The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) Shares Sold by Marshall Wace LLP

Marshall Wace LLP trimmed its holdings in shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS - Free Report) TSE: BNS by 6.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 402,248 shares of the bank's stock after selling 26,024 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP's holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia were worth $21,609,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia by 1.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 124,030 shares of the bank's stock valued at $6,758,000 after purchasing an additional 1,690 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 27.5% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 214,957 shares of the bank's stock worth $11,712,000 after buying an additional 46,421 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Bank of Nova Scotia during the third quarter worth about $111,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in Bank of Nova Scotia by 15.4% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,287,198 shares of the bank's stock valued at $68,689,000 after acquiring an additional 171,539 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Bank of Nova Scotia in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $73,000. 49.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Bank of Nova Scotia Price Performance

Bank of Nova Scotia stock traded up $0.00 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $48.56. The company had a trading volume of 475,978 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,077,628. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The Bank of Nova Scotia has a 12-month low of $43.67 and a 12-month high of $57.07. The company has a market capitalization of $60.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.02. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $48.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $51.41.

Bank of Nova Scotia Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $0.7415 dividend. This represents a $2.97 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.11%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Bank of Nova Scotia's dividend payout ratio is presently 83.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BNS. CIBC reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Bank of America cut shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, March 31st. Cibc World Mkts lowered shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Bank of Nova Scotia from $83.00 to $81.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Bank of Nova Scotia has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $81.00.

Bank of Nova Scotia Company Profile

The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets segments.