Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) Stock Price & How to Invest

Last updated October 2026

Short answer

You can invest in BBVA by buying its NYSE-listed American Depositary Receipts (ticker BBVA, where one ADR represents one ordinary Madrid-listed share), through a European or global financials ETF that holds it, or as one holding in a thematic basket. BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) is one of the largest banks in the euro zone, but its distinguishing feature is that a majority of its profit now comes from emerging markets, above all Mexico, plus Turkey and South America, which makes it a higher-growth, higher-volatility way to own a European bank.

BBVA stock price

As of 2026-10-16, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) last closed at $25.72, up 31.4% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $19.56 and $29.64.

BBVA last close
$25.72
1 day
-0.89%
1 month
-8.47%
1 year
+31.43%
52-week range
$19.56 to $29.64
Last close
2026-10-16

Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria's investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.

What does Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) do?

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (NYSE: BBVA) is a global financial group headquartered in Bilbao and Madrid, Spain, and one of the largest banks in the euro zone by market value. It operates retail and commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, and asset management across several geographies, but unlike most European peers the bulk of its earnings comes from emerging markets. Its main reporting areas are Spain, Mexico, Turkey (through its Garanti BBVA subsidiary), and South America, with a smaller Rest of Business unit. Mexico is the single largest profit contributor, typically generating a larger share of group net profit than the home market, which is why BBVA is often described as a Spanish bank with a Mexican engine. Like any bank it makes money mainly from net interest income (the spread between what it earns on loans and pays on deposits) plus fees and commissions from cards, payments, asset management, and investment banking.

The investment picture is defined by strong recent operating momentum set against emerging-market risk. In 2025 BBVA reported record net attributable profit of about 10.5 billion euros, up roughly 4.5%, with double-digit loan growth and a return on tangible equity near 19%. Momentum carried into 2026: Q1 profit rose about 11% with ROTE climbing toward 22%, and in Q2 2026 (reported in July) net income of about 3.06 billion euros edged past Q1, with earnings per ADR of 0.60 dollars against a 0.59 consensus. Trailing twelve-month net income reached about 10.7 billion euros on revenue of roughly 34 billion euros, and Yahoo Finance shows revenue up about 20% year over year in the latest quarter. As of October 16, 2026 the ADR closed at 26.05 dollars, up about 9% year to date and about 34% over one year, though down about 8% in the past month, for a market value near 143 billion dollars. The group has set a cumulative net-profit target of about 48 billion euros for 2025 through 2028 and returns large amounts of capital through dividends and share buybacks. The offsetting story is concentration and currency: heavy exposure to the Mexican peso and the Turkish lira means reported euro results swing with exchange rates and local economic and political conditions. In October 2025 BBVA's long-running hostile bid for domestic rival Banco Sabadell failed after shareholders tendering only about 25% fell short of the threshold needed, ending an 18-month consolidation attempt and refocusing management on organic growth and capital return.

What's driving Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)?

1. Mexico as the profit engine.

Mexico is BBVA's largest source of net profit, contributing around 1.45 billion euros in Q1 2026 alone, more than its home market of Spain. The Mexican banking market has high margins, growing credit penetration, and a large unbanked population, which has supported years of double-digit loan growth for BBVA. This exposure is the main reason BBVA has posted higher returns on equity than most western European banks.

2. Record profitability and high return on equity.

BBVA earned a record net attributable profit of about 10.5 billion euros in 2025 with a return on tangible equity near 19%, and Q1 2026 profit rose roughly 11% year over year with ROTE reaching about 22%. Group core revenue has grown on strong net interest income and rising fees, and the Q1 and Q2 2026 quarters both beat the consensus earnings estimate by a cent or two per ADR after two slight misses in the second half of 2025. Management has framed a cumulative net-profit goal of around 48 billion euros over 2025 to 2028, implying continued high returns if emerging markets hold up.

3. Large capital return through dividends and buybacks.

BBVA pays a substantial cash dividend, announcing its highest-ever cash payout for 2025 (about 0.92 dollars per ADR equivalent). As of mid-October 2026 Yahoo Finance shows an annual dividend rate of about 1.08 dollars per ADR, a yield near 4.2%, and a payout ratio near 50% of earnings. The bank also runs recurring share buyback programs, announcing a new tranche alongside Q1 2026 earnings and starting a second tranche of the program on October 13, 2026. Strong capital generation from high returns funds this shareholder distribution while still supporting loan growth.

4. Focus after the failed Sabadell bid.

In October 2025 BBVA's hostile takeover of Banco Sabadell collapsed after only about 25% of Sabadell shares were tendered, short of the roughly 30% to 50% needed, ending an 18-month pursuit opposed by the Spanish government. The failure removes integration risk and frees capital that might have funded the deal, redirecting it toward buybacks, dividends, and organic growth, though it also leaves BBVA smaller in its home market than it had hoped.

What are the risks to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)?

BBVA's biggest distinguishing risk is geographic concentration in emerging markets: with Mexico, Turkey, and South America driving much of group profit, reported euro earnings are highly sensitive to the Mexican peso and Turkish lira, which can weaken sharply and erode results even when local-currency performance is strong. Turkey in particular carries high inflation, hyperinflation accounting adjustments, and political and monetary-policy uncertainty. As a bank, BBVA is also exposed to the credit cycle, where recessions or rising unemployment in its markets would increase loan losses, and to interest-rate moves that compress net interest margins. Regulatory, capital, and windfall-tax pressures in Spain and other jurisdictions can affect earnings and distributions. Finally, having lost the Sabadell bid, BBVA faces the strategic question of growing without a transformative deal, and broader macro, trade, and geopolitical shocks could weigh on all of its markets at once.

What is the Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) forecast?

3 analysts publish price targets on BBVA, averaging $27.53 against a $25.72 price as of October 2026, or +7.0%. The published targets run from $24.00 to $30.00, a narrow spread, and the ratings split 0 buy, 2 hold, 1 sell. A price target is what an analyst published on a date, not a prediction, and sell-side ratings skew positive across the whole market.

Read the full BBVA forecast and price target for the target table, the recent rating actions by firm, and how the consensus has shifted.

Is BBVA a buy or a sell?

We give no verdict on Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria. Both cases are real, which is why the question is contested at all, so here is the strongest version of each.

The case for buying. Mexico as the profit engine. Mexico is BBVA's largest source of net profit, contributing around 1.45 billion euros in Q1 2026 alone, more than its home market of Spain. The most optimistic published target, $30.00, assumes this works close to its best case.

The case against. BBVA's biggest distinguishing risk is geographic concentration in emerging markets: with Mexico, Turkey, and South America driving much of group profit, reported euro earnings are highly sensitive to the Mexican peso and Turkish lira, which can weaken sharply and erode results even when local-currency performance is strong. The most pessimistic target, $24.00, is roughly what BBVA is worth if this bites instead.

Read the full bull and bear case on BBVA, including what would have to change to break either one. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Has Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) split its stock?

No. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) has not split its stock in the last 10 years. That is a statement about the window we check rather than about the company’s entire history, so an older split is possible. It also matters less than it once did: fractional shares mean a high price per share no longer keeps smaller investors out, which removed most of the practical reason to split.

How is Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) valued? (approximate, October 2026)

A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria's investor relations page or your broker.

  • Revenue (TTM): ~EUR 34 billion (latest quarter up ~20% year over year)
  • Net Income (TTM): ~EUR 10.7 billion (earnings growth ~15% year over year)
  • Net Profit (Q2 2026): ~EUR 3.06 billion (EPS $0.60 vs $0.59 estimate)
  • Return on Tangible Equity: ~19% in FY2025, ~22% in Q1 2026
  • Operating / Net Margin: ~56% / ~33%
  • P/E (trailing / forward): ~11.9x / ~9.6x
  • Dividend Yield: ~4.2% ($1.08 annual rate, ~50% payout)
  • Market Capitalization: ~$143 billion (October 16, 2026)

At about 26 dollars per ADR, BBVA trades near 12x trailing and under 10x forward earnings, a discount to many US banks that reflects the market's caution toward its emerging-market exposure, even though its return on tangible equity is well above most western European peers. Q3 2026 results are scheduled for October 29, 2026, with consensus near 0.60 dollars per ADR on revenue of about 10.7 billion. Because the ADR is priced in dollars while results are reported in euros and much of the profit is earned in pesos and lira, currency moves are a material driver of the figures above.

Which ETFs hold Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)?

If you want BBVA exposure as part of a larger bundle rather than directly, these ETFs hold it meaningfully. Weights are approximate and refresh quarterly.

ETFName% in BBVAExpense ratio
AVDEAvantis International Equity ETF0.6%0.23%
DFICDimensional International Core Equity 2 ETF0.5%0.22%

Who competes with Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)?

Spanish and European banks

Banco Santander, CaixaBank, and Banco Sabadell in Spain, plus pan-European giants such as BNP Paribas, HSBC, and UniCredit. Santander is the closest comparison, another Spanish bank with heavy Latin American exposure, and BBVA competes with these peers for deposits, corporate clients, and investor capital across Europe.

Mexican banks

In its most important profit market, BBVA (operating as BBVA Mexico) is the largest bank in the country and competes with Banorte, Santander Mexico, Citi's Banamex, and Banco Azteca. Leadership in this fast-growing, high-margin market is central to BBVA's above-average returns.

Emerging-market and digital banks

In Turkey and South America BBVA competes with local incumbents and, increasingly, fintechs and neobanks such as Nu Holdings (Nubank) that are expanding in Latin America. These challengers target the same underbanked customers that underpin BBVA's growth thesis.

What stocks are similar to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)?

Other names that sit close to BBVA: same theme, named as a direct competitor, or held beside it in the same funds. Each entry says which. Worth a look if you are thinking about diversification within a thesis rather than concentration on one ticker.

How to invest in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)

There are three common ways to get BBVA exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it (AVDE, DFIC), which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic portfolio, so BBVA sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.

Walnut takes the portfolio route. Describe a thesis where BBVA fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.

New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.

The bottom line on Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)

BBVA is a large Spanish-headquartered bank that earns most of its profit outside Spain, chiefly in Mexico, so it trades as an emerging-market-tilted bank stock with record recent profits, a high return on tangible equity, and a large dividend, offset by currency and country risk.

More on Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)

Whether BBVA is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is BBVA a buy or a sell?, and where the stock could go from here in the BBVA stock forecast.

For income investors, whether BBVA pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does BBVA pay a dividend? And to weigh BBVA against a peer, read the full side-by-side comparisons: BBVA vs SAN and BBVA vs NU.

Wondering how BBVA fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.

Investing in Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how BBVA fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

FAQ

What is BBVA?

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BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) is a global bank headquartered in Spain and one of the largest in the euro zone. It provides retail, commercial, and corporate banking across Spain, Mexico, Turkey, and South America, with Mexico as its single largest profit contributor.

How do I buy BBVA stock in the US?

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BBVA trades on the New York Stock Exchange as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) under the ticker BBVA, where one ADR represents one ordinary Madrid-listed share. You can buy it or fractional shares at most US brokers, the same way you would buy any US-listed stock.

Where does BBVA make most of its money?

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Most of BBVA's profit comes from emerging markets rather than its home country. Mexico is the largest single contributor, often generating more net profit than Spain, followed by Spain, Turkey (through Garanti BBVA), and South America.

Does BBVA pay a dividend?

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Yes. BBVA pays a cash dividend; as of October 2026 its annual rate is about 1.08 dollars per ADR, a yield near 4.2% with roughly half of earnings paid out, and it announced its highest-ever cash payout for 2025. It also returns capital through recurring share buyback programs, and it began a second tranche of its current buyback on October 13, 2026.

What happened with the BBVA and Sabadell takeover?

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BBVA launched a hostile bid for Spanish rival Banco Sabadell in May 2024, but it failed in October 2025 after only about 25% of Sabadell shares were tendered, short of the threshold required. The collapse ended an 18-month pursuit and refocused BBVA on organic growth and capital return.

Is BBVA riskier than a US bank?

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It carries different risks. Because much of its profit comes from Mexico, Turkey, and South America, BBVA's euro-reported results swing with the Mexican peso and Turkish lira and with emerging-market economic and political conditions, which many investors view as higher volatility than a domestic US bank.

How profitable is BBVA?

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BBVA has been highly profitable relative to European peers, reporting record net attributable profit of about 10.5 billion euros in 2025 and a return on tangible equity near 19%, which rose toward 22% in the first quarter of 2026. Trailing twelve-month net income stood at about 10.7 billion euros as of the June 2026 quarter. It has targeted roughly 48 billion euros of cumulative profit over 2025 to 2028.

How is BBVA valued compared with other banks?

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BBVA trades at a low-double-digit trailing price-to-earnings multiple (about 11.9x as of October 2026, and about 9.6x forward earnings), cheaper than many US banks. That discount reflects the market's caution toward its emerging-market exposure, even though its return on equity is well above most western European banks.

How did BBVA do in its latest quarter?

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In the second quarter of 2026 BBVA earned about 3.06 billion euros, slightly above the roughly 2.99 billion of Q1 and up from about 2.53 billion in Q3 2025. Earnings per ADR of 0.60 dollars topped the 0.59 consensus. Third-quarter results are due October 29, 2026, with analysts expecting about 0.60 dollars per ADR.

How has BBVA stock performed in 2026?

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As of the October 16, 2026 close of 26.05 dollars, the BBVA ADR was up about 9% year to date and about 34% over the past year, within a 52-week range of roughly 19.29 to 29.64 dollars. It had pulled back about 8% over the prior month. The few analysts Yahoo Finance tracks rate it a hold, with a mean target near 27.50 dollars.

Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria's investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.