The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that at a time when the Canadian economy feels like it's under siege, the Toronto Stock Exchange serves as a powerful counternarrative. The Globe's Tim Shufelt writes that over the past two years, the Canadian stock market has gained nearly 55 per cent, after factoring in inflation. That ranks among the very best two-year stock rallies in history, such as the dot-com boom of the 1990s and the rebound from the global financial crisis beginning in 2009. Contrast that with four years of the worst housing bust on record. Among the recent winners is TD Bank, which some figured was dead money after its money-laundering scandal, which saw the bank slapped with $3.1-billion (U.S.) in fines and a cap on its U.S. retail assets. But then TD refocused on Canada and redeemed itself in dramatic fashion. Under new leadership, the bank cut costs, sold its stake in U.S. investment dealer Charles Schwab, then used that money to buy back its own stock and reinvest in the domestic market. Now, soaring financial markets have done wonders for the wealth management divisions of all big banks. Near the top of the pack is TD, whose stock gained more than 120 per cent over the past two years.