7,385 Shares in The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) Acquired by Virtu Financial LLC

Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) (TSE:BNS) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 7,385 shares of the bank’s stock, valued at approximately $397,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BNS. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich acquired a new position in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in Bank of Nova Scotia by 121.1% in the 4th 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 boosted its stake in Bank of Nova Scotia by 1,588.2% during the 3rd 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 in the 4th quarter worth about $73,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia in the third quarter valued at approximately $111,000. 49.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Bank of Nova Scotia Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of BNS stock opened at $48.76 on Thursday. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.03. The business’s fifty day moving average is $49.99 and its 200-day moving average is $52.37. The stock has a market cap of $60.73 billion, a PE ratio of 11.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.11.

Bank of Nova Scotia Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 28th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.7415 per share. This represents a $2.97 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.08%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Bank of Nova Scotia’s payout ratio is currently 82.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on BNS. CIBC reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced 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 report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Cibc World Mkts lowered Bank of Nova Scotia from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.