Royal BankRY.TOBUYJan 11, 2017Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jun 05, 2026. Market Open.
She's been wrong about the Canadian banks the past year, that they're expensive. They were up 30% last year + 20% this year. These stocks are priced for perfection and trading well above historical averages in PE. Wait. Last year, they released provisions for loan losses into earnings, which was a temporary boost. Their only growth aspect this year is how many branches a bank can close, which is a weak growth driver. She hasn't bought any banks this year.
He's a big fan of EQB. Phenomenal CEO, who'll take company to new heights. Will most likely outperform in next 3-5 years. Organic growth will be higher. A more agile and flexible organization. Digitally native, so it's built to adapt. Very conservative provisioning.
You buy RY for stability, its huge infrastructure, and capital markets business. Sufficient provisions for consumer credit issues. Very solid hold for the longer term.
Both are a Buy in his books.
With Iran conflict, yield curve has gone a bit flat, so net interest margins aren't going to be as good. If the conflict persists, earnings will possibly decelerate. This name is best positioned for all that. Usually trades at 11% premium to peers, now 8%.
If you assume that the conflict gears down to more manageable levels, you could buy the banks here and this name is the best choice.
Has done well, but pulled back a little, which makes it an opportunity. Is the largest Canadian bank, very diversified with strong wealth management, so somewhere defensive. Pays a 3% dividend, not the highest, but still good. They bought HSBC a few years ago. It trades at a premium to the group, but boasts a higher ROE.
(Analysts’ price target is $252.33)
Canadian Banks? They’ve had a very good 2016, but remember that 2015 was a negative year for banks. They were down about 11% on average because of concerns on energy, housing crisis, etc. Earnings were revised upwards and multiple expansions back to historical averages. She still likes them, because she is constructive on the Canadian and US economy. Her long-time favourites have been Royal Bank (RY-T) and Toronto Dominion (TD-T), and also owns Bank of Montréal (BMO-T). TD and Royal have exposure to the US with TD at about 25%-30%, and Royal at 22%. Thinks Royal’s is going to increase as they are now integrating City National. These both are trading at reasonable valuations.