KB vs. SAN: KB Financial vs. Banco Santander Stock Comparison

Company Profile

KB Financial (KB) 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.

Both KB Financial (KB) and Banco Santander (SAN) trade as ADRs — their core financials are comparable, but keep FX, depositary-program fees, and dividend withholding in view for each.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Banco Santander (SAN) is heavily traded at around 11.52M shares per day, whereas KB Financial (KB) sees a more moderate 194.61K — larger orders in the latter may require more patience and tighter control over order sizing.

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Banco Santander (SAN) earns 13.06% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; KB Financial (KB) has no ROE this period.

Banco Santander (SAN) at 32.58% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while KB Financial (KB) at 17.25% retains only a bottom-quartile share.

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for KB Financial (KB) 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

Both KB Financial (KB) at 5.61% and Banco Santander (SAN) at -0.47% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.

Both KB Financial (KB) at 27.83% 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: KB Financial (KB) 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: KB Financial (KB) 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

Banco Santander (SAN) at 2.10% pays an industry-typical yield; KB Financial (KB) at 1,434.96% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

Both KB Financial (KB) at 26.89% and Banco Santander (SAN) at 25.91% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

KB Financial (KB) at 9.55 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Banco Santander (SAN) at 11.08 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for KB, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

P/S ratio is set aside for both KB Financial (KB) 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.

Banco Santander (SAN) at 1.33 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while KB Financial (KB) at 3.68 prices above its benchmark range — KB looks rich relative to book.

Valuation Metrics