Fact based stock research
Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS)
CA0641491075
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For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
Bank of Nova Scotia stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 41 (worse than 59% compared with investment alternatives), Bank of Nova Scotia (Diversified Banks, Canada) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Bank of Nova Scotia are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 79 (better than 79% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 18), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 31), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 41, is a hold recommendation based on Bank of Nova Scotia's financial characteristics. As the company Bank of Nova Scotia's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 79) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 18) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 31), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 79% of comparable companies, may indicate the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
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360° Viewnew| Country | Canada |
| Industry | Diversified Banks |
| Index | Human Rights, Renewables Users, TSX Composite |
| Size class | Medium |
This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.
31-Jul-2025. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.
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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.
Research History: Bank of Nova Scotia
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 87 |
|
91 |
|
95 |
|
79 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 61 |
|
89 |
|
23 |
|
18 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 35 |
|
39 |
|
10 |
|
31 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 55 |
|
5 |
|
42 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 65 |
|
63 |
|
34 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 41 (worse than 59% compared with investment alternatives), Bank of Nova Scotia (Diversified Banks, Canada) shares have somewhat below-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Bank of Nova Scotia are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 79 (better than 79% of alternatives) but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 18), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 31), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 41, is a hold recommendation based on Bank of Nova Scotia's financial characteristics. As the company Bank of Nova Scotia's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 79) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 18) and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 31), it may be a risky investment, because debt in times of crises can make things worse. The good value, better than 79% of comparable companies, may indicate the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 87 |
|
91 |
|
95 |
|
79 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 61 |
|
89 |
|
23 |
|
18 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 35 |
|
39 |
|
10 |
|
31 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 67 |
|
97 |
|
34 |
|
41 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with alternatives) for 2025, Bank of Nova Scotia shares are significantly less expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for Bank of Nova Scotia. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 81, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 81% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning Bank of Nova Scotia's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 61% of alternatives. It is also positive for expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 96 (dividends are expected to be higher than 96% of other stocks). But, compared with other companies in the same industry, the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) is higher than average, making the stock more expensive. Only 71% of all competitors have an even higher price compared with book capital which puts the Price-to-Capital Rank for Bank of Nova Scotia to 29. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 79, is a buy recommendation based on Bank of Nova Scotia's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. A low level of book capital means that the company has a business that is leaner in assets than its competitors. For instance, the company could be leasing its production facilities or be more focussed on intellectual property, such as its brand and software, which is less visible in its book capital. If that is the case, the three good value ranks for Sales, Profits, and Dividends are reliable indicators for the stock price value. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more
| VALUE METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | 76 |
|
81 |
|
86 |
|
81 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 87 |
|
81 |
|
91 |
|
61 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 27 |
|
61 |
|
51 |
|
29 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 100 |
|
96 |
|
96 |
|
96 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 87 |
|
91 |
|
95 |
|
79 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 18 (better than 18% compared with alternatives), Bank of Nova Scotia shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Bank of Nova Scotia. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 16, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 84% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 5, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 34. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 66% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 93, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 93% of alternative investments. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 18, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That picture may be the result for a company that has reached the bottom. All went south for Bank of Nova Scotia, and it still looks bad, but some investors already see light at the end of the tunnel, rewarding the stock with recent above-market stock returns. It could also mean that investors are correcting an overreaction to negative news. If that were the case, the positive stock returns are not yet a sign of recovery. Investors should look closely at the Value and Sentiment indicators before they make a stock purchasing decision, because growth is unlikely to be the driving argument behind this investment. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is low here. ...read more
| GROWTH METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 76 |
|
80 |
|
48 |
|
16 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 20 |
|
82 |
|
60 |
|
34 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | 79 |
|
45 |
|
11 |
|
5 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 51 |
|
63 |
|
17 |
|
93 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 61 |
|
89 |
|
23 |
|
18 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 31 (better than 31% compared with alternatives), the company Bank of Nova Scotia has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Bank of Nova Scotia is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with just one indicator above average for Bank of Nova Scotia. Liquidity is at 58, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 58% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is riskier at a rank of 45, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 55% of its competitors. Leverage is also high at a rank of 4, which means that the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 96% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 31 (worse than 69% compared with alternatives), Bank of Nova Scotia has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. High Leverage (a low Obermatt Leverage Rank) is good in good times, because it usually indicates that shareholders get higher returns. The good Liquidity performance of the company is an indicator that this is the case. However, if you expect an economic downturn, you may stay clear of this stock because they have an above-average debt level that needs refinancing soon. If the company is sailing with good winds, as may be visible from the Growth and Sentiment performance, the refinancing risk may be lower than the low Refinancing rank suggests. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 10 |
|
4 |
|
3 |
|
4 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 47 |
|
77 |
|
34 |
|
45 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 78 |
|
58 |
|
57 |
|
58 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 35 |
|
39 |
|
10 |
|
31 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
5 |
|
21 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | 25 |
|
4 |
|
50 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | 8 |
|
21 |
|
39 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | 80 |
|
56 |
|
89 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | 55 |
|
5 |
|
42 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for Bank of Nova Scotia from July 31, 2025.
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