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

Bank of Nova Scotia logo
C$129.93 +0.91 (+0.71%)
As of 10/2/2026 04:15 PM 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
-0.33% 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 -0.33% from the current price of C$129.93.
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
10/4/25 to 10/4/26
1 Month Ago
9/4/25 to 9/4/26
3 Months Ago
7/6/25 to 7/6/26
1 Year Ago
10/4/24 to 10/4/25
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$129.50C$110.77C$86.00
Forecasted Upside-0.33% Downside-0.12% Downside-10.30% Downside-5.53% 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
2.26
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHold
News Sentiment Rating
Positive 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%
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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 Sunday at 06:24 AM 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 Friday, October 2, 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 expanded its share buyback program to 40 million shares, a move that signals management confidence in the company's financial health and provides direct support for the stock price by reducing the number of shares available in the market.
  • With the current stock price at $129.93, the bank offers a dividend yield of 3.47%, which is attractive for income-focused investors seeking a steady cash flow from a major financial institution.
  • Analyst sentiment has shifted positively, with the consensus rating upgrading to "Moderate Buy" and the average price target rising to C$129.50, reflecting recent upgrades from major firms like TD and National Bank Financial that now view the stock as a buy or outperform candidate.
  • The company demonstrated strong financial performance in its most recent quarter, reporting earnings per share of C$2.28 and revenue of C$10.54 billion, which supports a return on equity of 11.41% and indicates robust profitability.
  • Technical indicators show momentum, as the stock recently crossed above its 200-day moving average and reached a 52-week high, suggesting that long-term trend followers are increasingly confident in the bank's trajectory.

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 that it is more volatile than the overall market, meaning investors may experience larger price swings during periods of economic uncertainty or market downturns.
  • Despite the recent upgrades, a significant portion of analysts still maintain a "Hold" rating, with seven out of twelve brokerages suggesting that the current price may already reflect the bank's fair value, limiting immediate upside potential.
  • The dividend payout ratio stands at 58.04%, which is relatively high and may limit the company's flexibility to retain earnings for future growth initiatives or to absorb potential shocks to its capital base.
  • Recent insider activity includes sales by executives, such as Julie Walsh selling shares in December 2025, which some investors may interpret as a signal that insiders do not see the stock as undervalued at current levels.
  • The bank's P/E ratio of 16.98 is higher than the broader market average, suggesting that the stock may be priced for perfection and could be vulnerable to a correction if future earnings growth does not meet elevated expectations.

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 twelve months. 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 -0.33% 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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