Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Analysts

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

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on SAN shares. StockNews.com upgraded Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Banco Santander from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th.

Banco Santander Stock Performance

NYSE:SAN opened at $6.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.83, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 2.24. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $6.04 and its 200 day moving average is $5.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $104.93 billion, a PE ratio of 8.34, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.09. Banco Santander has a fifty-two week low of $4.27 and a fifty-two week high of $7.16.

Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The bank reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate 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 anticipate that Banco Santander will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Banco Santander Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.1152 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This is a boost from Banco Santander’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.08. Banco Santander’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.28%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Banco Santander

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SAN. Fulcrum Equity Management acquired a new position in shares of Banco Santander in the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Banco Santander by 18.0% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 86,172 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $393,000 after buying an additional 13,140 shares in the last quarter. Northstar Financial Companies Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Banco Santander in the fourth quarter worth about $70,000. Forum Financial Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Banco Santander by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 257,032 shares of the bank’s stock worth $1,172,000 after acquiring an additional 52,337 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC grew its position in shares of Banco Santander by 73.2% during the 4th quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 27,418 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $125,000 after acquiring an additional 11,585 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.19% of the company’s stock.

Banco Santander Company Profile

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.