BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR) Lowered to "Hold" Rating by Citigroup

Key Points

• Citigroup downgraded BBVA Banco Frances from “strong buy” to “hold,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $18.50.
• BBAR shares opened at $14.77, below their 50-day moving average of $17.68 and 200-day average of $16.69, after trading between $7.76 and $22.47 over the past year.
• The bank reported quarterly earnings of $0.42 per share on $716.56 million in revenue, with analysts expecting full-year earnings of $1.59 per share; several institutional investors have recently initiated or increased positions.

BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Citigroup from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on BBVA Banco Frances from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of BBVA Banco Frances from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of BBVA Banco Frances from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BBVA Banco Frances currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $18.50.

BBVA Banco Frances Stock Performance

Shares of BBAR opened at $14.77 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $3.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.48 and a beta of 0.93. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $17.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.69. BBVA Banco Frances has a 12 month low of $7.76 and a 12 month high of $22.47. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 14th. The bank reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $716.56 million during the quarter. BBVA Banco Frances had a return on equity of 7.56% and a net margin of 4.16%. Research analysts anticipate that BBVA Banco Frances will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of BBVA Banco Frances by 54,175.0% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,171 shares of the bank's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 2,167 shares during the period. XP Advisory US Inc. bought a new position in shares of BBVA Banco Frances in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $63,000. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of BBVA Banco Frances in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $109,000. Carter Financial Group INC. bought a new stake in BBVA Banco Frances during the first quarter valued at approximately $150,000. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp bought a new stake in BBVA Banco Frances during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $150,000.

BBVA Banco Frances Company Profile

BBVA Banco Francés is one of Argentina's leading financial institutions, operating as a subsidiary of the global banking group BBVA. The bank provides a full range of retail and commercial banking services to individuals, small and medium‐sized enterprises, large corporations and institutional clients. Its product suite spans deposit accounts, mortgages, personal and auto loans, credit and debit cards, transactional banking and digital solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of customers in both urban and regional markets.

Founded in Buenos Aires in the late 19th century, Banco Francés has developed a longstanding presence in Argentina's financial sector.

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