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 can be traditionally enticing — that’s subsequent stage.
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 greatest such picks out there. Buying and selling round 10% under its current 52-week excessive, it is a inventory I feel offers not solely important capital appreciation potential over time but in addition a whopping 4.4% dividend yield besides.
Let’s dive into why this inventory is value shopping for and holding on this dip, for my part.

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Stable dividend supported by sturdy fundamentals
This 4.4% dividend yield Scotiabank gives 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 mentioned, 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 loads to love. Nonetheless, 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 specialists suggesting such progress can proceed for a really very long time, given Scotiabank’s money move progress profile), there’s loads 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 mentioned, I feel there’s additionally one thing to be mentioned about this financial institution’s valuation, which can also be among the many least expensive 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 ebook, it is a inventory that (for my part) ought to be buying and selling at a a lot greater stage. That’s, if the market valued Scotiabank’s top-tier capital place and long-term progress prospects appropriately.
In fact, monetary shares could be impacted on occasion 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 sooner or later this yr.
That mentioned, I’m additionally of the view that these seeking to guess on long-term financial progress have a fantastic possibility to think about in Scotiabank from each a dividend and progress standpoint. That is nonetheless one in every of my high buy-and-hold picks for traders out there right now.