Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume - Should You Buy?

Shares of Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN - Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday . 11,885,936 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 200% from the previous session's volume of 3,962,038 shares.The stock last traded at $8.09 and had previously closed at $8.03.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on SAN. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Banco Santander from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen raised Banco Santander from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Banco Santander in a report on Wednesday, June 4th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Banco Santander presently has an average rating of "Buy".

Banco Santander Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $122.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.30, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $7.54 and a 200 day moving average of $6.27.

Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The bank reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.22. The firm had revenue of $17.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.94 billion. Banco Santander had a return on equity of 12.26% and a net margin of 16.92%. Research analysts anticipate that Banco Santander, S.A. will post 0.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Santander

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in Banco Santander by 46.4% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 10,775,261 shares of the bank's stock worth $49,135,000 after buying an additional 3,413,685 shares during the period. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC grew its position in shares of Banco Santander by 30.5% during the first quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC now owns 11,875,594 shares of the bank's stock worth $79,566,000 after purchasing an additional 2,774,449 shares in the last quarter. Arrowpoint Investment Partners Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in Banco Santander in the 1st quarter worth approximately $10,181,000. Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in Banco Santander by 170.6% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 2,349,567 shares of the bank's stock worth $15,742,000 after purchasing an additional 1,481,207 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC grew its holdings in Banco Santander by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 21,953,176 shares of the bank's stock valued at $100,106,000 after buying an additional 1,059,449 shares in the last quarter. 9.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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