Natixis Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS)

Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) (TSE:BNS) by 79.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 92,201 shares of the bank’s stock after purchasing an additional 40,961 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia were worth $4,953,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BNS. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich bought a new position in Bank of Nova Scotia during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in Bank of Nova Scotia by 121.1% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 639 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Bank of Nova Scotia by 1,588.2% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 861 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 810 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC bought a new position in Bank of Nova Scotia during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $73,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Bank of Nova Scotia during the third quarter valued at approximately $111,000. Institutional investors own 49.13% of the company’s stock.

Bank of Nova Scotia Stock Down 0.2 %

BNS opened at $48.01 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The Bank of Nova Scotia has a 1-year low of $43.68 and a 1-year high of $57.07. The company has a market capitalization of $59.80 billion, a PE ratio of 11.11, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.11. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $50.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $52.40.

Bank of Nova Scotia Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $2.97 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.18%. Bank of Nova Scotia’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on BNS. Cibc World Mkts downgraded shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from $83.00 to $81.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, CIBC reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $81.00.

About Bank of Nova Scotia

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.