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BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $59.87 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $72.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.7%, www.scotiabank.com) has extended its Scene loyalty card program with Cineplex Inc. for an additional 10 years, to October 31, 2025.

Scene lets cardholders earn points they can redeem for free movies at Cineplex’s theatres. It’s one of Canada’s most popular loyalty plans, with over seven million members.

The deal gives the bank lots of opportunities to cross-sell other services to Scene members. In particular, Scene is very popular with young moviegoers. So it’s a great way to begin a relationship with them when they’re just starting to bank and use credit and debit cards.

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GEORGE WESTON LTD. $109.43 (Toronto symbol WN; Shares outstanding: 128.0 million; Market cap: $14.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.6%) makes a number of products through Weston Foods. Its businesses include fresh and frozen bakery and cookie operations in Canada and plants that make frozen bakery items, biscuits, cookies, cones and wafers in the U.S.

Weston also owns 46% of Loblaw (see above) and 5.5% of Choice Properties REIT (Toronto symbol CHP.UN). Choice owns 519 properties, mainly supermarket- and drugstore-anchored shopping malls and stand-alone supermarkets and pharmacies. Loblaw holds 83.0% of Choice and accounts for 91.0% of the REIT’s earnings.

In the three months ended October 10, 2015, Weston’s revenue rose 2.9%, to $14.4 billion from $14.0 billion a year earlier.

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LOBLAW COMPANIES $66.80 (Toronto symbol L; Shares outstanding: 412.4 million; Market cap: $27.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 1.5%; www.loblaw.ca) is Canada’s largest food retailer, with about 1,200 supermarkets. Its banners include Loblaws, Provigo, Fortinos, Real Canadian Superstore and No Frills. George Weston Ltd. (see below) owns 46% of the company.

In the three months ended October 10, 2015, Loblaw earned $408 million, or $0.99 a share, up 10.0% from $371 million, or $0.90, a year earlier. Sales rose 2.5%, to $13.9 billion from $13.6 billion. Excluding gasoline, same-store sales rose 3.1% at Loblaw and 4.9% at the 1,300-store Shoppers Drug Mart chain, which the company bought for $12.3 billion in March 2014.

Loblaw continues to integrate its operations with Shoppers Drug. It expects these moves to save it at least $222 million in 2016.

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