Short Interest in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (NYSE:BBVA) Drops By 6.4%

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (NYSE:BBVA - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 5,870,000 shares, a drop of 6.4% from the September 15th total of 6,270,000 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,380,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.3 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on BBVA. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria to a "moderate buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Citigroup upgraded Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE BBVA traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $10.07. 959,181 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,479,937. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $10.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.54. The company has a market capitalization of $58.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.30. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria has a 52-week low of $7.76 and a 52-week high of $12.20.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The bank reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.03. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria had a return on equity of 16.40% and a net margin of 27.55%. The company had revenue of $9.93 billion for the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.36 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria will post 1.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 9th will be paid a $0.3244 dividend. This represents a yield of 5.6%. This is a positive change from Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria's previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.11. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 9th. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.37%.

Institutional Trading of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rothschild Investment LLC acquired a new position in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria in the second quarter worth about $40,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 295.3% during the first quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 4,076 shares of the bank's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 3,045 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 67.8% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 4,924 shares of the bank's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,990 shares during the period. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its position in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 567.5% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 4,646 shares of the bank's stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 3,950 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.96% of the company's stock.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Company Profile

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, SA provides retail banking, wholesale banking, and asset management services in the United States, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, South America, and internationally. The company offers savings account, demand deposits, and time deposits; and loan products, such as residential mortgages, other households, credit card loans, loans to enterprises and public sector, as well as consumer finance.

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