Teleconference and Webcast hosted in conjunction with the IC2 Institute at the campus of The University of Texas at Austin on Tuesday, June 23 at 11:00 a.m. CT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., June 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BBVA Compass today announced that its Economic Research Department will hold a teleconference and webcast to discuss the economic results from its recently completed second quarter U.S. Regional Watch at 11:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. Hosted in conjunction with the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin, the presentation will discuss economic data and analysis from the BBVA Compass U.S. Regional Watch, a quarterly publication that offers a detailed look at key issues that impact the U.S. economy and the economies of the Sunbelt Region.

'Although most economic indicators remain weak, the pace of economic contraction is slowing down and given the potential impact of the stimulus package, output is likely to be positive in the second half of the year,' said BBVA Compass Chief Economist Nathaniel Karp. 'The Sunbelt Region is poised to benefit greatly from the global recovery. A key element of differentiation for the Sunbelt is economic diversification. A strong labor market coupled with a significant share of exports that are high value-added and intended for fast-growing economies support higher potential economic growth rates than the rest of the country.'

BBVA Compass' second U.S. Regional Watch teleconference and webcast will take place from the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. The presentation will be conducted by Nathaniel Karp, BBVA Compass Chief Economist with supporting commentary from Bruce Kellison, Associate Director, Bureau of Business Research, of the IC2 Institute. A live question and answer session will follow the presentation.

'The BBVA Compass U.S. Regional Watch provides a timely update on key economic indicators and relevant discussions of current economic issues,' Bruce Kellison, Associate Director, Bureau of Business Research, of the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. 'We are excited to continue our long-standing relationship with BBVA Compass as a contributor to the U.S. Regional Watch and are pleased to host this quarter's event on campus at UT.'

Interested parties may access the call via either the Internet or telephone.