13,720 Shares in Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) Purchased by Alliancebernstein L.P.

Alliancebernstein L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 13,720 shares of the bank’s stock, valued at approximately $63,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Banco Santander during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Banco Santander by 2,226.3% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Sierra Ocean LLC purchased a new stake in Banco Santander in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new stake in Banco Santander during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Banco Santander in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $45,000. 9.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Banco Santander Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:SAN opened at $6.94 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $6.51 and its 200 day moving average is $5.45. 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, S.A. has a 52 week low of $4.27 and a 52 week high of $7.16. The stock has a market cap of $105.08 billion, a PE ratio of 8.36, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.81.

Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN) last announced 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%. Research analysts anticipate that Banco Santander, S.A. will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Banco Santander Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.1152 per share. This is a positive change from Banco Santander’s previous semi-annual dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.4%. Banco Santander’s payout ratio is presently 19.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SAN has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised shares of Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 24th. StockNews.com upgraded Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut Banco Santander from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Banco Santander currently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

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.