Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Lowers Stake in Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN)

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN - Free Report) by 15.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,472,665 shares of the bank's stock after selling 266,232 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Banco Santander were worth $6,715,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Banco Santander in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Banco Santander by 2,226.3% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 5,839 shares of the bank's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 5,588 shares during the period. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new position in Banco Santander in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new position in Banco Santander during the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Banco Santander in the third quarter worth $45,000. 9.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. 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 lowered shares of Banco Santander from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Banco Santander from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy".

Banco Santander Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SAN traded up $0.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $7.25. The company had a trading volume of 1,570,676 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,470,926. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $6.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.47. The company has a market capitalization of $109.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.83. Banco Santander, S.A. has a 1 year low of $4.27 and a 1 year high of $7.25.

Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The bank reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.21. Banco Santander had a return on equity of 11.90% and a net margin of 15.88%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Banco Santander, S.A. will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Banco Santander Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a $0.1152 dividend. This represents a yield of 2.4%. This is an increase from Banco Santander's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. Banco Santander's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.28%.

Banco Santander 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.