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The Toronto-Dominion Bank

Acquisitions

TD Bank Acquisitions

4

Major Deals Covered

$31.2B

Disclosed Deal Value

What are TD Bank's biggest acquisitions?

TD Bank's largest disclosed acquisition here is First Horizon Corporation (terminated) for $13.4B in 2023. This page covers 4 major deals from 2000 to 2023, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.

Major deals covered
4
Largest deal
First Horizon Corporation (terminated) ($13.4B)
First deal
2000
Most recent
2023
CompanyYearPricePurpose
Canada Trust2000$8.0BTo create a nationwide Canadian retail banking franchise by acquiring Canada Trust, a trust company known for extended hours and customer-friendly service. The deal added approximately 4 million customers and 500 branches.
Commerce Bancorp2007$8.5BTo establish a major US retail banking presence by acquiring Commerce Bancorp, which operated under the 'America's Most Convenient Bank' brand with extended hours and a customer-centric model.
Cowen Inc.2023$1.3BTo accelerate TD Securities' US growth strategy by acquiring Cowen, a leading independent dealer with a premier US equities business and diversified investment bank. Added 1,700 employees and established TD Cowen.
First Horizon Corporation (terminated)2023$13.4BTo create a top-6 US bank with 1,560 branches across 22 states, adding approximately $80 billion in assets and expanding into the fast-growing US Southeast.
What companies has TD Bank bought?
Major acquisitions by TD Bank documented here include First Horizon Corporation (terminated) (2023), Commerce Bancorp (2007), Canada Trust (2000) and Cowen Inc. (2023).
What is TD Bank's most recent acquisition?
The most recent TD Bank acquisition documented here is Cowen Inc., in 2023, for $1.3B.

Cowen Inc.

2023

$1.3B

Why

To accelerate TD Securities' US growth strategy by acquiring Cowen, a leading independent dealer with a premier US equities business and diversified investment bank. Added 1,700 employees and established TD Cowen.

Impact

Expanded TD's US investment banking capabilities with research coverage of 700+ companies, equities trading, and advisory services. Created a platform for competing with mid-tier US investment banks.

Outcome

TD Cowen is integrating, with acquisition and integration charges of CAD $162 million in FY2025. The segment generated CAD $7.99 billion in revenue in FY2025 with a 15.0% ROE, below the 18-20% target.

First Horizon Corporation (terminated)

2023

$13.4B

Why

To create a top-6 US bank with 1,560 branches across 22 states, adding approximately $80 billion in assets and expanding into the fast-growing US Southeast.

Impact

The deal was terminated on May 4, 2023, after regulators refused approval due to TD's AML deficiencies. TD paid $225 million in termination fees and lost the strategic opportunity to become a major US regional bank.

Outcome

The termination exposed TD's compliance failures to public scrutiny and set the stage for the October 2024 guilty plea. The failed deal is cited by the DOJ as evidence that TD's AML deficiencies were known to management.

Commerce Bancorp

2007

$8.5B

Why

To establish a major US retail banking presence by acquiring Commerce Bancorp, which operated under the 'America's Most Convenient Bank' brand with extended hours and a customer-centric model.

Impact

Gave TD a significant US footprint in the Northeast but also imported Commerce's growth-oriented culture with inadequate compliance controls. The acquisition loaded TD with US assets that would later face regulatory scrutiny.

Outcome

The US franchise grew to over $400 billion in assets but the compliance infrastructure failed to keep pace, contributing to the 2024 AML crisis. The 'America's Most Convenient Bank' brand remains but the franchise operates under an asset cap.

Canada Trust

2000

$8.0B

Why

To create a nationwide Canadian retail banking franchise by acquiring Canada Trust, a trust company known for extended hours and customer-friendly service. The deal added approximately 4 million customers and 500 branches.

Impact

Transformed TD into a major Canadian retail bank and created the TD Canada Trust brand. The integration was complex but ultimately successful, establishing TD as one of the Big Five Canadian banks.

Outcome

Canada Trust's customer-centric culture was integrated into TD's operations, and the combined franchise became one of Canada's most profitable retail banking platforms. The acquisition is widely regarded as one of the most successful in Canadian banking history.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank's Growth & Acquisition Strategy

TD allocated CAD $8 billion to share buybacks and plans to invest the remainder in organic growth, particularly in Canadian personal banking and wealth management. The Cowen acquisition added 1,700 employees and established TD as a meaningful player in US equities and investment banking, but the segment's return on equity of 15.0% in FY2025 remains below the bank's overall target. But the strategic challenge is strong: TD must grow without its primary growth engine, US retail banking, while absorbing permanent compliance cost increases, rebuilding regulatory trust, and proving to investors that the AML crisis was an aberration rather than a reflection of fundamental cultural rot. The $434 billion asset cap now prevents TD from competing for scale, forcing it to focus on profitability per dollar of assets while competitors like PNC, Truist, and US Bancorp expand through organic growth and M&A. TD's response has been to invest in its own digital capabilities, with the TD MySpend app and AI-powered financial advice tools, but these investments lag the user experience of pure-play fintechs. The competitive landscape in US retail banking is intensifying: regional banks like Truist and US Bancorp are investing in digital capabilities, while fintech lenders like SoFi and Ally are capturing market share in auto lending and personal loans, segments where TD Auto Finance has historically been strong. His predecessor, Bharat Masrani, acknowledged that the AML failures 'took place on my watch,' and Chun must now rebuild relationships with US regulators who have lost trust in TD's management. The sale of the Schwab stake, while strengthening capital, removes a strategic option: TD no longer has an US wealth management platform and must build organic capabilities or pursue partnerships. The US retail franchise, while currently constrained by the asset cap, retains valuable attributes: TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank operates in some of the most affluent and fastest-growing markets on the US East Coast, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Florida. The bank's technology platform, while requiring investment, supports 17 million active digital users and processes over 1 billion transactions annually. The Wholesale Banking segment's TD Cowen franchise provides a research platform ranked among the top 20 in the US by Institutional Investor, with coverage of over 700 companies. This research capability supports the investment banking and trading businesses while also providing value to wealth management clients. The geographic diversification between Canada and the US provides a natural hedge: when Canadian growth slows, US operations can offset; when US rates rise, the US net interest margin expands. TD Bank Group's growth strategy following the collapse of its First Horizon acquisition and the 2024 US anti-money-laundering settlement is focused on remediation, organic growth within constrained US retail assets, and accelerating its Canadian franchise and wealth management businesses. In Canada, TD remains the country's largest retail bank by branch network and is investing in its personal and commercial banking platform to defend market share in mortgages and deposits as the Bank of Canada easing cycle stimulates borrowing activity. The group is deepening its relationship with Canadian retail customers through TD MySpend, its budgeting and financial planning tool, and expanding its direct investing platform TD Direct Investing for self-directed investors. In the United States TD is operating under an asset cap imposed by US regulators as part of the AML consent orders, which limits its ability to grow its balance sheet. Within that constraint, the strategy is to improve the profitability of its existing US retail footprint, particularly in the northeastern corridor from Maine to Florida, by repricing deposits, improving credit quality in its consumer lending portfolio, and investing in the banker and advisor workforce. On wealth management, TD Wealth and TD Asset Management are growth priorities, with the group targeting high-net-worth and mass-affluent Canadians who generate recurring fee income that buffers against net interest margin compression in rate cycles. The strategic timeline for the US business to return to full growth is likely 2026-2027, contingent on regulators lifting the asset cap after remediation programs are independently validated. As the bank's business grew, it built a provincial branch network that expanded to Montreal in 1860. The backing funds were raised by a group of industrialists and financiers who prospered from a flourishing agricultural economy, expanding commerce, and the growth of industry in urban centers. Both banks enjoyed rapid growth during the early decades of the twentieth century. The Dominion Bank expanded internationally, establishing operations in London, England, in 1911 and opening a New York City location in 1919. Through the 1970s and 1980s, TD expanded internationally into commercial real estate financing, investment banking, brokerage services, and securities trading.

How The Toronto-Dominion Bank Makes Money

TD Bank (Toronto-Dominion Bank) operates a diversified multinational retail, commercial, and wholesale banking business model across Canada and the United States. Revenue is generated through two primary engines: Net Interest Income (NII) earned on the spread between interest earned on residential mortgages, commercial loans, personal credit lines, and credit cards versus interest paid on customer deposits; and Non-Interest Fee Income. Fee income encompasses wealth management and asset management fees via TD Wealth, retail banking service charges, credit card interchange fees, property and casualty insurance underwriting premiums via TD Insurance, and institutional investment banking, advisory, and trading revenues through TD Securities.

TD Bank Acquisitions FAQ

What was TD Bank's landmark acquisition of Canada Trust in 2000?

In February 2000, TD Bank acquired CT Financial Services (Canada Trust) for approximately C$8 billion, combining Canada's 5th-largest bank with its premier trust company and adopting Canada Trust's retail convenience branch model.

How did the acquisition of Commerce Bancorp in 2008 establish TD's U.S. presence?

In March 2008, TD acquired New Jersey-based Commerce Bancorp for US$8.5 billion, merging it with TD Banknorth to create a massive 1,100-branch retail footprint along the U.S. East Coast known as "America's Most Convenient Bank."

Why did TD Bank acquire New York investment bank Cowen Inc. in 2023?

In March 2023, TD acquired boutique investment bank Cowen Inc. for US$1.3 billion in cash, forming TD Cowen to dramatically expand TD Securities' capabilities in healthcare, technology, sustainability, and U.S. equities research.

Why was the proposed US$13.4 billion acquisition of First Horizon called off in 2023?

TD and First Horizon mutually terminated their US$13.4 billion cash merger agreement in May 2023 because U.S. banking regulators could not grant timely approval due to undisclosed anti-money laundering deficiencies at TD Bank.

How did TD acquire Chrysler Financial during the auto bailout era?

In April 2011, TD acquired Chrysler Financial from private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management for US$6.3 billion, creating TD Auto Finance and instantly becoming a top North American auto lender.

What was the Banknorth acquisition and how did it launch TD's U.S. journey?

TD acquired a 51% controlling interest in New England lender Banknorth in 2004 for US$3.8 billion, purchasing the remaining shares in 2007 to establish TD Banknorth as its initial U.S. regional banking beachhead.

How did TD Bank acquire artificial intelligence pioneer Layer 6?

In January 2018, TD acquired Toronto-based artificial intelligence firm Layer 6 to integrate cutting-edge machine learning and predictive analytics across credit underwriting, personalization, and enterprise risk management.

What role did the Scottrade acquisition play in TD Ameritrade's expansion?

In 2017, TD Bank partnered with TD Ameritrade to acquire retail brokerage Scottrade for US$4.0 billion, expanding TD Ameritrade's branch network and transferring Scottrade Bank's billions in client deposits to TD Bank.

How did TD acquire Target's U.S. credit card portfolio in 2013?

In March 2013, TD acquired Target Corporation's US$5.7 billion U.S. credit card portfolio, establishing a 7-year co-branded credit card agreement and expanding TD's consumer receivables in the U.S.

What was the acquisition of Epoch Investment Partners in 2013?

In March 2013, TD acquired New York asset management firm Epoch Investment Partners for US$668 million, significantly expanding TD Asset Management's global equity capabilities for institutional and high-net-worth clients.

What are TD's current M&A prospects under the U.S. regulatory asset cap?

Under the US$434 billion asset cap imposed by U.S. regulators in October 2024, TD is prohibited from making any bank acquisitions in the United States until its AML compliance program is fully remediated and certified.

Is TD pursuing international or Canadian acquisitions instead?

TD focuses primarily on organic Canadian market expansion and tuck-in acquisitions in Canadian wealth management and specialized fintech services, while directing excess capital to share repurchases.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.