Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) Position Boosted by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN - Free Report) by 47.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 668,343 shares of the bank's stock after purchasing an additional 214,868 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC's holdings in Banco Santander were worth $3,409,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Citigroup Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Banco Santander by 4.3% in the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 878,014 shares of the bank's stock valued at $4,478,000 after acquiring an additional 36,221 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Banco Santander by 10.9% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 174,143 shares of the bank's stock valued at $825,000 after purchasing an additional 17,178 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Banco Santander by 23.2% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,024,556 shares of the bank's stock valued at $5,225,000 after purchasing an additional 193,255 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Banco Santander by 13.6% in the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 97,264 shares of the bank's stock worth $496,000 after buying an additional 11,608 shares in the last quarter. Finally, West Family Investments Inc. boosted its stake in Banco Santander by 35.4% during the third quarter. West Family Investments Inc. now owns 38,575 shares of the bank's stock valued at $197,000 after buying an additional 10,076 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 9.19% of the company's stock.

Banco Santander Stock Performance

SAN remained flat at $4.62 during trading on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 1,916,137 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,749,971. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.08. Banco Santander, S.A. has a 1 year low of $3.83 and a 1 year high of $5.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a 50-day moving average of $4.89 and a 200-day moving average of $4.86.

Banco Santander Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 31st were given a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, October 31st. This represents a dividend yield of 3%. Banco Santander's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on SAN shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Banco Santander from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Banco Santander from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of Banco Santander from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th.

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.