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

Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS) (TSE:BNS) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 7,385 shares of the bank’s stock, valued at approximately $397,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich purchased a new stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in Bank of Nova Scotia by 121.1% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 639 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake 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 period. Fortitude Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Bank of Nova Scotia during the 4th quarter worth $73,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Bank of Nova Scotia in the 3rd quarter valued at about $111,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.13% of the company’s stock.

Bank of Nova Scotia Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE BNS opened at $48.76 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $49.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $52.37. The Bank of Nova Scotia has a 52-week low of $43.68 and a 52-week high of $57.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.29, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.11.

Bank of Nova Scotia Cuts Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on BNS. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on 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. Cibc World Mkts lowered Bank of Nova Scotia from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 18th. Finally, CIBC reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $81.00.

Bank of Nova Scotia Profile

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.