40-F 1 d74209d40f.htm 40-F 40-F

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form 40-F

 

 

[Check one]

☐

REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

or

 

☒

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13(a) OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2020

Commission File Number 002-09048

 

 

THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

CANADA

(Province or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

6029

(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number (if applicable))

Not Applicable

(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number (if applicable))

44 King St. West, Scotia Plaza, 8th floor,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 1H1

(416) 866-3672

(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

The Bank of Nova Scotia, 250 Vesey Street,

New York, N.Y., U.S.A. 10281

Attention: Hector Becil

(212) 225-5000

(Name, address (including zip code) and telephone number (including area code)

of agent for service in the United States)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.

 

Title of each class

  

Trading Symbol(s)

  

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common   BNS  

New York Stock Exchange

Toronto Stock Exchange

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act.

Not applicable

(Title of Class)

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act.

Not applicable

(Title of Class)

For annual reports, indicate by check mark the information filed with this Form:

 

☒  Annual information form   ☒  Audited annual financial statements

 

 

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.

 

Common Shares

      1,211,479,297  

Preferred Shares, Series 32

      11,161,422  

Preferred Shares, Series 33

      5,184,345  

Preferred Shares, Series 34 (Non-Viability Contingent Capital)

      14,000,000  

Preferred Shares, Series 36 (Non-Viability Contingent Capital)

      20,000,000  

Preferred Shares, Series 38 (Non-Viability Contingent Capital)

      20,000,000  

Preferred Shares, Series 40 (Non-Viability Contingent Capital)

      12,000,000  

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes  ☒            No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes  ☒            No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☒

† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

 

 

DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Management’s responsibility for financial information contained in the Annual Report is described on page 148 of Exhibit 99.3, 2020 Consolidated Financial Statements. In addition, the Bank’s Audit and Conduct Review Committee of the Board of Directors has reviewed, and the Board of Directors has reviewed and approved, the 2020 Consolidated Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis prior to release. Scotiabank is committed to providing timely, accurate and balanced disclosure of all material information and to providing fair and equal access to such information. The Bank’s disclosure policies and practices are published on its website.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Bank’s disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information is accumulated and communicated to the Bank’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

As of October 31, 2020, the Bank’s management, with the participation of the CEO and CFO, evaluated the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under the rules adopted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, and have concluded that the Bank’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

Internal control over financial reporting

Management of the Bank is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. These controls include policies and procedures that: (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Bank; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Bank; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Bank’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

All control systems contain inherent limitations, no matter how well designed. As a result, the Bank’s management acknowledges that its internal control over financial reporting will not prevent or detect all misstatements due to error or fraud. In addition, management’s evaluation of controls can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that all control issues that may result in material misstatements, if any, have been detected.

Management assessed the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, using the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) 2013 framework, and based on that assessment concluded that internal control over financial reporting was effective as of October 31, 2020.

Changes in internal control over financial reporting

There have been no changes in the Bank’s internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Bank’s internal control over financial reporting during the year ended October 31, 2020.

MANAGEMENT’S INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm are provided in Exhibit 99.4.

AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERTS

All of the members of the Bank’s Audit and Conduct Review Committee of the Board of Directors (“audit committee”) are financially literate and independent, and one or more members of the audit committee meets the definition of a financial expert. The Bank’s Board of Directors has determined that Una M. Power, Aaron W. Regent and Benita M. Warmbold are audit committee financial experts and are independent, as that term is defined by the New York Stock Exchange’s corporate governance standards applicable to the Bank.

The SEC has indicated that the designation of a person as an audit committee financial expert does not impose on such person any duties, obligations or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations and liability imposed on such person as a member of the audit committee and board of directors in the absence of such designation.

CODE OF ETHICS

The Bank has adopted a code of ethics, entitled “Scotiabank Code of Conduct” (the “Code ”). The Code has been in place for many years and applies to all directors, officers, employees and contingent workers of the Bank. A copy of the Code was most recently filed as an exhibit to Form 6-K filed with the SEC (EDGAR Company Filings) on December 1, 2020. The Code is also available on the Bank’s website at www.scotiabank.com, in the Governance section, and is available in print to any person, without charge, upon written request to the Corporate Secretary of the Bank at the Toronto executive office address shown above. A supplement to the Code, the Whistleblower Policy and Procedures, is also posted on the Bank’s website. Amendments to the Code and waivers, if any, for directors and executive officers will be disclosed on the Bank’s website. There were no such waivers under the Code granted in fiscal 2020.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The disclosure provided in Table 81 “Fees paid to the shareholders’ auditors” on page 138 of Exhibit 99.2, Management’s Discussion and Analysis, is incorporated by reference herein. The nature of these services is as follows:

 

  •  

Audit services generally relate to the statutory audits and review of financial statements, regulatory required attestation reports, as well as services associated with registration statements, prospectuses, periodic reports and other documents filed with securities regulatory bodies or other documents issued in connection with securities offerings.

 

  •  

Audit-related services include special attest services not directly linked to the financial statements, review of controls and procedures related to regulatory reporting, audits of employee benefit plans and consultation and training on accounting and financial reporting.

 

  •  

Tax services outside of the audit scope relate primarily to specified review procedures required by local tax authorities, attestation on tax returns of certain subsidiaries as required by local tax authorities, and review to determine compliance with an agreement with the tax authorities.

 

  •  

Other non-audit services are primarily for the review and translation of English language financial statements into other languages and other services.

None of the above services were approved pursuant to an exemption under paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X from the requirement that the audit committee pre-approve the services. The majority of the hours expended on the audits of the 2020 and 2019 consolidated financial statements were attributable to work performed by the full-time permanent employees of the Bank’s independent auditors, KPMG LLP or its affiliates. The audit committee’s pre-approval policies and procedures, as revised effective March 5, 2007, were attached as Exhibit 7 to

the Form 40-F filed on December 19, 2007 for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2007. The pre-approval policies and procedures have been subsequently approved without any major changes at each annual review.

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS

The disclosure provided under “Off-balance Sheet Arrangements” on pages 72 to 75 and “Structured entities” on pages 73 to 74 of Exhibit 99.2, Management’s Discussion and Analysis, is incorporated by reference herein. Additional information from note 3 on pages 161 to 176, note 7 on pages 177 to 182, note 10 on pages 185 to 193, note 14 on page 206, note 15 on pages 206 to 209, note 23 on page 214, note 24 on pages 214 to 217, note 35 on pages 233 to 235 and note 36 on pages 235 to 242 of Exhibit 99.3, 2020 Consolidated Financial Statements, is incorporated by reference into “Off-balance Sheet Arrangements” in Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

The disclosure provided under “Contractual maturities and obligations” on pages 112 to 114 of Exhibit 99.2, Management’s Discussion and Analysis, is incorporated by reference herein. Additional information from note 7 on pages 177 to 182, note 20 on page 212, note 28 on pages 222 to 227, note 35 on pages 233 to 235 and note 36 on pages 235 to 242 of Exhibit 99.3, 2020 Consolidated Financial Statements, is incorporated by reference into “Contractual Obligations” in Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Bank’s audit committee is composed of the following directors: Una M. Power (Chair and financial expert), Scott B. Bonham, Charles H. Dallara, Lynn K. Patterson, Michael D. Penner, Aaron W. Regent (financial expert), Calin Rovinescu, Susan L. Segal and Benita M. Warmbold (financial expert).

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DIFFERENCES

A summary of significant ways corporate governance practices followed by the Bank differ from corporate governance practices required to be followed by U.S. domestic companies under the New York Stock Exchange’s listing standards (disclosure required by Section 303A.11 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual) is available on the Bank’s website at https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/about/inside-scotiabank/corporate-governance/differences.html.

NOTE ON CERTAIN ACTIVITES

During the fiscal year ending October 31, 2020, the Bank identified that in 2013 one of its Canadian subsidiaries made two separate loans to two individuals, each of whose names were subsequently published on the Specially Designated Nationals list of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC’s SDN List). The loans were made in connection with the Province of Quebec’s Immigrant Investor Program, and the individuals were referred to the Canadian subsidiary through that program. Each individual loan was for CAD 400,000, and, consistent with the terms of the Immigrant Investor Program, the entire proceeds of the loan were invested in bonds issued by the Province of Quebec. Upon maturity of each of the bonds in 2018, the corresponding loans were repaid. The respective associated client accounts remained dormant until closed in May 2020. Neither the Bank nor its affiliates have engaged in any further activities or dealings with either individual.

Pursuant to Section 13(r) of the Exchange Act, the Bank is required to disclose whether it or any of its affiliates knowingly engaged in certain activities, transactions or dealings with certain individuals or entities, including those listed on OFAC’s SDN List. Disclosure is generally required even where the activities, transactions or dealings were conducted outside the U.S. in compliance with applicable law. The Bank estimates that its gross revenue and net profit associated with each loan was less than CAD 100,000 over the life of each loan.

Undertaking

Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to: the securities registered pursuant to Form 40-F; the securities in relation to which the obligation to file an annual report on Form 40-F arises; or transactions in said securities.

Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange Act, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F and has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.

 

Registrant:     THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA
    By:  

/s/ Rajagopal Viswanathan

      Name:   Rajagopal Viswanathan
      Title:   Group Head and Chief Financial Officer

Date: December 1, 2020

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
No.		    Description
  99.1    Annual Information Form dated December 1, 2020
  99.2    Management’s Discussion and Analysis (pages 14 through 145 of the 2020 Annual Report)
  99.3    2020 Consolidated Financial Statements (pages 147 through 243 of the 2020 Annual Report)
  99.4    Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (page 146 of the 2020 Annual Report)
  99.5    Corporate Governance
  99.6    Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
  99.7    Certifications required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a), pursuant to Section 302 of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
  99.8    Certifications required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as enacted pursuant to Section 906 of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
101    Interactive Data File