Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Acquires 113,250 Shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. $BBVA

Key Points

• Clark Capital Management Group increased its stake in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria by 2.0%, buying 113,250 shares to hold 5,755,246 shares worth about $110.8 million (approximately 0.10% of the company).
• BBVA declared a dividend of $0.7084 per share payable on April 27, with a record date and ex-dividend date of April 9.
• BBVA reported quarterly EPS of $0.50 (meeting estimates) and revenue of $11.49 billion (above estimates); the bank has a market cap of $117.77 billion, a P/E of 10.37, and a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with a projected 1.59 EPS for the year.

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. (NYSE:BBVA - Free Report) by 2.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,755,246 shares of the bank's stock after purchasing an additional 113,250 shares during the quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. owned 0.10% of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria worth $110,788,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Navigoe LLC acquired a new position in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria during the third quarter worth $26,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 183.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 1,597 shares of the bank's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 1,033 shares during the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,316 shares of the bank's stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,158 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its holdings in Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria by 2,989.5% during the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 2,348 shares of the bank's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 2,272 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 2.96% of the company's stock.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE BBVA opened at $20.44 on Friday. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. has a 1-year low of $11.59 and a 1-year high of $26.20. The company has a 50-day moving average of $23.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.55. The company has a market cap of $117.77 billion, a PE ratio of 10.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.80.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria (NYSE:BBVA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The bank reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.50. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria had a net margin of 28.43% and a return on equity of 17.29%. The business had revenue of $11.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.74 billion. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria S.A. will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.7084 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 678.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria's dividend payout ratio is 30.46%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Zacks Research cut shares of Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

About Banco Bilbao Viscaya Argentaria

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.

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