Short Interest in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. (NYSE:BBVA) Expands By 34.9%

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. (NYSE:BBVA) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,033,380 shares, a growth of 34.9% from the November 30th total of 766,173 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,221,258 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,221,258 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.8 days. Approximately 0.0% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BBVA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, December 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. They set an “equal weight” rating for the company. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of BBVA stock traded up $0.32 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $23.45. 1,346,114 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,130,946. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria has a 1 year low of $9.44 and a 1 year high of $23.59. The stock has a market cap of $136.88 billion, a PE ratio of 12.28, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.83. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $21.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $18.86.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The bank reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $10.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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, equities analysts expect that Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria will post 1.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BBVA. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 790.7% in the 1st quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 35,788 shares of the bank’s stock worth $487,000 after acquiring an additional 31,770 shares during the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 21.1% in the first quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 41,614 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $567,000 after purchasing an additional 7,261 shares during the period. Evergreen Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 2.1% in the first quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 49,423 shares of the bank’s stock worth $673,000 after purchasing an additional 1,011 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 48.0% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 33,973 shares of the bank’s stock worth $463,000 after purchasing an additional 11,013 shares during the period. Finally, Aprio Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 20.8% in the first quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC now owns 21,436 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $292,000 after buying an additional 3,686 shares during the last quarter. 2.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Company Profile

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA) is a Spanish multinational financial services group headquartered in Bilbao, Spain. The bank traces its roots to several historic regional banks and was formed through a series of mergers that consolidated its position as one of Spain’s largest banking groups. BBVA operates as a universal bank offering a broad range of financial services to retail, corporate and institutional clients.

BBVA’s core businesses include retail and commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, private banking and wealth management, asset management, and insurance.