SAN vs. WF: Banco Santander vs. Woori Financial Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Banco Santander (SAN) and Woori Financial (WF) are both classified in the Diversified Banks sub-industry within the broader Banks industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Both Banco Santander (SAN) and Woori Financial (WF) 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 Woori Financial (WF) is thinly traded at only 85.96K — larger orders in the latter may face more price impact or wider spreads, depending on market conditions.

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Banco Santander (SAN) at 13.06% is around its peer norm for ROE, while Woori Financial (WF) at 7.93% 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 Woori Financial (WF) at 27.06% retains only a bottom-quartile share.

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

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both Banco Santander (SAN) at -0.47% and Woori Financial (WF) at 5.30% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.

Banco Santander (SAN) at 17.19% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Woori Financial (WF) at 2.58% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Banco Santander (SAN) in Banks and Woori Financial (WF) 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: Banco Santander (SAN) in Banks and Woori Financial (WF) 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; Woori Financial (WF) at 1,108.19% 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 Banco Santander (SAN) at 25.91% and Woori Financial (WF) at 32.85% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Woori Financial (WF) at 8.04 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 WF, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

P/S ratio is set aside for both Banco Santander (SAN) in Banks and Woori Financial (WF) 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.

Woori Financial (WF) at 0.63 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Banco Santander (SAN) at 1.33 is valued near its industry’s middle — WF is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

Valuation Metrics