Banco Santander Chile (NYSE:BSAC) Sets New 12-Month High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Banco Santander Chile's stock price hit a new 12-month high of $27.86 during trading, with a current price of $27.79.
• Analysts have differing views on the stock, with JPMorgan raising its price target to $30.00 while Wall Street Zen downgraded it to a "sell" rating.
• The bank reported earnings of $0.60 EPS, missing estimates, and anticipates a total EPS of 2.07 for the current year.

Banco Santander Chile (NYSE:BSAC - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $27.86 and last traded at $27.79, with a volume of 898 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $27.79.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on BSAC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Banco Santander Chile from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Banco Santander Chile from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, September 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Banco Santander Chile in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Banco Santander Chile has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $26.00.

Banco Santander Chile Stock Up 0.8%

The business's 50 day moving average is $25.48 and its 200 day moving average is $24.53. The company has a market capitalization of $13.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.67, a PEG ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.58, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a current ratio of 1.77.

Banco Santander Chile (NYSE:BSAC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The bank reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.62 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $757.38 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $758.17 million. Banco Santander Chile had a return on equity of 22.17% and a net margin of 24.32%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Banco Santander Chile will post 2.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Banco Santander Chile

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BSAC. Candriam S.C.A. purchased a new position in shares of Banco Santander Chile during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,116,000. TT International Asset Management LTD purchased a new position in shares of Banco Santander Chile during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $24,685,000. RWC Asset Management LLP increased its holdings in shares of Banco Santander Chile by 45.3% during the 1st quarter. RWC Asset Management LLP now owns 826,754 shares of the bank's stock valued at $18,850,000 after purchasing an additional 257,895 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of Banco Santander Chile by 120.6% during the 2nd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 276,728 shares of the bank's stock valued at $6,979,000 after purchasing an additional 151,310 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Banco Santander Chile during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,990,000. 6.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Banco Santander Chile

Banco Santander-Chile, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial and retail banking services in Chile. It operates through Retail Banking, Middle-Market, Corporate Investment Banking, and Corporate Activities segments. The company offers debit and credit cards, checking accounts, and savings products; consumer, automobile, commercial, mortgage, and government-guaranteed loans; and Chilean peso and foreign currency-denominated loans to finance various commercial transactions, trade, foreign currency forward contracts, and credit lines, as well as mortgage financing services.

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