Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) Downgraded by StockNews.com to "Hold"

StockNews.com lowered shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on BBVA. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Kepler Capital Markets raised shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Trading Down 0.8 %

BBVA traded down $0.12 on Friday, hitting $13.62. 3,554,604 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,814,642. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.01. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria has a 12 month low of $9.23 and a 12 month high of $14.84. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $11.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $79.48 billion, a PE ratio of 7.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.26.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The bank reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.04. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria had a net margin of 28.10% and a return on equity of 17.49%. Sell-side analysts expect that Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.4439 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 9th. This is an increase from Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.11. This represents a dividend yield of 4.3%. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.23%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC increased its stake in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. HighPoint Advisor Group LLC now owns 20,975 shares of the bank's stock valued at $204,000 after purchasing an additional 862 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 20.7% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 5,420 shares of the bank's stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 930 shares during the last quarter. Seven Mile Advisory raised its holdings in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Seven Mile Advisory now owns 20,999 shares of the bank's stock worth $204,000 after acquiring an additional 950 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc lifted its position in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 21,044 shares of the bank's stock valued at $205,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chickasaw Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Chickasaw Capital Management LLC now owns 43,769 shares of the bank's stock valued at $425,000 after acquiring an additional 1,115 shares in the last quarter. 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.