BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $63

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $63 (Toronto symbol BNS; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $75.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.4; Dividend yield: 4.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.scotiabank.com) continues to expand its Internet and mobile banking operations. As a result, it is reorganizing its branches and cutting jobs. Severance payments and other costs will reduce the bank’s earnings by $0.22 a share in the quarter ended April 30, 2016. To put that in context, it earned $1.43 a share in the previous quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia is a buy.

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