Global reach a plus for Scotia

Article Excerpt

Royal Bank (see page 63) recently raised the interest rate on its mortgage loans, which will probably spur other lenders to do the same. That could dampen demand for new loans. Even so, we still like the outlook for all five of Canada’s big banks. That’s because interest rates are still close to historic lows. As well, Canada’s unemployment rate is dropping, which should help more borrowers repay their loans on time. We continue to recommend that all investors own two to three bank stocks. Bank of Nova Scotia remains our favourite for new buying, mainly because its growing presence in Asia and Latin America is cutting its exposure to slower-growing regions like North America and Europe. BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $56 (Toronto symbol BNS; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $67.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 4.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.scotiabank.com) is Canada’s third-largest bank, with assets of $754.2 billion. The bank…