The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) Shares Sold by PDS Planning Inc

PDS Planning Inc decreased its position in shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) (TSE:BNS) by 11.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 5,219 shares of the bank’s stock after selling 672 shares during the period. PDS Planning Inc’s holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia were worth $254,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia by 135.6% during the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 919 shares of the bank’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 529 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Bank of Nova Scotia during the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia by 71.6% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 858 shares of the bank’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Bank of Nova Scotia during the 3rd quarter worth about $67,000. Finally, Motco increased its holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia by 1,086.2% during the 3rd quarter. Motco now owns 2,491 shares of the bank’s stock worth $114,000 after purchasing an additional 2,281 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.13% of the company’s stock.

Bank of Nova Scotia Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE:BNS opened at $47.29 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $48.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $46.43. The company has a market capitalization of $57.80 billion, a PE ratio of 10.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The Bank of Nova Scotia has a 52-week low of $39.79 and a 52-week high of $51.98.

Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) (TSE:BNS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The bank reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.06. Bank of Nova Scotia had a return on equity of 11.51% and a net margin of 10.71%. The company had revenue of $14.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.01 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.37 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Bank of Nova Scotia will post 4.9 EPS for the current year.

Bank of Nova Scotia Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 26th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 2nd will be issued a $0.7843 dividend. This is a boost from Bank of Nova Scotia’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.78. This represents a $3.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 1st. Bank of Nova Scotia’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on BNS shares. Barclays started coverage on Bank of Nova Scotia in a report on Wednesday, March 20th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $70.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Bank of Nova Scotia in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $68.00.

Bank of Nova Scotia Profile

The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets segments.