Raymond James Financial Inc. Makes New $3.32 Million Investment in Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN)

Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 727,838 shares of the bank’s stock, valued at approximately $3,319,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of SAN. Atria Investments Inc raised its stake in shares of Banco Santander by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 28,990 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $132,000 after acquiring an additional 1,917 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. raised its position in Banco Santander by 13.4% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 17,230 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $79,000 after purchasing an additional 2,032 shares during the period. Riversedge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Banco Santander by 14.3% during the fourth quarter. Riversedge Advisors LLC now owns 17,220 shares of the bank’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 2,148 shares in the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Banco Santander by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 50,013 shares of the bank’s stock worth $228,000 after buying an additional 2,320 shares during the period. Finally, OLD National Bancorp IN grew its stake in shares of Banco Santander by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 33,952 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $155,000 after buying an additional 2,392 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.19% of the company’s stock.

Banco Santander Price Performance

SAN stock opened at $6.93 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $6.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.24. Banco Santander, S.A. has a 52-week low of $4.27 and a 52-week high of $7.16. The company has a market capitalization of $104.93 billion, a PE ratio of 8.34, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.83.

Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The bank reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21. Banco Santander had a net margin of 15.88% and a return on equity of 11.90%. Analysts predict that Banco Santander, S.A. will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Banco Santander Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be paid 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 of this dividend is Wednesday, April 30th. Banco Santander’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 24th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded shares of Banco Santander from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Banco Santander presently has an average rating of “Buy”.

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.