Foreign gains set Scotiabank apart

Bank of Nova Scotia is still our top pick among the big-five banks for safety-conscious investors. Its strong earnings in the latest quarter reflect its lower-risk lending and its focus on fast-growing developing markets. These strengths are more than offsetting rising costs and competition in… Read More

Diversify your junior Finance stocks

These companies on this page offer investors a way to diversify their Finance sector holdings beyond the big five banks. However, they are only for investors who can tolerate the added risk.

DUNDEE CORP. $25 (Toronto symbol DC.A; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 70.7… Read More

Updating Bank of Nova Scotia $56 – Toronto symbol BNS

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $56 (Toronto symbol BNS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $56.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.5; Dividend yield: 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.scotiabank.com) is Canada’s third-largest bank, with assets of $526.7 billion.

The bank recently agreed… Read More

Banks looking for bargains after crisis

Canada’s big five banks have posted strong results since the 2007-2009 financial crisis. All five should have no trouble complying with new international regulations aimed at avoiding another crisis. As well, their strength is helping them buy other financial companies in the U.S. and other… Read More

Tender your DundeeWealth

DUNDEEWEALTH $21.52 (Toronto symbol DW; SI Rating: Speculative) (1-800-301-6745; www.dundeewealth.com; Shares outstanding: 121.3 million; Market cap: $2.6 billion: Dividend yield: 1.9%) has received a friendly takeover offer from Bank of Nova Scotia for the 82% of the company that the bank doesn’t already own.

Bank of… Read More