134,965 Shares in Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) Bought by Marietta Investment Partners LLC

Key Points

• Marietta Investment Partners LLC has invested approximately $904,000 in Banco Santander, acquiring 134,965 shares during the first quarter.
• Analysts have upgraded Banco Santander from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating, with a consensus rating of "Buy" from several equity research analysts.
• Banco Santander's recent earnings report showed $0.22 EPS which met analysts' expectations, alongside a revenue of $17.69 billion for the quarter.

Marietta Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 134,965 shares of the bank's stock, valued at approximately $904,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Banco Santander by 46.4% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 10,775,261 shares of the bank's stock worth $49,135,000 after acquiring an additional 3,413,685 shares during the last quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC grew its position in 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 buying an additional 2,774,449 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its holdings in Banco Santander by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 21,953,176 shares of the bank's stock valued at $100,106,000 after acquiring an additional 1,059,449 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Banco Santander by 4,041.6% in the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 990,966 shares of the bank's stock worth $4,519,000 after acquiring an additional 967,039 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Banco Santander during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,319,000. 9.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Banco Santander Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of SAN traded down $0.13 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $8.80. The stock had a trading volume of 2,385,032 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,784,597. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $8.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $7.02. The firm has a market cap of $130.92 billion, a PE ratio of 10.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.99. Banco Santander, S.A. has a one year low of $4.27 and a one year high of $8.98.

Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 30th. The bank reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.22. Banco Santander had a return on equity of 12.26% and a net margin of 16.92%. The company had revenue of $17.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.94 billion. As a group, research analysts forecast that Banco Santander, S.A. will post 0.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Banco Santander from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Banco Santander in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Buy".

About Banco Santander

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.