Banco Santander, S.A. Receives Average Recommendation of 'Buy' from Analysts

Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Buy" from the four brokerages currently covering the company, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Among these analysts, one has given the stock a hold recommendation, two have assigned a buy recommendation, and one has rated it as a strong buy.

Recent analyst reports have highlighted Banco Santander's stock performance. Morgan Stanley upgraded the bank from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research note published on November 26th. Additionally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their rating from hold to moderate buy in their analysis on the previous Monday. StockNews.com also raised their rating from hold to buy on February 6th, while The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Banco Santander from a "strong-buy" to a "hold" rating a week later on February 12th.

Recent Activity by Hedge Funds

Several hedge funds have recently adjusted their positions in Banco Santander. Forum Financial Management LP increased its stake in the bank by 25.6% in the fourth quarter, resulting in ownership of 257,032 shares worth around $1.17 million after acquiring 52,337 additional shares. Similarly, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC raised their stake by 73.2%, now holding 27,418 shares valued at approximately $125,000 after purchasing 11,585 shares. In a significant move, Wolverine Trading LLC boosted its position by a staggering 512.9% during the same quarter, owning 69,108 shares worth about $314,000. Focus Partners Wealth also increased their holdings by 28.1%, now owning 43,062 shares valued at around $196,000, while Ellevest Inc. grew its stake by 8.4%, owning 42,042 shares worth $192,000. Currently, institutional and hedge fund investors hold around 9.19% of the total stock.

Banco Santander's Stock Performance

As of last Wednesday, shares of Banco Santander opened at $6.34. The bank boasts a market capitalization of approximately $95.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77, and a beta of 1.12. The stock has experienced a fifty-two week low of $4.07 and a high of $6.39. Additionally, the company reports a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.83, a quick ratio of 0.23, and a current ratio of 2.24, with a 50-day moving average price of $5.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $4.95.

Banco Santander recently released its quarterly earnings data on February 5th, reporting $0.21 earnings per share, matching analysts' expectations. The company has a return on equity of 11.90% and a net margin of 15.88%. Analysts predict that Banco Santander will report an EPS of 0.83 for the current fiscal year.

Overview of Banco Santander

Banco Santander, SA provides a range of financial services across the globe. The company operates through various segments, including Retail Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, Wealth Management & Insurance, and PagoNxt. Its services include demand and time deposits, mutual funds, current and savings accounts; mortgages, consumer finance, loans, and various forms of project financing, among other services.

Banco, Santander, Brokerages