Updating Manitoba Telecom, Bank of Nova Scotia, and Power Corp.

Article Excerpt

MANITOBA TELECOM $30.63 (Toronto symbol MBT; Shares outstanding: 77.4 million; Market cap: $2.4 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 5.6%; www.mts.ca) jumped to just over $33 in response to BCE’s plan to buy 100% of Bell Aliant (see box on page 57). Investors believed Manitoba Telecom could also become a takeover target. However, as part of the company’s 1997 privatization, the Manitoba government limits any single shareholder’s ownership to 20%. The shares have since moved down to where they were before BCE’s announcement. Manitoba Telecom is still a hold. BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $72.91 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $88.8 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividendyield: 3.5%, www.scotiabank.com) now offers stock trading and related services in Colombia. This new operation nicely complements its existing banking operations in that country. This move is part of the bank’s long-term plan to build up its Latin American businesses. In addition to Colombia, it has significant operations in Mexico, Peru…