National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA) Hits New 12-Month High After Analyst Upgrade

National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA) shares reached a new 52-week high on Thursday after Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price target on the stock from C$180.00 to C$191.00. Canaccord Genuity Group currently has a hold rating on the stock. National Bank of Canada traded as high as C$190.09 and last traded at C$189.23, with a volume of 2457924 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$177.46.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$177.00 to C$195.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$188.00 to C$202.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce lifted their target price on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$189.00 to C$193.00 in a report on Thursday. TD Securities upped their price target on National Bank of Canada from C$175.00 to C$182.00 in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on National Bank of Canada from C$179.00 to C$200.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of C$191.10.

Key Headlines Impacting National Bank of Canada

Here are the key news stories impacting National Bank of Canada this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Desjardins raised its price target to C$200 and set a “buy” rating, signaling stronger bullish institutional conviction and adding upside to consensus expectations. Desjardins Raises Target
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets lifted its target to C$195 and kept an “outperform” stance, which supports investor optimism about earnings resilience. BMO Raises Target
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank moved its target to C$202 and maintained an “outperform” view—another major bank upgrade that reinforces sector-level strength. Scotiabank Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James raised its target to C$200 (market perform) and RBC lifted its target to C$193; both moves add to the cluster of higher targets from large dealers. BayStreet Analyst Summary
• Positive Sentiment: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce raised its target to C$193, and Barclays raised its target to C$183 (see below for nuance) — overall more upward pressure on consensus targets. CIBC Raises Target
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/sector note — MoneySense highlights “big gains for Canada’s banks in Q1,” supporting a favorable backdrop for NA shares amid stronger net interest income and trading activity expectations. MoneySense Bank Q1 Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Canaccord raised its target to C$191 but keeps a “hold” — the move narrows uncertainty but doesn’t signal a clear buy-case; impact is mixed. Canaccord Update
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies set a new target at C$172 and TD at C$182 (and Barclays’ C$183 sits below the recent market price), which could cap upside and add selling pressure from investors focused on target/price gaps. Jefferies Target TD Target

National Bank of Canada Stock Down 1.1%

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is C$172.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$161.85. The firm has a market capitalization of C$74.30 billion, a PE ratio of 18.90, a P/E/G ratio of 7.14 and a beta of 1.05.

National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The financial services provider reported C$3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of C$3.89 billion for the quarter. National Bank of Canada had a return on equity of 15.43% and a net margin of 19.69%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that National Bank of Canada will post 10.8360791 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

National Bank of Canada Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, February 1st. Investors of record on Sunday, February 1st were paid a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. This is a positive change from National Bank of Canada’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.18. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 29th. National Bank of Canada’s payout ratio is 46.08%.

About National Bank of Canada

National Bank of Canada is the sixth-largest Canadian bank. The bank offers integrated financial services, primarily in the province of Quebec as well as the city of Toronto. Operational segments include personal and commercial banking, wealth management, and a financial markets group.