Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Brokerages

Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) has earned an average rating of “Buy” from the three ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company.

Several research analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com raised Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised shares of Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Banco Santander from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Santander

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Atria Investments Inc increased its stake in Banco Santander by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 28,990 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $132,000 after acquiring an additional 1,917 shares during the period. WealthCollab LLC grew its stake in shares of Banco Santander by 35.1% in the 4th quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 7,801 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 2,028 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Banco Santander by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 17,230 shares of the bank’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 2,032 shares in the last quarter. Riversedge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Banco Santander by 14.3% during the 4th quarter. Riversedge Advisors LLC now owns 17,220 shares of the bank’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 2,148 shares during the period. Finally, Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Banco Santander by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 50,013 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $228,000 after buying an additional 2,320 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 9.19% of the company’s stock.

Banco Santander Price Performance

Shares of Banco Santander stock opened at $6.79 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.83. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $6.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $5.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $102.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.17, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.09. Banco Santander has a 1-year low of $4.27 and a 1-year high of $7.16.

Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The bank reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21. Banco Santander had a net margin of 15.88% and a return on equity of 11.90%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Banco Santander will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Banco Santander Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be paid a $0.1152 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is a positive change from Banco Santander’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. Banco Santander’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.28%.

About Banco Santander

Banco Santander, SA provides various financial services worldwide. The company operates through Retail Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, Wealth Management & Insurance, and PagoNxt segments. It offers demand and time deposits, mutual funds, and current and savings accounts; mortgages, consumer finance, loans, and various financing solutions; and project finance, debt capital markets, global transaction banking, and corporate finance services.