| Royal Bank of Canada offers a range of banking and financial services in North America and internationally. Its services comprise personal and commercial banking, which include lending, leasing deposit, and transaction products and services to small and medium-sized business, as well as to commercial, farming, and agriculture clients; wealth management services, such as investment and trust products and services through brokerage; asset management; trust services; investment counseling; and a range of life, creditor, health, travel, home, and auto insurance products and services to individuals and business clients. The bank also offers a range of corporate and investment banking, sales and trading, research, and related products and services to corporations, governments, and institutional clients. In addition, it provides debt products, such as loans and bonds, and derivatives; and foreign exchange, commodities, derivatives, and interest rate products, as well as offers brokerage, currency risk management, and advisory services. Further, the bank offers a range of credit and corporate finance products, including debt and equity underwriting, mergers and acquisitions advice, and execution and financial sponsor and private equity investor coverage. Additionally, it provides various credit cards and related payment products and solutions. As of October 31, 2005, the bank operated 1,419 bank branches, 65 business banking centers, and 4,277 automated banking machines. Royal Bank of Canada has a joint venture with Dexia SA to combine their institutional investor services businesses. The bank was formed in 1864 as Merchants Bank. It changed its name to Merchants' Bank of Halifax in 1869; to The Royal Bank of Canada in 1901; and to Royal Bank of Canada in 1990. Royal Bank is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. |
