BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Buy" Rating

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded BBVA Banco Frances to “Buy” from “Hold,” while other analysts remain mixed. MarketBeat reports a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $18.50.
• BBAR opened at $14.77, below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, with a market capitalization of $3.02 billion and a 52-week range of $7.76 to $22.47.
• The bank reported quarterly EPS of $0.42 on $716.56 million in revenue, with a 4.16% net margin and 7.56% return on equity; analysts expect full-year EPS of $1.59.

BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Sunday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Citigroup lowered shares of BBVA Banco Frances from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of BBVA Banco Frances from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised BBVA Banco Frances from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Monday, August 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $18.50.

BBVA Banco Frances Price Performance

NYSE BBAR opened at $14.77 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.06. BBVA Banco Frances has a twelve month low of $7.76 and a twelve month high of $22.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.02 billion, a PE ratio of 14.48 and a beta of 0.93.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Channing Global Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of BBVA Banco Frances during the fourth quarter worth approximately $507,000. Fourth Sail Capital LP boosted its stake in BBVA Banco Frances by 6.7% in the fourth quarter. Fourth Sail Capital LP now owns 2,847,061 shares of the bank's stock valued at $51,446,000 after acquiring an additional 177,799 shares during the last quarter. Alpine Global Management LLC acquired a new stake in BBVA Banco Frances during the 4th quarter worth $4,042,000. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft grew its holdings in BBVA Banco Frances by 35.7% during the 4th quarter. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft now owns 19,000 shares of the bank's stock worth $343,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares during the period. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its position in shares of BBVA Banco Frances by 263.7% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 16,826 shares of the bank's stock valued at $304,000 after acquiring an additional 12,200 shares during the last quarter.

About BBVA Banco Frances

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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