April 9, 2018

Well, so much for the pretense of independent and objective advice!

Toronto-Dominion Bank has taken unusual steps to discourage some clients from investing in the marijuana sector.

The bank is limiting the ways in which its advisers discuss the industry with clients, banning staff from recommending almost all marijuana firms and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), according to a recent internal e-mail viewed by The Globe and Mail. TD is also prohibiting portfolio managers from proactively adding most cannabis shares to certain client investment accounts – unless clients specifically instruct their adviser to do so.

As a result, the bank’s investment advisory channel – TD Wealth Private Investment Advice (PIA) – has put dozens of pot stocks and the four Canadian-listed cannabis ETFs onto its non-approved list of securities, leaving advisers with only three Canadian marijuana stocks to suggest.

Investors who use the bank’s online discount brokerage – TD Direct Investing – can buy and sell pot stocks without issue, as those trades are self-directed.

The restrictions put on advisers who work at PIA appear to be driven out of concern of the legal risks the bank could face in the United States, where cannabis is legal in some states but illegal under federal law.

“This is an evolving issue with legal ramifications in the U.S. Therefore, we are restricting our advisers from counselling clients to acquire shares in certain cannabis-organizations with operations in the U.S.,” TD spokeswoman Emily Vear said in an e-mail.

In the internal e-mail sent to TD advisers at the end of March, TD warned that cannabis companies “with U.S. touchpoints could create significant legal risks to [TD Wealth Private Investment Advice] due to the application of U.S. federal laws.” Last week, it wouldn’t explain what those risks are.

I’m sure that if I started tailoring my advice to reduce my company’s legal risk in a foreign country, I’d be getting an uncomfortable visit from the OSC! But don’t worry, regulation fans! I’m sure TD will be OK.

HIMIPref™ Preferred Indices
These values reflect the December 2008 revision of the HIMIPref™ Indices

Values are provisional and are finalized monthly
Index Mean
Current
Yield
(at bid)
Median
YTW
Median
Average
Trading
Value
Median
Mod Dur
(YTW)
Issues Day’s Perf. Index Value
Ratchet 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 2.0091 % 2,981.4
FixedFloater 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 2.0091 % 5,470.7
Floater 3.35 % 3.55 % 110,512 18.44 4 2.0091 % 3,152.8
OpRet 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.2269 % 3,170.5
SplitShare 4.54 % 4.43 % 78,818 5.13 4 0.2269 % 3,786.3
Interest-Bearing 0.00 % 0.00 % 0 0.00 0 0.2269 % 2,954.2
Perpetual-Premium 5.58 % -5.39 % 78,785 0.09 11 0.0684 % 2,860.2
Perpetual-Discount 5.41 % 5.43 % 71,449 14.80 24 -0.0991 % 2,936.2
FixedReset 4.33 % 4.68 % 164,654 5.80 104 0.1044 % 2,498.8
Deemed-Retractible 5.15 % 5.65 % 87,436 5.67 28 0.2429 % 2,933.0
FloatingReset 2.99 % 3.17 % 32,995 3.61 11 0.1909 % 2,749.3
Performance Highlights
Issue Index Change Notes
IFC.PR.A FixedReset -1.20 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 19.71
Bid-YTW : 7.57 %
TRP.PR.A FixedReset -1.01 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 19.66
Evaluated at bid price : 19.66
Bid-YTW : 4.96 %
BNS.PR.F FloatingReset 1.14 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 23.11
Bid-YTW : 4.59 %
GWO.PR.S Deemed-Retractible 1.36 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.56
Bid-YTW : 5.62 %
IFC.PR.F Deemed-Retractible 1.43 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.85
Bid-YTW : 5.46 %
BAM.PR.K Floater 1.73 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 17.04
Evaluated at bid price : 17.04
Bid-YTW : 3.56 %
PWF.PR.A Floater 1.90 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 20.89
Evaluated at bid price : 20.89
Bid-YTW : 2.91 %
BAM.PR.C Floater 2.09 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 17.10
Evaluated at bid price : 17.10
Bid-YTW : 3.55 %
PWF.PR.Q FloatingReset 2.33 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 21.49
Evaluated at bid price : 21.49
Bid-YTW : 3.13 %
BAM.PR.B Floater 2.34 % YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 17.07
Evaluated at bid price : 17.07
Bid-YTW : 3.56 %
Volume Highlights
Issue Index Shares
Traded
Notes
RY.PR.I FixedReset 53,798 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2019-02-24
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.13
Bid-YTW : 3.43 %
BAM.PF.F FixedReset 52,600 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 23.58
Evaluated at bid price : 24.00
Bid-YTW : 5.06 %
BNS.PR.A FloatingReset 50,500 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2018-05-25
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.98
Bid-YTW : 0.64 %
TD.PF.J FixedReset 37,217 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2023-04-30
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.25
Bid-YTW : 4.57 %
RY.PR.J FixedReset 25,400 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 23.13
Evaluated at bid price : 24.00
Bid-YTW : 4.81 %
TRP.PR.D FixedReset 25,309 YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 21.62
Evaluated at bid price : 22.02
Bid-YTW : 4.95 %
There were 14 other index-included issues trading in excess of 10,000 shares.
Wide Spread Highlights
Issue Index Quote Data and Yield Notes
BAM.PF.G FixedReset Quote: 23.62 – 25.00
Spot Rate : 1.3800
Average : 0.7923

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Limit Maturity
Maturity Date : 2048-04-09
Maturity Price : 23.32
Evaluated at bid price : 23.62
Bid-YTW : 5.11 %

IAG.PR.I FixedReset Quote: 25.05 – 26.05
Spot Rate : 1.0000
Average : 0.5553

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.05
Bid-YTW : 4.87 %

MFC.PR.Q FixedReset Quote: 25.15 – 25.56
Spot Rate : 0.4100
Average : 0.2357

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 25.15
Bid-YTW : 4.70 %

MFC.PR.L FixedReset Quote: 22.35 – 22.85
Spot Rate : 0.5000
Average : 0.3524

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2025-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 22.35
Bid-YTW : 6.12 %

PWF.PR.O Perpetual-Premium Quote: 25.45 – 25.79
Spot Rate : 0.3400
Average : 0.2017

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Call
Maturity Date : 2018-05-09
Maturity Price : 25.25
Evaluated at bid price : 25.45
Bid-YTW : -7.73 %

TD.PR.T FloatingReset Quote: 24.55 – 24.95
Spot Rate : 0.4000
Average : 0.2755

YTW SCENARIO
Maturity Type : Hard Maturity
Maturity Date : 2022-01-31
Maturity Price : 25.00
Evaluated at bid price : 24.55
Bid-YTW : 3.17 %

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