BNS invests in U.S. bank

Article Excerpt

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $63 is a buy. The bank (Toronto symbol BNS; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $75.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.3; Dividend yield: 6.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.scotiabank.com) has agreed to acquire a 14.9% stake in U.S.-banking firm KeyCorp for $2.8 billion U.S. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, KeyCorp provides a variety of financial services through 1,000 branches in 15 states. Bank of Nova Scotia will first pay $800 million U.S. for 4.9% by the end of August 2024. It will buy another 10% for $2.0 billion U.S. in early 2025. This investment is part of the bank’s plan to pivot away from poorly performing Latin American markets. As a result, it now plans to earmark 90% of its capital to its main markets of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. KeyCorp should add between $300 million and $350 million to Bank of Nova Scotia’s annual earnings, starting in the fiscal year ending October 31, 2026. To put…