Proper now, I’m all about discovering defensive dividend shares with unimaginable long-term progress potential. Discovering such shares that are buying and selling at valuations which are traditionally enticing — that’s subsequent degree.
There are many undervalued dividend shares to select from, however I feel Financial institution of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS) may very well be among the many finest such picks available in the market. Buying and selling round 10% beneath its latest 52-week excessive, this can be a inventory I feel gives not solely vital capital appreciation potential over time but in addition a whopping 4.4% dividend yield in addition.
Let’s dive into why this inventory is price shopping for and holding on this dip, in my opinion.

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Stable dividend supported by sturdy fundamentals
This 4.4% dividend yield Scotiabank presents is one of the best of its large-cap friends. Certainly, on that entrance alone, I feel traders have a stable rationale to think about including publicity to this title.
That stated, there’s additionally a stable elementary story to discover with this top-tier Canadian financial institution. With sturdy This autumn outcomes showcasing earnings per share (EPS) of $1.93 on practically $10 billion in income, there’s so much to love. Nevertheless, what I feel may very well be much more spectacular is the financial institution’s return on fairness and internet margins of 10.5% and 14.5%, respectively. These numbers underscore sturdy franchise energy throughout Scotiabank’s North American footprint.
With annual dividend progress coming in across the high-single-digit vary over the previous decade (and loads of consultants suggesting such progress can proceed for a really very long time, given Scotiabank’s money move progress profile), there’s so much to love about each the capital appreciation and dividend progress potential of this inventory long run.
Don’t overlook about its valuation
Scotiabank’s earnings and money move progress profile are sturdy, as is its present dividend yield. That stated, I feel there’s additionally one thing to be stated about this financial institution’s valuation, which can be among the many most cost-effective of its friends (and really low cost on a relative foundation to the place market multiples are proper now).
At a ahead price-to-earnings a number of of 12.3 instances, and buying and selling at simply 1.5 instances e book, this can be a inventory that (for my part) needs to be buying and selling at a a lot increased degree. That’s, if the market valued Scotiabank’s top-tier capital place and long-term progress prospects accurately.
After all, monetary shares might be impacted occasionally by market-wide selloffs. Monetary crises and different market shocks can impression this sector extra acutely than others. Certainly, we may very well be headed into such a interval in some unspecified time in the future this 12 months.
That stated, I’m additionally of the view that these trying to guess on long-term financial progress have a fantastic choice to think about in Scotiabank from each a dividend and progress standpoint. That is nonetheless one in all my prime buy-and-hold picks for traders available in the market in the present day.