Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Strong-Buy Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

BBVA has been the topic of several other reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. They set an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Stock Down 1.2%

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria stock traded down $0.29 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $24.73. 149,286 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,784,248. The firm has a market capitalization of $142.50 billion, a PE ratio of 12.95, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.82. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $22.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.85. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria has a one year low of $10.77 and a one year high of $25.06.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The bank reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $10.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.47 billion. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 28.58%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Navigoe LLC bought a new stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 45.6% during the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,456 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 456 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 187.3% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 1,557 shares of the bank’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 1,015 shares during the period. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 183.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 1,597 shares of the bank’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,033 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Management Professionals Inc. boosted its holdings in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 105.9% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 1,845 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 949 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 2.96% of the company’s stock.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Company Profile

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) is a Spanish multinational financial services group headquartered in Bilbao, Spain. The bank traces its roots to several historic regional banks and was formed through a series of mergers that consolidated its position as one of Spain’s largest banking groups. BBVA operates as a universal bank offering a broad range of financial services to retail, corporate and institutional clients.

BBVA’s core businesses include retail and commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, private banking and wealth management, asset management, and insurance.