Good time to buy more of this bank

Article Excerpt

Bank of Nova Scotia has recently announced several big strategic acquisitions. Still, buying new businesses to expand adds risk, and the bank will have to sell new shares to pay for them. As a result, Scotiabank has dropped 4% in the past year, compared to share-price gains of 5% to 16% for Canada’s four other big banks. Like its competitors, Bank of Nova Scotia also faces investor concerns about the impact higher interest rates and tighter lending standards will have on mortgage demand. However, the bank’s acquisitions will help expand its presence in two fast-growing areas: Latin America and wealth management. That will further diversify its business and enhance its appeal. BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $75 (Toronto symbol BNS; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $90.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.6; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www. scotiabank.com) is the third-largest of Canada’s five big banks with assets of $926.3 billion. In Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia sells…