ROYAL BANK OF CANADA $56 – Toronto symbol RY

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA $56 (Toronto symbol RY; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.4 billion; Market cap: $78.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 3.6%; SI Rating: Above Average) is Canada’s largest bank, with total assets of $655.0 billion.

Royal is seeing strong demand… Read More

Dividend freeze is prudent banking

Things are going well for Canada’s big five banks. Low interest rates continue to spur strong demand for new loans. As well, loan defaults should fall as the economy improves. Despite strong gains in their stock prices since last March’s lows, all five continue to… Read More

Big gains for Scotiabank

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $47.52 (Toronto symbol BNS: Shares outstanding: 992 million; Market cap: $47.1 billion; SI Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.1%) reported higher earnings and revenue in its latest fiscal year.

The bank earned $3.5 billion in the year ended October 31, 2009. That’s… Read More

Merger Improved Thomson’s Prospects

THOMSON REUTERS CORP. $33 (Toronto symbol TRI; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 824.3 million; Market cap: $27.2 billion; SI Rating: Above average) divides its operations into two divisions: Markets (60% of revenue), which provides financial information products to banks and other financial institutions;… Read More

Still Our Top Choice Among Banks

The worldwide credit crisis has hurt all of Canada’s big five banks. Still, we continue to have a positive view of all of them. The banks have already taken substantial writedowns, which may cover most of the damage. As well, Ottawa’s new plan to buy… Read More