BB&T Corp. (NYSE:BBT) was upgraded by equities researchers at Hilliard Lyons from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, The Fly reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on BBT. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of BB&T Corp. from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 21st. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of BB&T Corp. from $43.00 to $41.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 22nd. Argus lowered their price target on shares of BB&T Corp. from $46.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 21st. Evercore ISI reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $38.00 price target (down from $41.00) on shares of BB&T Corp. in a report on Friday, January 22nd. Finally, Piper Jaffray initiated coverage on shares of BB&T Corp. in a report on Monday, November 23rd. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $37.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $41.67.

In other BB&T Corp. news, VP Steven B. Wiggs sold 12,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.82, for a total value of $453,840.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 26,840 shares in the company, valued at $1,015,088.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Cynthia B. Powell sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.92, for a total transaction of $227,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 10,789 shares in the company, valued at approximately $409,118.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here.

Shares of BB&T Corp. (NYSE:BBT) traded up 0.38% on Monday, hitting $31.59. The stock had a trading volume of 731,666 shares. The company has a 50 day moving average of $35.85 and a 200-day moving average of $37.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.65 billion and a P/E ratio of 12.34. BB&T Corp. has a 12-month low of $30.99 and a 12-month high of $41.90.

BB&T Corp. (NYSE:BBT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 21st. The company reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.58 billion. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.76 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that BB&T Corp. will post $3.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 12th will be given a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.43%.

A number of hedge funds recently modified their holdings of the stock. Assetmark bought a new stake in shares of BB&T Corp. during the third quarter worth $0. Meeder Asset Management raised its stake in shares of BB&T Corp. by 99.1% in the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management now owns 8,282 shares of the company’s stock worth $313,000 after buying an additional 4,122 shares in the last quarter. Banced Corp bought a new stake in shares of BB&T Corp. during the fourth quarter worth $359,000. iAB Financial Bank raised its stake in shares of BB&T Corp. by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. iAB Financial Bank now owns 13,115 shares of the company’s stock worth $496,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BLB&B Advisors raised its stake in shares of BB&T Corp. by 67.8% in the fourth quarter. BLB&B Advisors now owns 14,154 shares of the company’s stock worth $535,000 after buying an additional 5,720 shares in the last quarter.

BB&T Corporation (NYSE:BBT) is a financial holding company. The Company conducts its business operations primarily through its bank subsidiary, Branch Bank, and other nonbank subsidiaries. BB&T’s operations are divided into six reportable business segments: Community Banking, Residential Mortgage Banking, Dealer Financial Services, Specialized Lending, Insurance Services and Financial Services, and Other, Treasury and Corporate. Branch Bank provides a range of banking and trust services for retail and commercial clients in its geographic markets, including small and mid-size businesses, public agencies, local governments and individuals, through 1,839 offices as of December 31, 2014. BB&T’s subsidiaries offer a range of retail and commercial services to retail and commercial clients.

12 Month Chart for NYSE:BBT

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