Updating Great-West Lifeco, Bank of Nova Scotia and TransCanada Corp.

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GREAT-WEST LIFECO $34.40 (Toronto symbol GWO; shares outstanding: 990.0 million; Market cap: $34.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.3%; www.greatwestlifeco.com) is Canada’s second-largest insurance company, after Manulife Financial (Toronto symbol MFC). It also offers mutual funds, retirement planning and wealth management services. The company has now agreed to buy U.K.-based Retirement Advantage. That private firm offers retirement planning, annuities and pension services. Great-West has yet to reveal the purchase price, but should complete the deal in the next few months. Great-West Lifeco is a hold. BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $76.55 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $91.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.1%, www.scotiabank.com) is the third largest of Canada’s five biggest banks. The bank has expanded its sponsorship deal with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), the firm that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs (hockey) and Toronto Raptors (basketball) sports teams. Under this new deal, MLSE will rename the building that those teams play in (currently called…