BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR) Shares Pass Above 200 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Shares crossed the 200‑day moving average, trading as high as $16.41 versus a 200‑day MA of $14.98 and last at $16.27 (up about 1.3%), with a market capitalization around $3.32 billion.
• Mixed fundamentals and analyst view: the bank missed quarterly EPS estimates ($0.18 vs. $0.34 consensus) but holds a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $17.67.
• BBVA Banco Frances recently paid a monthly dividend (implying roughly a 2.7% annualized yield and a payout ratio near 53%), and institutions such as PointState and Millennium significantly increased their positions in Q4.

Shares of BBVA Banco Frances S.A. (NYSE:BBAR - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $14.98 and traded as high as $16.41. BBVA Banco Frances shares last traded at $16.2690, with a volume of 625,312 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of BBVA Banco Frances in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $17.67.

BBVA Banco Frances Stock Up 1.3%

The company has a market capitalization of $3.32 billion, a PE ratio of 19.60 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.12. The company's 50-day moving average is $16.20 and its 200 day moving average is $14.98.

BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The bank reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.16). BBVA Banco Frances had a return on equity of 6.55% and a net margin of 3.70%.The firm had revenue of $337.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $874.92 billion. As a group, analysts anticipate that BBVA Banco Frances S.A. will post 1.94 EPS for the current year.

BBVA Banco Frances Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were given a $0.037 dividend. This is a boost from BBVA Banco Frances's previous monthly dividend of $0.04. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. BBVA Banco Frances's payout ratio is currently 53.01%.

Institutional Trading of BBVA Banco Frances

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Alpine Global Management LLC bought a new position in shares of BBVA Banco Frances during the fourth quarter valued at $4,042,000. PointState Capital LP boosted its position in shares of BBVA Banco Frances by 60.5% during the fourth quarter. PointState Capital LP now owns 2,668,038 shares of the bank's stock valued at $48,211,000 after buying an additional 1,005,978 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in BBVA Banco Frances by 3,633.8% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 613,832 shares of the bank's stock worth $11,092,000 after buying an additional 597,392 shares in the last quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC purchased a new position in BBVA Banco Frances in the 4th quarter worth about $224,000. Finally, GAM Holding AG raised its position in BBVA Banco Frances by 70.5% in the 4th quarter. GAM Holding AG now owns 49,361 shares of the bank's stock worth $892,000 after buying an additional 20,402 shares during the last quarter.

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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