Scotiabank ups its dividend

Article Excerpt

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $80.70 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares o/s: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $96.7 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Divd. yield: 3.9%, www.scotiabank. com) is the third largest Canadian bank. In the three months ended July 31, 2017, the bank earned $2.10 billion, or $1.66 a share. That’s up 7.4% from the $1.96 billion, or $1.54 a share, a year earlier. All of the bank’s operations— Canadian banking, international business and securities trading—saw profits rise. As a result of the gains, Bank of Nova Scotia has raised its quarterly dividend by 3.9%. Starting with the October 2017 payment, investors will receive $0.79 a share, up from $0.76. The stock now yields a high 3.9%. The bank aims to pay out 40% to 50% of earnings as dividends. In the most recent quarter, dividends equalled 45.2% of earnings, so it has room to keep raising the payments. Bank of Nova Scotia is a top pick for 2017. 2017…