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RY vs. SAN: Royal Bank of Canada vs. Banco Santander Stock Comparison

How do Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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.

Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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.

Company profile comparison for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN)
Profile ItemRYSAN
NameRoyal Bank of CanadaBanco Santander, S.A. Sponsored ADR
Country/RegionCanadaSpain
GICS SectorFinancialsFinancials
GICS Industry GroupBanksBanks
GICS IndustryBanksBanks
GICS Sub-IndustryDiversified BanksDiversified Banks
Market Capitalization278.49 billion USD169.27 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateOctober 16, 1995July 30, 1987
Security TypeCommon StockADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

RY
SAN
GSPC
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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN)
MetricRYSAN
Total Return (1Y)42.94%22.64%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)38.10%52.66%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)17.71%31.64%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

RY
SAN
GSPC
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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN)
MetricRYSAN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)17.09%35.78%
Beta (5Y)0.780.71
Max Drawdown (5Y)-28.69%-40.82%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.25M11.52M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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RY and SAN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN)
MetricRYSAN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)2.260.51
Sortino Ratio (1Y)3.500.77

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 16.21% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Banco Santander (SAN) at 13.06% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for RY.

RY

Banks industry group

16.21%

Max
19.84%
RY
16.21%
Q3
13.67%
Median
11.49%
Q1
9.50%
Min
3.64%

SAN

Banks industry group

13.06%

Max
19.84%
Q3
13.67%
SAN
13.06%
Median
11.49%
Q1
9.50%
Min
3.64%
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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN): A comparison of their ROE against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 33.87% and Banco Santander (SAN) at 32.58% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

RY

Banks industry group

33.87%

Max
47.19%
Q3
35.25%
RY
33.87%
Median
31.21%
Q1
27.11%
Min
14.93%

SAN

Banks industry group

32.58%

Max
47.19%
Q3
35.25%
SAN
32.58%
Median
31.21%
Q1
27.11%
Min
14.93%
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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN): A comparison of their net margin against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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

Profitability metrics for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN)
MetricRYSAN
ROE (TTM)16.21%13.06%
ROA (TTM)0.96%0.76%
Net Margin (TTM)33.87%32.58%
Operating Margin (TTM)----
Gross Margin (TTM)----

Growth

Revenue Growth

Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 15.73% 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.

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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Banco Santander (SAN) reports EPS growth of 17.19%, ranked against its industry; Royal Bank of Canada (RY) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN)
MetricRYSAN
Revenue Growth (YoY)15.73%-0.47%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)10.90%3.45%
EPS Growth (YoY)--17.19%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--18.78%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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 / Equity (MRQ)

debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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

Financial strength metrics for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN)
MetricRYSAN
Current Ratio (MRQ)----
Debt / Equity (MRQ)----
Net Debt / EBITDA----

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 3.23% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Banco Santander (SAN) at 2.10% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, RY the richer one.

RY

Banks industry group

3.23%

Max
5.79%
RY
3.23%
Q3
3.18%
Median
2.39%
Q1
1.20%
Min
0.00%

SAN

Banks industry group

2.10%

Max
5.79%
Q3
3.18%
Median
2.39%
SAN
2.10%
Q1
1.20%
Min
0.00%
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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Banco Santander (SAN) at 25.91% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 41.49% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

RY

Banks industry group

41.49%

Max
70.75%
RY
41.49%
Q3
41.28%
Median
29.26%
Q1
18.98%
Min
0.00%

SAN

Banks industry group

25.91%

Max
70.75%
Q3
41.28%
Median
29.26%
SAN
25.91%
Q1
18.98%
Min
0.00%
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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN)
MetricRYSAN
Dividend Yield (TTM)3.23%2.10%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)41.49%25.91%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Banco Santander (SAN) at 11.08 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 17.58 sits in the richer quartile — RY needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

RY

Banks industry group

17.58

Max
18.16
RY
17.58
Q3
13.75
Median
11.81
Q1
10.64
Min
6.49

SAN

Banks industry group

11.08

Max
18.16
Q3
13.75
Median
11.81
SAN
11.08
Q1
10.64
Min
6.49
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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Banks industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

P/S ratio is set aside for both Royal Bank of Canada (RY) 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.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Banco Santander (SAN) at 1.33 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Royal Bank of Canada (RY) at 2.92 prices above its benchmark range — RY looks rich relative to book.

RY

Banks industry group

2.92

RY
2.92
Max
2.28
Q3
1.58
Median
1.32
Q1
1.10
Min
0.59

SAN

Banks industry group

1.33

Max
2.28
Q3
1.58
SAN
1.33
Median
1.32
Q1
1.10
Min
0.59
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Royal Bank of Canada (RY) vs. Banco Santander (SAN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Banks industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Banco Santander (SAN)
MetricRYSAN
P/E Ratio (TTM)17.5811.08
P/S Ratio (TTM)----
P/B Ratio (MRQ)2.921.33
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)----