BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• BBVA Banco Frances exceeded earnings expectations, reporting quarterly EPS of $0.44 versus the $0.43 consensus estimate. However, revenue of $690.78 million fell short of analysts’ $738.77 million forecast.
• The stock opened down 2.1% at $14.61, well below its 50-day moving average of $18.29. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $18.50.
• The bank announced a monthly dividend of $0.0131 per share, representing a 1.1% annualized yield, though its dividend payout ratio stands at a high 102.44%.

BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR - Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Thursday. The bank reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.01, Zacks reports. BBVA Banco Frances had a return on equity of 6.27% and a net margin of 3.44%.The business had revenue of $690.78 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $738.77 million.

BBVA Banco Frances Stock Down 2.1%

BBVA Banco Frances stock opened at $14.61 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market cap of $2.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.81 and a beta of 1.02. The business has a fifty day moving average of $18.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $16.79. BBVA Banco Frances has a twelve month low of $7.76 and a twelve month high of $22.47.

BBVA Banco Frances Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 12th were issued a dividend of $0.0131 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 12th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. BBVA Banco Frances's dividend payout ratio is currently 102.44%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of BBVA Banco Frances from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of BBVA Banco Frances in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of BBVA Banco Frances from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BBVA Banco Frances has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $18.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. PointState Capital LP lifted its stake in shares of BBVA Banco Frances by 60.5% during the 4th quarter. PointState Capital LP now owns 2,668,038 shares of the bank's stock worth $48,211,000 after purchasing an additional 1,005,978 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in BBVA Banco Frances by 9.8% in the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 2,021,521 shares of the bank's stock valued at $33,274,000 after purchasing an additional 180,137 shares during the last quarter. Samlyn Capital LLC grew its stake in BBVA Banco Frances by 6.6% in the third quarter. Samlyn Capital LLC now owns 1,944,429 shares of the bank's stock valued at $16,178,000 after purchasing an additional 120,185 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in BBVA Banco Frances by 3,633.8% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 613,832 shares of the bank's stock worth $11,092,000 after purchasing an additional 597,392 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brevan Howard Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of BBVA Banco Frances by 6.0% during the second quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 514,724 shares of the bank's stock valued at $8,810,000 after buying an additional 29,319 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.