Banco Santander Shares Gap Up - Time to Buy?

Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) experienced a notable increase in share price as it gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday. The stock closed at $5.59 previously and opened at $5.75, eventually trading at $5.77 with a trading volume of 449,410 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equity analysts have recently shared their opinions on Banco Santander's shares. On November 26th, Morgan Stanley revised its rating for Banco Santander from "equal weight" to "overweight." Additionally, StockNews.com upgraded Banco Santander from a "hold" to a "buy" rating in a research report on February 6th.

Banco Santander Stock Performance

Banco Santander has a market capitalization of approximately $94.16 billion. It boasts a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 7.17 and a price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 0.73. Its beta stands at 1.12. For the last fifty days, the stock has had a simple moving average of $4.89, while the 200-day simple moving average is at $4.85. The financial institution maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.83, a quick ratio of 0.23, and a current ratio of 2.24. In its most recent earnings report on February 5th, the bank disclosed earnings per share (EPS) of $0.21, aligning with analysts' expectations. The company's return on equity is 11.90% and its net profit margin is 15.88%. Analysts predict an average EPS of 0.83 for Banco Santander in the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Recent movements from hedge funds indicate a mix of actions regarding Banco Santander shares. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in the bank by 1.4% during the third quarter, owning 143,585,152 shares valued at $732,284,000 after acquiring an additional 2,011,150 shares. Similarly, FMR LLC increased its holdings by 33.9% in the same period, now holding 20,893,727 shares worth $106,558,000 after purchasing an extra 5,290,236 shares. Groupama Asset Management entered the picture by acquiring new shares valued at around $53,000 in the third quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC significantly boosted its stake by 106.3% in the fourth quarter and now has 9,101,145 shares valued at $41,501,000 after purchasing an extra 4,689,461 shares. Furthermore, Todd Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Banco Santander by 0.5% during the fourth quarter, maintaining 8,896,192 shares worth $40,567,000 after buying an extra 45,326 shares. Overall, institutional investors hold approximately 9.19% of Banco Santander's stock.

Banco Santander Company Profile

Banco Santander, S.A. offers a range of financial services on a global scale. Its operations are divided into segments including Retail Banking, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, Wealth Management & Insurance, and PagoNxt. The bank provides demand and time deposits, mutual funds, current and savings accounts, mortgages, consumer finance options, various loans and financing solutions, as well as project finance, debt capital markets, global transaction banking, and corporate finance services.

Banco, Shares, Investment