Updates on BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA. LOBLAW COS., IMPERIAL OIL and MANITOBA TELECOM

Article Excerpt

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $50 (Toronto symbol BNS: Shares outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $51.4 billion; SI Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 3.9%) has reported better-than-expected earnings in the latest quarter. In its first quarter, which ended January 31, 2010, the bank earned $988 million. That’s up 17.3% from $842 million a year earlier. Earnings per share rose 13.8%, to $0.91 from $0.80, on more shares outstanding. That beat the consensus earnings estimate of $0.88 a share. Most of the gains came from the bank’s Canadian retail-banking operations, where earnings rose 27.9%. That’s mainly because low interest rates continue to fuel strong demand for home mortgages and personal loans. As well, improving financial markets have made it easier for companies to issue new shares and debt securities. That pushed up earnings at the bank’s capital-markets division by 27.0%. However, earnings at the international-banking division fell 24.2%, as the higher Canadian dollar dampened earnings from the bank’s overseas operations. This division’s profits were also…