Scotiabank Trinidad and Tobago Limited

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What it is

Scotiabank Trinidad and Tobago — SBTT — is a full-service bank offering retail, corporate and commercial banking, asset management, and insurance, operating through subsidiaries that include ScotiaLife and Scotia Investments T&T.

Founded in 1906 and headquartered at 56–58 Richmond Street, Port of Spain, it is one of the oldest and largest banks in the country. Its products run from everyday current accounts and car loans to corporate trade finance, mutual funds, and long-term insurance.

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Who owns it

Bank of Nova Scotia (Canada) transferred its entire 50.901% stake — 89,761,887 ordinary shares — in SBTT to Scotiabank Caribbean Holdings Ltd. (SCHL), its wholly-owned Barbados holding vehicle, making SCHL the majority shareholder with beneficial ownership of just over half the company.

The transfer formed part of a broader regional reorganisation of BNS Caribbean subsidiaries that began in 2011, placing Scotiabank T&T on the same structural footing as many of its regional competitors. The remaining ~49% of shares trades freely on the TTSE, with the Trinidad & Tobago Unit Trust Corporation among the disclosed local institutional holders.

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Who runs it

The board as of March 2025 is chaired by Derek Hudson, a strategic adviser at Shell Trinidad and Tobago; the head of Caribbean and Central America for the global Scotiabank group, Jabar Singh, sits as a director; and day-to-day management of the local bank rests with Managing Director Gayle M. Pazos, who is also Senior Vice President and Head of Caribbean South and East for the wider Scotiabank group.

The local chief financial officer is Reshard Mohammed, who carries the title Vice President, CFO and Chief Administrative Officer for Caribbean South & East.

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The money, in plain words

For the year ended 31 October 2025, SBTT crossed TT$2 billion in total revenue for the first time — a 7% rise year-on-year — while profit after tax rose 6% to TT$696m (roughly US$103m), driven by higher interest income and stronger investment earnings.

It keeps about 33 cents of profit from every dollar of revenue — a net profit margin of ~33.1% (our calculation), which is strong for any bank. Return on equity ran at 14.5% in the prior fiscal year — meaning for every TT$100 of owners’ capital, the bank earns about TT$14.50 a year.

Earnings per share hit a record TT$3.95 in FY2025, and the dividend yield climbed to 6.26%, also a record for the bank. At 11.5 times earnings (our calculation), the stock trades at a modest multiple — not demanding, but not obviously cheap either, given the bank’s steady rather than fast-growing profit trajectory.

Despite rising costs, the bank’s productivity ratio — how much it spends to earn each dollar — improved to 42.4%, which it says is the lowest in the local banking sector.

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What it is doing now

Full-year total revenue rose 7% to TT$2.1 billion, and the board declared a final dividend of TT$0.90 per share, bringing total FY2025 dividends to TT$3.00 per share.

Loan growth has been a standout: net loans to customers rose TT$2.1 billion, or 11%, in FY2024, with broad-based gains but a notable push in corporate and commercial lending. In the corporate segment alone, loan originations reached TT$1.3 billion in FY2025, with the share of customers using the bank as their primary relationship nearly doubling to 41%.

In December 2025, SBTT was named Bank of the Year 2025 by both Latin Finance and The Banker — a rare double recognition.

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What to watch

• Revenue sustainability. The most recent quarterly result (Q2 FY2026, quarter ended April 2026) showed revenue down 4.8% and net income down 19% year-on-year, suggesting the record FY2025 run-rate may be cooling.
• Dividend continuity. The full-year payout ratio rose to 76% in FY2025 and the dividend yield hit a record 6.26% — both numbers to watch if profit growth softens.
• Parent strategy. Any shift in Bank of Nova Scotia’s Caribbean priorities flows directly to SBTT, given SCHL’s 50.9% controlling stake. Investors should track BNS’s annual strategy disclosures alongside SBTT’s own results.
• Local foreign-exchange constraints. USD availability in Trinidad and Tobago remains constrained, which can limit cross-border business activity and is a structural watch item for any bank operating in the twin-island economy.

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This is news, not investment advice.