The news: TD Bank announced it would sell its 10.1% stake in Charles Schwab, per Reuters. Most will be sold at a 5% discount from Charles Schwab’s recent closing price—and Schwab itself will pick up the rest.
How we got here: Last fall, TD Bank accepted full responsibility for major anti-money-laundering (AML) deficiencies and agreed to pay over $3 billion to the US Department of Justice (DOJ). This marked the largest civil penalty issued against a bank in the history of the US Treasury.
And the fallout didn’t end with a big fine. TD Bank pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to US growth restrictions—prompting a plan to shrink its US assets by 10%. Its sale of Schwab shares would help it comply with this restriction.