Updates on Bank of Nova Scotia, RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, Manitoba Telecom Services and Imperial Oil

Article Excerpt

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $51.41 (Toronto symbol BNS: SI Rating: Above average) earned $980 million in its second fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2008, down 5.8% from $1.04 billion a year earlier. Per-share earnings fell 5.8%, to $0.97 from $1.03. The declines were largely due to higher provisions for loan losses, which jumped to $153 million from an unusually low $20 million in the year-earlier quarter. Revenue rose 3.2%, to $3.2 billion from $3.1 billion, partly due to acquisitions. The bank has increased its quarterly dividend 4.3%, from $0.47 a share to $0.49. The new annual rate of $1.96 yields 3.8%. Bank of Nova Scotia is a buy. RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST $21.15 (Toronto symbol REI.UN; SI Rating: Average) and its joint venture partners have begun work on a new retail development just north of Toronto. RioCan’s 31.25% share of the $68 million cost is $21.3 million. To put that in context, it earned $30.3 million or $0.14 a unit in the…