BBVA Banco Frances S.A. (NYSE:BBAR) Short Interest Update

BBVA Banco Frances S.A. (NYSE:BBAR) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 1,484,987 shares, a decrease of 24.7% from the January 15th total of 1,971,474 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 901,014 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.6 days. Currently, 0.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 0.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 901,014 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.6 days.

BBVA Banco Frances Trading Down 1.2%

NYSE:BBAR opened at $16.21 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. The company’s 50 day moving average is $18.18 and its 200-day moving average is $14.75. The firm has a market cap of $3.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.06 and a beta of 1.04. BBVA Banco Frances has a 12 month low of $7.76 and a 12 month high of $23.10.

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

BBVA Banco Frances Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 19th will be paid a $0.0357 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 19th. This is a boost from BBVA Banco Frances’s previous monthly dividend of $0.03. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. BBVA Banco Frances’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.11%.

Institutional Trading of BBVA Banco Frances

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its position in BBVA Banco Frances by 199.9% in the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 2,381 shares of the bank’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,587 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in BBVA Banco Frances by 54,175.0% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,171 shares of the bank’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 2,167 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in BBVA Banco Frances during the 3rd quarter valued at $108,000. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in BBVA Banco Frances during the 3rd quarter valued at $109,000. Finally, Insigneo Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in BBVA Banco Frances in the 3rd quarter valued at $136,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on BBAR shares. Itau BBA Securities raised BBVA Banco Frances from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. UBS Group initiated coverage on BBVA Banco Frances in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of BBVA Banco Frances in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup upgraded shares of BBVA Banco Frances from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of BBVA Banco Frances from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, BBVA Banco Frances has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $17.67.

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.