Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" by Brokerages

Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Buy" from the four analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on SAN shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Banco Santander from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Banco Santander from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Banco Santander from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Banco Santander in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock.

Institutional Trading of Banco Santander

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SAN. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Banco Santander by 62.2% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 105,415 shares of the bank's stock valued at $479,000 after acquiring an additional 40,438 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Banco Santander during the fourth quarter valued at $3,319,000. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Banco Santander by 284.9% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 670,513 shares of the bank's stock valued at $3,057,000 after acquiring an additional 496,309 shares during the last quarter. Summit Global Investments grew its position in Banco Santander by 69.1% in the 4th quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 227,478 shares of the bank's stock worth $1,037,000 after purchasing an additional 92,987 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Banco Santander by 10.8% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,135,377 shares of the bank's stock valued at $5,177,000 after acquiring an additional 110,821 shares during the last quarter. 9.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Banco Santander Trading Down 0.4%

SAN traded down $0.04 during trading on Friday, hitting $8.01. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,393,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,736,454. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.64, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.00. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $7.20 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.07. Banco Santander has a twelve month low of $4.27 and a twelve month high of $8.08.

Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The bank reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.22. The firm had revenue of $17.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.94 billion. Banco Santander had a return on equity of 11.90% and a net margin of 15.88%. Analysts anticipate that Banco Santander will post 0.83 EPS for the current year.

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.