investment banking services provided to corporate, government, and institutional clients. Wholesale Banking generates revenue from corporate lending, advisory, underwriting, sales, trading and research, client securitization, trade finance, cash management, prime services, and trade execution services. Revenue for the quarter was $1,310 million, an increase of $264 million, or 25%, compared with the first quarter last year, reflecting higher trading-related revenue and higher loan, underwriting and advisory fees.

PCL for the quarter was $20 million, compared with $17 million in the first quarter last year. PCL – impaired was $10 million, a decrease of $42 million, primarily reflecting credit migration in the prior year. PCL – performing was $10 million, an increase of $45 million, largely reflecting migration from performing to impaired in the prior year.

Non-interest expenses were $711 million, an increase of $59 million, or 9%, compared with the first quarter last year, primarily reflecting higher variable compensation, partially offset by lower volume related expenses.

Quarterly comparison – Q1 2021 vs. Q4 2020
Wholesale Banking net income for the quarter was $437 million, a decrease of $49 million, or 10%, compared with the prior quarter, reflecting higher non-interest expenses and higher PCL, partially offset by higher revenue.

Revenue for the quarter increased $56 million, or 4%, reflecting higher advisory, equity underwriting and loan fees.

PCL for the quarter increased by $26 million. PCL – impaired was $10 million, an increase of $29 million, largely reflecting recoveries in the prior quarter. PCL – performing was $10 million, a decrease of $3 million.

Non-interest expenses for the quarter increased $130 million, or 22%, reflecting higher variable compensation, partially offset by a legal provision in the prior quarter.

Quarterly comparison – Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020
Corporate segment's reported net loss for the quarter was $197 million, compared with a reported net loss of $227 million in the first quarter last year. The year-over-year decrease reflects a higher contribution from other items, partially offset by acquisition and integration charges related to the Schwab transaction. The increase in other items primarily reflects higher revenue from treasury and balance sheet management activities this quarter and an unfavourable adjustment related to hedge accounting in the same quarter last year. Net corporate expenses increased $3 million compared to the same quarter last year. The adjusted net loss for the quarter was $94 million, compared with an adjusted net loss of $168 million in the first quarter last year.

Quarterly comparison – Q1 2021 vs. Q4 2020
Corporate segment's reported net loss for the quarter was $197 million, compared with reported net income of $1,984 million in the prior quarter. The quarter-over-quarter decrease was primarily attributable to a net gain on sale of the Bank's investment in TD Ameritrade of $1,421 million ($2,250 million after-tax) in the prior quarter and Schwab transaction costs in the current quarter, partially offset by lower net corporate expenses. The decrease in net corporate expenses largely reflects the impact of $163 million ($121 million after-tax) in corporate real estate optimization costs in the prior quarter. The adjusted net loss for the quarter was $94 million, compared with an adjusted net loss of $213 million in the prior quarter.

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.

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

Quarterly Earnings Conference Call
TD Bank Group will host an earnings conference call in Toronto, Ontario on February 25, 2021. The call will be audio webcast live through TD's website at 1:30 p.m. ET. The call will feature presentations by TD executives on the Bank's financial results for the first quarter and discussions of related disclosures, 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 on February 25, 2021 by approximately 1:30 p.m. ET. A listen-only telephone line is available at 416–641–6150 or 1-866-696-5894 (toll free) and the passcode is 2727354#.

The audio webcast and presentations will be archived at www.td.com/investor. Replay of the teleconference will be available from 5:00 p.m. ET on February 25, 2021, until 11:59 p.m. ET on March 12, 2021 by calling 905-694-9451 or 1-800-408-3053 (toll free). The passcode is 7300743#.

Annual Meeting
Thursday, April 1, 2021

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 fifth largest bank in North America by assets and serves over 26 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 The Charles Schwab Corporation; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 14 million active online and mobile customers. TD had CDN$1.7 trillion in assets on January 31, 2021. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

SOURCE TD Bank Group