How to buy The Bank of Nova Scotia shares

The Bank of Nova Scotia shares have increased 1.68% from yesterday's closing price ($48.31). Learn how to easily invest in The Bank of Nova Scotia shares in the UK.

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) is a publicly traded banks-diversified business based in Canada. It opened the day at $48.54 after a previous close of $48.31. During the day the price has varied from a low of $48.18 to a high of $49.145. The latest price was $49.12 (25 minute delay). The Bank of Nova Scotia is listed on the NYSE and employs 90,979 staff. All prices are listed in US Dollars.

How to buy shares in The Bank of Nova Scotia

  1. Choose a platform. If you're a beginner, our share-dealing table below can help you choose.
  2. Open your account. You'll need your ID, bank details and national insurance number.
  3. Confirm your payment details. You'll need to fund your account with a bank transfer, debit card or credit card.
  4. Search the platform for stock code: BNS in this case.
  5. Research The Bank of Nova Scotia shares. The platform should provide the latest information available.
  6. Buy your The Bank of Nova Scotia shares. It's that simple.
The whole process can take as little as 15 minutes. You'll need a smartphone or computer, an internet connection, your passport or driving licence and a means of payment.

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Fees for buying 20x The Bank of Nova Scotia shares with popular platforms

Both exchange rates and share prices fluctuate in real time, so the costs presented here should be considered as a guide only. They do not incorporate stamp duty. Always refer to the platform itself for availability and pricing – which may differ from our information.

Platform Platform fee Min. initial deposit Trading fee estimate
Freetrade logo £0 - £9.99 No minimum £4.63
£788.58 total
Capital at risk
eToro Free Stocks logo £0 $50 £3.92
£787.87 total
Capital at risk
IG Share Dealing logo £0 £250 £11.94
£795.89 total
Capital at risk
CMC Invest logo £0 No minimum £3.92
£787.87 total
Capital at risk
Hargreaves Lansdown Fund and Share Account logo £0 £1 £19.79
£803.74 total
Capital at risk
Degiro Share Dealing logo £0 £0.01 £0.78
£784.74 total
Capital at risk

Full comparison of share dealing platforms

The Bank of Nova Scotia share price (NYSE:BNS)

Use our graph to track the performance of BNS stocks over time.

The Bank of Nova Scotia price performance over time

Historical closes compared with the last close of $49.12

1 week (2023-05-24) 1.72%
1 month (2023-04-28) -1.58%
3 months (2023-02-28) -0.73%
6 months (2022-11-30) -5.90%
1 year (2022-05-31) -27.46%
2 years (2021-06-01) -26.69%
3 years (2020-06-01) 18.59%
5 years (2018-06-01) -17.28%

Is it a good time to buy The Bank of Nova Scotia stock?

The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. This is not a recommendation, however. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.

We do not make any representations or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the information that is provided on this page.

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Invest in The Bank of Nova Scotia shares

  • Start investing from $50
  • Pay no stamp duty on UK shares
  • Commission-free trading. Other fees may apply.

All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.

Is The Bank of Nova Scotia under- or over-valued?

Valuing a stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge value.

P/E ratio

The Bank of Nova Scotia's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 9x. In other words, The Bank of Nova Scotia shares trade at around 9x recent earnings.

That's relatively low compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The low P/E ratio could mean that investors are pessimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're under-valued.

However, The Bank of Nova Scotia's P/E ratio is best considered in relation to those of others within the banks-diversified industry or those of similar companies.

PEG ratio

The Bank of Nova Scotia's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 2.48. A PEG ratio over 1 can be interpreted as meaning shares are overvalued at the current rate of growth, or may anticipate an acceleration in growth.

The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into The Bank of Nova Scotia's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.

However, it's sensible to consider The Bank of Nova Scotia's PEG ratio in relation to those of similar companies.

How has coronavirus impacted The Bank of Nova Scotia's share price?

Since the stock market crash that started in February 2020, The Bank of Nova Scotia's share price has had significant negative movement.

Its last market close was $48.31, which is 13.98% down on its pre-crash value of $56.16 and 51.26% up on the lowest point reached during the March 2020 crash when the shares fell as low as $31.9382.

If you had bought $1,000 worth of The Bank of Nova Scotia shares at the start of February 2020, those shares would have been worth $591.74 at the bottom of the March crash, and if you held on to them, then as of the last market close they'd be worth $888.90.

Environmental, social and governance track record

Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like The Bank of Nova Scotia.

Total ESG risk score

The Bank of Nova Scotia's total ESG risk: 27.77

Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and The Bank of Nova Scotia's overall score of 27.77 (as at 12/31/2018) is nothing to write home about – landing it in it in the 42nd percentile of companies rated in the same sector.

ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like The Bank of Nova Scotia is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).

To gain some more context, you can compare The Bank of Nova Scotia's total ESG risk score against those of similar companies.

Environmental score

The Bank of Nova Scotia's environmental score: 4.99/100

The Bank of Nova Scotia's environmental score of 4.99 puts it squarely in the 7th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that The Bank of Nova Scotia is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Social score

The Bank of Nova Scotia's social score: 14.48/100

The Bank of Nova Scotia's social score of 14.48 puts it squarely in the 7th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that The Bank of Nova Scotia is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.

Governance score

The Bank of Nova Scotia's governance score: 15.8/100

The Bank of Nova Scotia's governance score puts it squarely in the 7th percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that The Bank of Nova Scotia is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Controversy score

The Bank of Nova Scotia's controversy score: 3/5

ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. A high-profile company, The Bank of Nova Scotia scored a 3 out of 5 for controversy – a middle-of-the-table result reflecting that The Bank of Nova Scotia hasn't always managed to keep its nose clean.

Wondering how that compares? Below are the controversy scores of similar companies.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary

Bank of Nova Scotia was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.

Total ESG score 27.77
Total ESG percentile 41.58
Environmental score 4.99
Environmental score percentile 7
Social score 14.48
Social score percentile 7
Governance score 15.8
Governance score percentile 7
Level of controversy 3

The Bank of Nova Scotia shares at a glance

Information last updated 2023-06-01.
Open$48.54
High$49.145
Low$48.18
Close$49.12
Previous close$48.31
Change$0.81
Change %1.6767%
Volume332,321
Information last updated 2023-05-27.
52-week range$43.8837 - $64.568
50-day moving average$49.5686
200-day moving average$51.2638
Wall St. target price$54.84
PE ratio9.153
Dividend yield$0 (6.41%)
Earnings per share (TTM)$5.36
6.4%

Dividend yield: 6.41% of stock value

6.4%

Forward annual dividend yield: 6.41% of stock value

32.5%

Dividend payout ratio: 32.53% of net profits

The Bank of Nova Scotia has recently paid out dividends equivalent to 6.41% of its share value annually.

The Bank of Nova Scotia has paid out, on average, around 32.53% of recent net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 6.41% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), shareholders could enjoy a 6.41% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In The Bank of Nova Scotia's case, that would currently equate to about $0 per share.

While The Bank of Nova Scotia's payout ratio might seem fairly standard, it's worth remembering that it may be investing much of the rest of its net profits in future growth.

The Bank of Nova Scotia's most recent dividend payout was on 25 April 2023. The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 4 July 2023 (the "ex-dividend date").

The Bank of Nova Scotia's dividend yield is perhaps best considered in relation to those of similar companies.

Over the last 12 months, The Bank of Nova Scotia's shares have ranged in value from as little as $43.8837 up to $64.568. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".

BNS.US volatility(beta: 0.94)Avg. volatility(beta: 1.00)LowHigh

Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NYSE average) beta is 1, while The Bank of Nova Scotia's is 0.9361. This would suggest that The Bank of Nova Scotia's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).

To put The Bank of Nova Scotia's beta into context you can compare it against those of similar companies.

Shares similar to The Bank of Nova Scotia

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