SAN vs. SCHW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 23, 2025

Here’s a clear look at SAN and SCHW, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

SAN trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, SCHW is a standard domestic listing.

Symbol	SAN	SCHW
Company Name	Banco Santander, S.A.	The Charles Schwab Corporation
Country	Spain	United States
GICS Sector	Financials	Financials
GICS Industry	Banks	Capital Markets
Market Capitalization	141.57 billion USD	173.37 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	July 30, 1987	September 22, 1987
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of SAN and SCHW by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

SAN vs. SCHW: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	SAN	SCHW
5-Day Price Return	1.28%	-2.32%
13-Week Price Return	16.98%	7.04%
26-Week Price Return	44.03%	17.09%
52-Week Price Return	92.68%	45.64%
Month-to-Date Return	9.34%	-2.27%
Year-to-Date Return	84.57%	29.05%
10-Day Avg. Volume	20.44M	8.36M
3-Month Avg. Volume	25.67M	8.37M
3-Month Volatility	26.70%	16.99%
Beta	1.60	1.00

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

SAN

12.99%

Banks Industry

Max: 26.37%
Q3: 15.92%
Median: 12.25%
Q1: 8.69%
Min: 0.15%

SAN’s Return on Equity of 12.99% is on par with the norm for the Banks industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

SCHW

14.97%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 38.97%
Q3: 21.61%
Median: 13.77%
Q1: 8.31%
Min: -4.25%

SCHW’s Return on Equity of 14.97% is on par with the norm for the Capital Markets industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

SAN

17.09%

Banks Industry

Max: 54.20%
Q3: 35.70%
Median: 28.97%
Q1: 22.53%
Min: 6.98%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Banks industry, SAN’s Net Profit Margin of 17.09% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

SCHW

27.31%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 66.67%
Q3: 35.11%
Median: 23.49%
Q1: 13.63%
Min: -15.18%

SCHW’s Net Profit Margin of 27.31% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Capital Markets industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

SAN

23.76%

Banks Industry

Max: 63.35%
Q3: 44.59%
Median: 37.24%
Q1: 28.25%
Min: 13.37%

SAN’s Operating Profit Margin of 23.76% is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

SCHW

35.27%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 86.40%
Q3: 46.46%
Median: 32.80%
Q1: 18.32%
Min: -21.87%

SCHW’s Operating Profit Margin of 35.27% is around the midpoint for the Capital Markets industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	SAN	SCHW
Return on Equity (TTM)	12.99%	14.97%
Return on Assets (TTM)	0.70%	1.56%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	17.09%	27.31%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	23.76%	35.27%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	--	81.09%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

SAN

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

For the Banks industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

SCHW

0.31

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 3.76
Q3: 1.89
Median: 1.01
Q1: 0.54
Min: -0.41

For the Capital Markets industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

SAN

3.14

Banks Industry

Max: 4.75
Q3: 2.62
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.39
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Banks industry.

SCHW

5.47

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 6.62
Q3: 2.84
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.32
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Capital Markets industry.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

SAN

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks industry.

SCHW

17.24

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 126.03
Q3: 60.98
Median: 11.77
Q1: 4.95
Min: -36.26

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Capital Markets industry.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	SAN	SCHW
Current Ratio (MRQ)	--	0.31
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	--	0.31
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	3.14	5.47
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	17.24

Growth

Revenue Growth

SAN vs. SCHW: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

SAN vs. SCHW: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

SAN

0.00%

Banks Industry

Max: 10.27%
Q3: 5.83%
Median: 3.81%
Q1: 2.50%
Min: 0.00%

SAN currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

SCHW

1.35%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 10.26%
Q3: 4.86%
Median: 2.78%
Q1: 1.22%
Min: 0.00%

SCHW’s Dividend Yield of 1.35% is consistent with its peers in the Capital Markets industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

SAN

22.00%

Banks Industry

Max: 147.07%
Q3: 80.55%
Median: 54.40%
Q1: 35.71%
Min: 0.00%

SAN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 22.00% is in the lower quartile for the Banks industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

SCHW

32.14%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 200.72%
Q3: 101.92%
Median: 57.97%
Q1: 32.36%
Min: 0.00%

SCHW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 32.14% is in the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	SAN	SCHW
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	1.35%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	22.00%	32.14%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

SAN

9.74

Banks Industry

Max: 20.05
Q3: 12.65
Median: 10.21
Q1: 7.54
Min: 2.74

SAN’s P/E Ratio of 9.74 is within the middle range for the Banks industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

SCHW

23.73

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 58.89
Q3: 31.00
Median: 18.54
Q1: 12.09
Min: 5.24

SCHW’s P/E Ratio of 23.73 is within the middle range for the Capital Markets industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

SAN

0.89

Banks Industry

Max: 5.06
Q3: 2.98
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.59
Min: 0.45

The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks industry.

SCHW

6.48

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 14.49
Q3: 7.41
Median: 4.68
Q1: 2.25
Min: 0.04

SCHW’s P/S Ratio of 6.48 aligns with the market consensus for the Capital Markets industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

SAN

0.93

Banks Industry

Max: 2.18
Q3: 1.36
Median: 1.09
Q1: 0.81
Min: 0.20

SAN’s P/B Ratio of 0.93 is within the conventional range for the Banks industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

SCHW

3.35

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 9.48
Q3: 4.94
Median: 2.42
Q1: 1.21
Min: 0.38

SCHW’s P/B Ratio of 3.35 is within the conventional range for the Capital Markets industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

SAN vs. SCHW: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Capital Markets industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	SAN	SCHW
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	9.74	23.73
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	0.89	6.48
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	0.93	3.35
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	7.26	6.12