Global reach a plus for Scotiabank

Article Excerpt

Bank of Nova Scotia is still our top pick for safety-conscious investors among the big-five banks. It’s the most international of Canada’s banks, and is in a particularly strong position to profit from rising prosperity in Asia and Latin America. That cuts its reliance on slower-growing regions like North America and Europe. BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $52.20 (Toronto symbol BNS: Shares outstanding: 1.1 billion; Market cap: $57.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Div. yield: 4.2%, www.scotiabank.com) is the third-largest of Canada’s five big banks, with assets of $659.7 billion. Without one-time items, the bank earned $1.15 a share in the quarter ended April 30, 2012, up 8.5% from $1.06 a share a year earlier. It is also setting aside less money to cover bad loans: loan-loss provisions fell 2.2%, to $264 million from $270 million a year ago. The Canadian banking division’s earnings jumped 23.3% due to an increase in deposits and higher demand for loans. The division also did a good job…