BBVA Banco Frances S.A. (NYSE:BBAR) Receives $17.67 Average Target Price from Analysts

Shares of BBVA Banco Frances S.A. (NYSE:BBAR) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $17.6667.

Several research analysts have issued reports on BBAR shares. Citigroup upgraded BBVA Banco Frances from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Itau BBA Securities raised BBVA Banco Frances from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded BBVA Banco Frances to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. UBS Group assumed coverage on BBVA Banco Frances in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of BBVA Banco Frances in a research note on Monday, December 29th.

BBVA Banco Frances Stock Down 8.5%

NYSE BBAR opened at $17.18 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. BBVA Banco Frances has a 52 week low of $7.76 and a 52 week high of $23.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.08 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a fifty day moving average of $18.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.68.

BBVA Banco Frances (NYSE:BBAR) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The bank reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.20 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $865.83 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $871.10 billion. BBVA Banco Frances had a return on equity of 7.43% and a net margin of 4.46%. On average, analysts predict that BBVA Banco Frances will post 1.94 earnings per share for the current year.

BBVA Banco Frances Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 22nd were paid a $0.0336 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 22nd. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. This is a boost from BBVA Banco Frances’s previous monthly dividend of $0.03. BBVA Banco Frances’s payout ratio is 42.11%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BBVA Banco Frances

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted its holdings in shares of BBVA Banco Frances by 35.7% in the fourth quarter. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft now owns 19,000 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $343,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares during the period. Aquamarine Financial Cayman Ltd increased its holdings in BBVA Banco Frances by 103.8% during the 4th quarter. Aquamarine Financial Cayman Ltd now owns 1,141,305 shares of the bank’s stock worth $20,623,000 after purchasing an additional 581,305 shares during the period. JGP Global Gestao de Recursos Ltda. bought a new stake in BBVA Banco Frances during the 4th quarter valued at $231,000. TT International Asset Management LTD raised its position in BBVA Banco Frances by 83.3% during the 4th quarter. TT International Asset Management LTD now owns 181,564 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $3,217,000 after purchasing an additional 82,496 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clear Creek Financial Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of BBVA Banco Frances by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 40,418 shares of the bank’s stock worth $730,000 after buying an additional 899 shares during the period.

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.