The Bank of Nova Scotia (TSE:BNS) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus is “Moderate Buy”: Of 12 brokerages covering Bank of Nova Scotia, seven recommend holding the stock, four recommend buying it, and one rates it a strong buy. The average 12-month price target is C$129.50.
• Recent analyst sentiment improved: Several firms raised their price targets, including Keefe, Bruyette & Woods to C$152, TD to C$141, and National Bank Financial to C$142.
• Financial performance and dividend: Scotiabank reported quarterly EPS of C$2.28 and revenue of C$10.54 billion, while increasing its quarterly dividend to $1.14 per share, representing a 3.4% annualized yield.

The Bank of Nova Scotia (TSE:BNS - Get Free Report) NYSE: BNS has been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$129.50.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from C$148.00 to C$152.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. TD upgraded shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price objective for the company from C$124.00 to C$141.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Bank of Nova Scotia from C$110.00 to C$130.00 in a report on Friday, August 21st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Bank of Nova Scotia from C$119.00 to C$120.00 in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, National Bank Financial raised Bank of Nova Scotia from a "hold" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their target price for the stock from C$128.00 to C$142.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th.

Bank of Nova Scotia Stock Performance

Shares of BNS opened at C$132.34 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of C$161.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.27. The company's fifty day moving average is C$126.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$114.90. Bank of Nova Scotia has a 1 year low of C$88.22 and a 1 year high of C$134.50.

Bank of Nova Scotia (TSE:BNS - Get Free Report) NYSE: BNS last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 25th. The bank reported C$2.28 EPS for the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia had a net margin of 14.08% and a return on equity of 11.41%. The company had revenue of C$10.54 billion during the quarter. Sell-side analysts predict that Bank of Nova Scotia will post 7.1286267 EPS for the current year.

Bank of Nova Scotia Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 29th were issued a dividend of $1.14 per share. This is a boost from Bank of Nova Scotia's previous quarterly dividend of $1.10. This represents a $4.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, July 7th. Bank of Nova Scotia's dividend payout ratio is currently 58.04%.

Bank of Nova Scotia Company Profile

Scotiabank's vision is to be our clients' most trusted financial partner and deliver sustainable, profitable growth. Guided by our purpose: 'for every future,' we help our clients, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products, and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With assets of approximately $1.5 trillion (as at January 31, 2026), Scotiabank is one of the largest banks in North America by assets, and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange TSX: BNS and New York Stock Exchange NYSE: BNS.

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