Benjamin Franklin once said that a penny saved is a penny earned, but if the pennies are older, they can be worth more. At current copper prices, the melt value of older pennies is well over two cents, and you don't even need to melt them down to extract that extra value.
Canada's banks fared well during the financial crisis and global recession thanks to their prudent management and the country's tough regulations. But what can they do with all the capital they've accumulated? Expand south of the border.
In a surprise decision by a government that has historically favored foreign investment, Canada has rejected a foreign takeover bid for Saskatchewan-based Potash Corp. Australian mining company BHP Billiton had offered $38.6 billion in what would have been the world's largest corporate acquisition this year.
