4 Rock-Ribbed Canadian Bank Stocks

2. The Bank of Nova Scotia(BNS)

Company profile: "Scotiabank," is the third-largest bank in Canada, with a market value of $58 billion.

Dividend Yield: 4.2%

Investor takeaway: Its shares are up 5.6% this year, have a three-year, average annual return of 14%, and a 10-year return of 15.7%. Analysts give its shares seven "buy" ratings, six "buy/holds," four "holds" and one "weak hold," according to a survey of analysts by S&P.

Analysts' consensus estimate is for earnings of $4.68 per share this year, and grow by 7% to $5.03 per share next year. S&P has its shares "buy" rated with a $60 price target, which is a 20% premium to the current price.

1. Toronto-Dominion Bank(TD)

Company profile: TD bank, with a market value of $71 billion, is the second-largest Canadian bank. Its second quarter revenue was up 11.5% year-over-year, to an all-time quarterly high.

Dividend Yield: 3.6%

Investor takeaway: Its shares are up 8.5% this year, have a three-year, average annual return of 17% and a 10-year annualized return of 16.3%.

Analysts give its shares six "buy" ratings, nine "buy/holds," two "holds," and one "sell," according to a survey of analysts by S&P.

S&P has it rated "buy," with an $85 price target, which is a 7.5% premium to the current price. It's expected to earn $7.25 per share this year, up 12% from the $6.45 per share of last year.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.