Topic: How To Invest

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $57.75 – Toronto symbol BNS

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $57.75 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $69.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.0%, www.scotiabank.com) is the third-largest of Canada’s five big banks.

In the three months ended January 31, 2016, the bank earned $1.81 billion. That is up 5.1% from $1.73 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share increased 5.9%, to $1.44 from $1.36, on fewer shares outstanding. Revenue rose 8.6%, to $6.4 billion from $5.9 billion.

Earnings at the Canadian banking division (50% of the total) rose 7.4%, mostly due to higher fee income and steady loan and deposit growth. The international division (30% of earnings) reported 21.0% higher profits, thanks to strong loan, deposit and fee growth in Latin America. However, earnings at the securities-trading division (20%) fell 9.4% on lower earnings at its U.S. investment-banking operations.

The bank’s loan-loss provisions rose 16.4%, to $539 million from $463 million. That was mostly due to higher credit losses from Canadian oil and gas firms, as well as the potential for future losses.

The bank is raising its quarterly dividend by 2.9% with the April 2016 payment, to $0.72 from $0.70. The shares yield 5.0%. The stock trades at 9.8 times this year’s forecast earnings of $5.90 a share.

Bank of Nova Scotia is a buy.

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