Updating our #1 pick for 2014

We made Bank of Nova Scotia our #1 safety-conscious buy in 2013 and again in 2014. The bank just reported strong quarterly results and raised its dividend. The shares are already up 18.4% this year, but we think they can still go higher.

BANK OF… Read More

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $73 – Toronto symbol BNS

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $73 (Toronto symbol BNS; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $87.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.0; Dividend yield: 3.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.scotiabank.com) is the third-largest bank in Canada, with $791.8 billion of assets.

The… Read More

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $66.60 – Toronto symbol BNS

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $66.60 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $80.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.8%, www.scotiabank.com) has formally changed the name of its ING Direct subsidiary to Tangerine (www.tangerine.ca).

The bank bought ING Direct from its Netherlands-based parent,… Read More

Smart branding by BNS

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $66.60 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $80.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.8%, www.scotiabank.com) has formally changed the name of its ING Direct subsidiary to Tangerine (www.tangerine.ca).

The bank bought ING Direct from its Netherlands-based parent,… Read More

Market leadership gives them an edge

These four small-cap Manufacturing & Industry picks are riskier than most of our large-cap selections in that sector. However, they’re all market leaders with strong reputations, which makes it harder for new competitors to steal their customers. Moreover, all four are using their strong balance… Read More

MTS SYSTEMS CORP. $68 – Nasdaq symbol MTSC

MTS SYSTEMS CORP. $68 (Nasdaq symbol MTSC; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 15.3 million; Market cap: $1.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.9; Dividend yield: 1.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.mts.com) makes equipment and software that manufacturers use to test the behaviour of materials,… Read More