Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) Sets New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. (NYSE:BBVA) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $23.00 and last traded at $22.9950, with a volume of 646716 shares. The stock had previously closed at $22.63.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BBVA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. They issued an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Zacks Research cut Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Stock Up 1.6%

The firm’s 50 day moving average is $20.57 and its 200-day moving average is $18.24. The firm has a market cap of $134.24 billion, a PE ratio of 12.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.83.

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

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 6th were paid a dividend of $0.3736 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 6th. This represents a yield of 361.0%. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria’s dividend payout ratio is currently 31.41%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Navigoe LLC purchased a new stake in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. grew its stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 105.9% in the second quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 1,845 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 949 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 183.2% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 1,597 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 1,033 shares during the period. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its position in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 2,989.5% during the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 2,348 shares of the bank’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 2,272 shares in the last quarter. 2.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria

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.