The Bank of Nova Scotia Meets EPS Estimates; Declares Dividend (BNS)

Before the opening bell today, The Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) announced its fourth quarter earnings, posting higher net income than last year’s same quarter. 

BNS Earnings in Brief

-BNS reported Q4 net income of $1.7 billion, up 12% from last year’s Q4 net income of $1.52 billion.
-Adjusted diluted EPS came in at $1.31, up from last year’s Q4 EPS of $1.20.
-The company’s EPS matched analysts’ EPS estimates.
-For the full year, BNS reported net income of $6.7 billion, and EPS per diluted share of $5.15.

CEO Commentary

Brian Porter, Scotiabank President and CEO, had the following to say about the company’s fiscal year: “Scotiabank experienced another year of solid performance with underlying earnings growing 15%. The Bank’s enterprise strategy and diversified business model continue to differentiate us from our competitors in Canada and internationally and once again have enabled us to deliver strong results.”

Dividend Declared

BNS declared a quarterly dividend of 62 cents, which will be paid on January 29, 2014 to all shareholders of record on January 7, 2014. The stock goes ex-dividend on January 3. BNS most recently its dividend in October this year, where the dividend increased from 60 to 62 cents.

Stock Performance

BNS stock was inactive in pre-market trading. YTD, the stock is up just 2.06%, lagging the broader market.