BBVA Banco Frances S.A. (NYSE:BBAR) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of BBVA Banco Frances S.A. (NYSE:BBAR) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $17.6667.

Several research firms recently issued reports on BBAR. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of BBVA Banco Frances in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded BBVA Banco Frances from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th.

BBVA Banco Frances Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE BBAR opened at $14.09 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $2.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.98 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. BBVA Banco Frances has a 52-week low of $7.76 and a 52-week high of $23.10. The business’s 50 day moving average is $16.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.78.

BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The bank reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by ($0.16). BBVA Banco Frances had a return on equity of 6.55% and a net margin of 3.70%.The firm had revenue of $337.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $874.92 billion. Research analysts predict that BBVA Banco Frances will post 1.94 EPS for the current year.

BBVA Banco Frances Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were given a dividend of $0.037 per share. This is a boost from BBVA Banco Frances’s previous monthly dividend of $0.04. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. BBVA Banco Frances’s dividend payout ratio is currently 53.01%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Alpine Global Management LLC purchased a new stake in BBVA Banco Frances during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,042,000. PointState Capital LP boosted its position in BBVA Banco Frances by 60.5% in the 4th quarter. PointState Capital LP now owns 2,668,038 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $48,211,000 after buying an additional 1,005,978 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of BBVA Banco Frances by 3,633.8% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 613,832 shares of the bank’s stock worth $11,092,000 after acquiring an additional 597,392 shares in the last quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BBVA Banco Frances during the fourth quarter worth $224,000. Finally, GAM Holding AG increased its position in shares of BBVA Banco Frances by 70.5% during the fourth quarter. GAM Holding AG now owns 49,361 shares of the bank’s stock worth $892,000 after acquiring an additional 20,402 shares during the period.

About BBVA Banco Frances

BBVA Banco Francés is one of Argentina’s leading financial institutions, operating as a subsidiary of the global banking group BBVA. The bank provides a full range of retail and commercial banking services to individuals, small and medium‐sized enterprises, large corporations and institutional clients. Its product suite spans deposit accounts, mortgages, personal and auto loans, credit and debit cards, transactional banking and digital solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of customers in both urban and regional markets.

Founded in Buenos Aires in the late 19th century, Banco Francés has developed a longstanding presence in Argentina’s financial sector.