Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Key Points

• Banco Santander saw a significant increase in short interest, rising by 43.1% in August, totaling 7,770,000 shares, with a short-interest ratio of 1.3 days.
• After a mixed review from analysts, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy", with two analysts rating it a Buy and two a Hold.
• Banco Santander's stock recently increased 2.2% to $9.74, though it missed EPS estimates in its last earnings report, posting $0.22 EPS against expectations of $0.26.

Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 7,770,000 shares, a growth of 43.1% from the July 31st total of 5,430,000 shares. Currently, 0.1% of the company's stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 5,790,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.3 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 5,790,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.3 days. Currently, 0.1% of the company's stock are short sold.

Banco Santander Stock Performance

Shares of SAN stock traded down $0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $10.06. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,873,013 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,523,881. Banco Santander has a 52-week low of $4.43 and a 52-week high of $10.09. The stock has a market cap of $149.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.18, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.08. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $9.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.92.

Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The bank reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.26 by ($0.04). Banco Santander had a return on equity of 11.98% and a net margin of 17.30%.The firm had revenue of $17.83 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.69 billion. Banco Santander has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Banco Santander will post 0.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SAN has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Kepler Capital Markets cut Banco Santander from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Citigroup initiated coverage on Banco Santander in a research note on Wednesday, June 4th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".

Institutional Trading of Banco Santander

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Richardson Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Banco Santander in the second quarter worth $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Banco Santander in the second quarter worth $30,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of Banco Santander in the second quarter worth $30,000. Dogwood Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Banco Santander in the second quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Smithfield Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Banco Santander in the second quarter worth $30,000. 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.