Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD), through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking, wealth management, and wholesale banking products and services in North America and internationally. It operates through four segments: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management, U.S. Personal and Commercial Banking, and Wholesale Banking. This international dividend achiever and Canadian Dividend Aristocrat has raised dividends for 15 years in a row.
Over the past decade this dividend growth stock has delivered an average total return of 13.20% annually.

The company has managed to deliver a 5.60% average annual increase in its EPS between 1999 and 2008. Analysts expect Toronto-Dominion Bank to earn $4.98 share next year, followed by a 4% increase to $5.17/share in the year after that.

The Return on Equity has recovered from its 2003 lows of 26% and is at a very impressive level at 42%. Rather than focus on absolute values for this indicator, I generally want to see at least a stable return on equity over time.

Annual dividends have increased by an average of 20.50% annually since 1999, which is higher than the growth in EPS. Most of the dividend growth came from the expansion in the dividend payout ratio, which more than tripled from 15% in 1999 to 48% in 2008.