BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $64.51

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $64.51 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $77.6 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.5%, www.scotiabank.com) is the third-largest of Canada’s Big Five banks.

In the second quarter ended April 30, 2016, revenue rose 11.1%, to $6.6 billion from $5.9 billion a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, the bank earned $1.48 a share, up 12.7% from $1.42.

The higher earnings came despite the bank’s move to raise its overall loan-loss provisions 67.9%, to $752 million from $448 million. That increase includes another $150 million to cover loans in the depressed oil and natural gas industry. However, the bank expects its oilrelated provisions to ease in the second half of fiscal 2016.

Bank of Nova Scotia is a buy.

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