Loan demand buoys BNS

Article Excerpt

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA $76.22 (Toronto symbol BNS; Shares outstanding: 1.2 billion; Market cap: $92.1 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; Dividend yield: 4.0%, www.scotiabank.com) is the third largest of Canada’s five biggest banks. In the three months ended April 30, 2017, the bank earned $2.1 billion, or $1.62 a share. That’s a 10.7% jump from the $1.9 billion, or $1.46 a share, a year earlier. The recent results beat the consensus estimate of $1.56. The stronger earnings were thanks to higher demand for new loans in Canada as interest rates remained low. The bank’s international operations, including Asia, reported 19% higher profits. The bank’s restructuring plan—including job cuts and the expansion of online banking— added to the earnings jump. Bank of Nova Scotia has kept its dividend steady with the latest earnings release. It will, however, buy back 24 million of its share, or 2% of the total outstanding. Share buybacks boost per-share earnings and give the remaining shareholders a larger stake in the…