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Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) Stock Forecast & Price Target

Bank of Nova Scotia logo
C$131.21 +0.78 (+0.60%)
As of 11:48 AM Eastern

Bank of Nova Scotia - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
0
Hold
7
Buy
5

Based on 12 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for Bank of Nova Scotia in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 12 analysts, 7 have given a hold rating, 4 have given a buy rating, and 1 has given a strong buy rating for BNS.

Consensus Price Target

C$129.50
-1.30% Downside
According to the 12 analysts' twelve-month price targets for Bank of Nova Scotia, the average price target is C$129.50. The highest price target for BNS is C$152.00, while the lowest price target for BNS is C$101.00. The average price target represents a forecasted downside of -1.30% from the current price of C$131.21.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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BNS Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
9/25/25 to 9/25/26
1 Month Ago
8/26/25 to 8/26/26
3 Months Ago
6/27/25 to 6/27/26
1 Year Ago
9/25/24 to 9/25/25
Strong Buy
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
4 Buy rating(s)
4 Buy rating(s)
1 Buy rating(s)
3 Buy rating(s)
Hold
7 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
9 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
Sell
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price TargetC$129.50C$128.86C$110.77C$86.00
Forecasted Upside-1.30% Downside-0.73% Downside-9.53% Downside-4.19% Downside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyHoldHold

BNS Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
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BNS Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

Bank of Nova Scotia Stock vs. The Competition

TypeBank of Nova ScotiaFinance Companies
Consensus Rating Score
2.50
2.27
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHold
News Sentiment Rating
Neutral News

See Recent BNS News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
9/3/2026 Boost TargetC$119.00 ➝ C$120.00-8.28%
9/3/2026 Boost TargetNeutralC$136.00 ➝ C$137.00+4.71%
9/2/2026
Desjardins logo
Desjardins
4 of 5 stars
 Set TargetHoldC$130.00+1.18%
8/26/2026 Boost TargetC$131.00 ➝ C$134.00+2.83%
8/26/2026 Boost TargetOutperformC$148.00 ➝ C$152.00+16.64%
8/26/2026 UpgradeHold ➝ OutperformC$128.00 ➝ C$142.00+8.97%
8/26/2026 UpgradeHold ➝ BuyC$124.00 ➝ C$141.00+8.20%
8/26/2026 Boost TargetSector PerformC$117.00 ➝ C$129.00-1.01%
8/26/2026 Boost TargetOutperformC$137.00 ➝ C$139.00+6.67%
8/26/2026 Boost TargetHoldC$121.00 ➝ C$127.00-2.54%
8/25/2026 UpgradeHold ➝ Strong-Buy
8/21/2026 Boost TargetC$110.00 ➝ C$130.00+7.62%
2/25/2026 Boost TargetC$118.00 ➝ C$120.00+16.20%
2/25/2026 Boost TargetMarket PerformC$98.00 ➝ C$101.00-2.20%
1/9/2025 Set TargetBuyC$82.00+10.11%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Friday at 12:04 PM ET.


Should I Buy Bank of Nova Scotia Stock? BNS Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these Bank of Nova Scotia pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

Bank of Nova Scotia
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in The Bank of Nova Scotia:

  • The Bank of Nova Scotia recently launched the Scotia Growth Institute and committed over $100 billion in financing to support Canada's growth agenda, signaling a strategic pivot toward large-scale infrastructure and industrial investment that could drive future revenue streams.
  • With the stock trading at $132.24, the company has reached a new 52-week high, reflecting strong market confidence and momentum following a series of positive analyst upgrades and record quarterly results.
  • Analysts have significantly raised their outlook, with the consensus rating shifting to Moderate Buy and price targets increasing substantially, such as National Bank Financial raising its target to C$142.00, indicating that the current valuation may not yet reflect the full potential of the bank's recent performance.
  • The bank recently priced its first defence bond in the Canadian market under a new issuance framework, diversifying its capital raising capabilities and tapping into a new sector of demand that aligns with national strategic priorities.
  • Investors benefit from a stable dividend yield of 3.46%, supported by a payout ratio of 58.04%, which provides a reliable income stream while the company maintains sufficient capital for growth initiatives.

Bank of Nova Scotia
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in The Bank of Nova Scotia for these reasons:

  • The stock's beta of 1.27 indicates higher volatility than the broader market, meaning investors may experience more significant price swings, as seen in the recent drop from the previous close of $133.87 to the current price of $132.24.
  • Despite recent upgrades, a significant portion of analysts still maintain a Hold rating, with seven out of twelve analysts issuing this view, suggesting that some market participants believe the stock is fairly valued or overvalued at current levels.
  • The company's price-to-earnings ratio of 17.29 is relatively high compared to historical averages, which could limit upside potential if earnings growth does not accelerate to justify the premium valuation.
  • Recent insider activity, including sales by Julie Walsh in December 2025, may signal that company insiders are taking advantage of higher stock prices to reduce their holdings, which can be a bearish indicator for future price performance.
  • The bank's expansion into new areas such as defence bonds and large-scale growth financing may introduce new operational and regulatory risks that are not fully reflected in current financial models, potentially impacting profitability if these initiatives do not perform as expected.

BNS Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 12 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for Bank of Nova Scotia is C$129.50, with a high forecast of C$152.00 and a low forecast of C$101.00.

12 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Bank of Nova Scotia in the last year. There are currently 7 hold ratings, 4 buy ratings and 1 strong buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" BNS shares.

According to analysts, Bank of Nova Scotia's stock has a predicted downside of -1.30% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, Bank of Nova Scotia's stock had 3 upgrades by analysts.

Analysts like Bank of Nova Scotia more than other "finance" companies. The consensus rating for Bank of Nova Scotia is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "finance" companies is Hold. Learn more on how BNS compares to other companies.


MarketBeat monitors more than a dozen sources for Bank of Nova Scotia analyst ratings, with the most recent rating issued on 9/3/2026.
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