The U.S. banking sector was rocked by a string of bank failures in 2023, shaking the confidence of investors and bank customers alike. If you are looking for investment opportunities in the fallout, consider looking north to Canada.

It's there that dividend investors will find Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD), Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO), and Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE: BNS). All three are attractive alternatives to U.S. banks and potential investments for those seeking banking sector stocks. Here's why.

The Canadian government has a very different approach to regulating its banking sector. Basically, it focuses on ensuring stability and low risk by protecting the market share of a small number of large banks. TD, BMO, and Scotiabank (as the three banks being discussed here are commonly referred to) are in this group of entrenched industry giants. Along with this, however, comes a high level of regulation that instills a safety-first ethos in all of these companies. The U.S. banking system is far more competitive, and risk-taking (as recent bank implosions have shown) is more common.

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Source Fool.com