Asahi Life Asset Management CO. LTD. Takes Position in The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS)

Asahi Life Asset Management CO. LTD. bought a new stake in shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) (TSE:BNS) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 6,950 shares of the bank’s stock, valued at approximately $373,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in shares of 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 last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of 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 last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $73,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia during the third quarter valued at approximately $111,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 11.9% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,713 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $148,000 after acquiring an additional 288 shares in the last quarter. 49.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Bank of Nova Scotia Trading Down 0.2 %

NYSE:BNS opened at $49.61 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 12 month low of $43.67 and a 12 month high of $57.07. The company has a market cap of $61.79 billion, a PE ratio of 11.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $51.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $52.43.

Bank of Nova Scotia Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $0.7415 dividend. This represents a $2.97 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.98%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Bank of Nova Scotia’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BNS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. UBS Group raised shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. 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. Finally, TD Securities raised shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Bank of Nova Scotia has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $75.50.

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.