Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE:SAN) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,170,000 shares, a decline of 33.9% from the November 30th total of 9,340,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,940,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.1 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Banco Santander Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SAN remained flat at $4.49 during midday trading on Friday. 4,693,221 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,774,334. The company has a current ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.08. The firm has a market cap of $71.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.12. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $4.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $4.80. Banco Santander has a 52 week low of $3.83 and a 52 week high of $5.27.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Santander

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of Banco Santander by 55.5% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,301,711 shares of the bank’s stock worth $16,839,000 after acquiring an additional 1,178,449 shares in the last quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Banco Santander by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 138,138 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $705,000 after purchasing an additional 10,974 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of Banco Santander during the 3rd quarter worth $45,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Banco Santander by 71.2% during the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 93,679 shares of the bank’s stock worth $478,000 after buying an additional 38,946 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Banco Santander by 81.1% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 20,481 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 9,170 shares during the last quarter. 9.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on SAN shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 28th. Morgan Stanley upgraded Banco Santander from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Finally, UBS Group raised Banco Santander from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a 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.