BNS expands in the U.S.

Article Excerpt

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, $71.81, is a buy. The lender (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $86.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 5.9%; www.scotiabank.com) has completed the first stage of its plan to buy a 14.9% stake in U.S.-banking firm KeyCorp (New York symbol KEY) 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 has now paid $800 million U.S. for 4.9% of KeyCorp. 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. Bank of Nova Scotia is a buy. buy…