FITB vs. SAN: Fifth Third Bancorp vs. Banco Santander Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) and Banco Santander (SAN) are both classified in the Diversified Banks sub-industry within the broader Banks industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) trades as ordinary local shares, while Banco Santander (SAN) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Banco Santander (SAN) at 13.06% is around its peer norm for ROE, while Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) at 9.42% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker returns on shareholders’ equity.

Banco Santander (SAN) at 32.58% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) at 22.97% retains only a bottom-quartile share.

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) in Banks and Banco Santander (SAN) in Banks, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) at 6.61% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Banco Santander (SAN) at -0.47% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

Both Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) at 12.42% and Banco Santander (SAN) at 17.19% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) in Banks and Banco Santander (SAN) in Banks both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.

debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) in Banks and Banco Santander (SAN) in Banks run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Both Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) at 3.03% and Banco Santander (SAN) at 2.10% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

Banco Santander (SAN) at 25.91% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) at 54.36% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Banco Santander (SAN) at 11.08 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) at 17.80 sits in the richer quartile — FITB needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

P/S ratio is set aside for both Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) in Banks and Banco Santander (SAN) in Banks: without a conventional revenue line, pricing per dollar of sales isn’t meaningful, and book- or earnings-based multiples make the better comparison.

On P/B ratio, both Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) at 1.55 and Banco Santander (SAN) at 1.33 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

Valuation Metrics