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Investing.com -- The Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS) reported second quarter earnings that fell short of analyst estimates, but announced a dividend hike and share buyback plan that helped lift its stock slightly.
Scotiabank posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.52 for the quarter ended April 30, missing analyst expectations by $0.05. Revenue grew 9% YoY to $9.1 billion.
The bank increased its quarterly dividend by 4 cents to $1.10 per share and announced plans to repurchase up to 20 million common shares, representing about 1.6% of outstanding shares.
"We continued to invest in our key strategic priorities this quarter, including building deeper, more advice-driven client relationships," said Scott Thomson, President and CEO of Scotiabank. "Amidst the continuously-evolving economic outlook, we are focused on what we can control and are executing on our strategic plan while continuing to deliver positive operating leverage."
Scotiabank’s return on equity declined 90 basis points YoY to 10.4%. The bank’s Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio improved 30 basis points quarter-over-quarter to 13.2%.
Provision for credit losses rose to $1.4 billion, up from $1.0 billion in the same quarter last year, reflecting a deteriorating macroeconomic outlook.
Despite the earnings miss, Scotiabank’s stock edged 0.8% higher in early trading, as investors appeared to welcome the dividend increase and share buyback announcement.