BNS hikes its dividend

Article Excerpt

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $76.89 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $92.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.3%) is Canada’s third largest bank. The bank reported better-than-expected earnings in the quarter ended January 31, 2018. Excluding one-time items, Bank of Nova Scotia earned $1.74 a share, up 10.8% from $1.57 a year earlier. That beat the consensus estimate of $1.68. The improved profits were mainly due to strong results from its Canadian and international banking operations. Starting with the April 2018 payment, the bank increased its quarterly dividend by 3.8%, to $0.82 a share from $0.79. The shares now yield a high 4.3%. Bank of Nova Scotia is a buy. buy…