BNS vs. NU: Bank of Nova Scotia vs. Nu Holdings Stock Comparison
How do Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) and Nu Holdings (NU) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) and Nu Holdings (NU) are both classified in the Diversified Banks sub-industry within the broader Banks industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) has more than two decades of public-market history since June 7, 2002, whereas Nu Holdings (NU) listed on December 9, 2021 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | BNS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Bank of Nova Scotia | Nu Holdings Ltd. Class A Ordinary Shares |
| Country/Region | Canada | Brazil |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Banks | Banks |
| GICS Industry | Banks | Banks |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Diversified Banks | Diversified Banks |
| Market Capitalization | 111.75 billion USD | 58.11 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 7, 2002 | December 9, 2021 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | BNS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 44.24% | -22.46% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 35.89% | 14.21% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 12.57% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | BNS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 20.52% | 46.14% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.14 | 0.94 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -40.53% | -72.07% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.76M | 80.53M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | BNS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.95 | -0.58 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.99 | -0.78 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Nu Holdings (NU) at 31.63% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 11.46%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
BNS
Banks industry group
11.46%
- Max
- 19.84%
- Q3
- 13.67%
- Median
- 11.49%
- BNS
- 11.46%
- Q1
- 9.50%
- Min
- 3.64%
NU
Banks industry group
31.63%
- NU
- 31.63%
- Max
- 19.84%
- Q3
- 13.67%
- Median
- 11.49%
- Q1
- 9.50%
- Min
- 3.64%
Net Margin (TTM)
Nu Holdings (NU) at 42.73% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 28.43%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
BNS
Banks industry group
28.43%
- Max
- 47.19%
- Q3
- 35.25%
- Median
- 31.21%
- BNS
- 28.43%
- Q1
- 27.11%
- Min
- 14.93%
NU
Banks industry group
42.73%
- Max
- 47.19%
- NU
- 42.73%
- Q3
- 35.25%
- Median
- 31.21%
- Q1
- 27.11%
- Min
- 14.93%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) in Banks and Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | BNS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 11.46% | 31.63% |
| ROA (TTM) | 0.68% | 4.96% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 28.43% | 42.73% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Nu Holdings (NU) at 28.51% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 10.36% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for NU.
EPS Growth
Nu Holdings (NU) at 44.92% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at -3.41% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | BNS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 10.36% | 28.51% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 5.59% | 52.93% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -3.41% | 44.92% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -10.92% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) in Banks and Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) in Banks and Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | BNS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Nu Holdings (NU) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) reports a yield of 4.84%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BNS
Banks industry group
4.84%
- Max
- 5.79%
- BNS
- 4.84%
- Q3
- 3.18%
- Median
- 2.39%
- Q1
- 1.20%
- Min
- 0.00%
NU
Banks industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 5.79%
- Q3
- 3.18%
- Median
- 2.39%
- Q1
- 1.20%
- NU
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Nu Holdings (NU) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) reports a payout of 58.04%, ranking against industry peers normally.
BNS
Banks industry group
58.04%
- Max
- 70.75%
- BNS
- 58.04%
- Q3
- 41.28%
- Median
- 29.26%
- Q1
- 18.98%
- Min
- 0.00%
NU
Banks industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 70.75%
- Q3
- 41.28%
- Median
- 29.26%
- Q1
- 18.98%
- NU
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | BNS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 4.84% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 58.04% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 16.61 and Nu Holdings (NU) at 16.48 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.
BNS
Banks industry group
16.61
- Max
- 18.16
- BNS
- 16.61
- Q3
- 13.75
- Median
- 11.81
- Q1
- 10.64
- Min
- 6.49
NU
Banks industry group
16.48
- Max
- 18.16
- NU
- 16.48
- Q3
- 13.75
- Median
- 11.81
- Q1
- 10.64
- Min
- 6.49
P/S Ratio (TTM)
P/S ratio is set aside for both Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) in Banks and Nu Holdings (NU) in Banks: without a conventional revenue line, pricing per dollar of sales isn’t meaningful, and book- or earnings-based multiples make the better comparison.
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) at 1.76 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Nu Holdings (NU) at 4.39 prices even higher, above its industry range.
BNS
Banks industry group
1.76
- Max
- 2.28
- BNS
- 1.76
- Q3
- 1.58
- Median
- 1.32
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.59
NU
Banks industry group
4.39
- NU
- 4.39
- Max
- 2.28
- Q3
- 1.58
- Median
- 1.32
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BNS | NU |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 16.61 | 16.48 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.76 | 4.39 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |