Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) Downgraded to Hold at Societe Generale

Societe Generale cut shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA – Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Credit Suisse Group raised their price objective on Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from €5.20 ($5.65) to €5.50 ($5.98) and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, October 31st. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from €5.30 ($5.76) to €5.80 ($6.30) in a research note on Tuesday, November 1st. StockNews.com upgraded Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 11th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from €6.20 ($6.74) to €6.50 ($7.07) in a research note on Friday, October 14th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from €6.70 ($7.28) to €7.00 ($7.61) in a research note on Tuesday, November 1st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $6.48.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BBVA opened at $6.93 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $44.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.60 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria has a 1-year low of $3.93 and a 1-year high of $7.02. The business’s 50 day moving average is $6.11 and its 200-day moving average is $5.20.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA – Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Friday, October 28th. The bank reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $6.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.06 billion. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria had a return on equity of 13.66% and a net margin of 26.64%. Equities research analysts predict that Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria will post 1.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 217.2% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,681 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 3,890 shares in the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 124.8% in the first quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 6,859 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 3,808 shares during the period. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria in the third quarter worth approximately $38,000. HighTower Trust Services LTA acquired a new position in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria in the second quarter worth approximately $379,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 159.8% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 9,758 shares of the bank’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 6,002 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.51% of the company’s stock.

About Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria

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Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides retail banking, wholesale banking, and asset management services. It offers current accounts; and demand, savings, overnight, time, term, and subordinated deposits. The company also provides loan products; deals in securities; and manages pension and investment funds.