SAN vs. WTW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at SAN and WTW, 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, WTW is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | SAN | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Banco Santander, S.A. | Willis Towers Watson Public Limited Company |
| Country | Spain | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry | Banks | Insurance |
| Market Capitalization | 154.46 billion USD | 33.57 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NasdaqGS |
| Listing Date | July 30, 1987 | June 12, 2001 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of SAN and WTW 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | SAN | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 1.56% | 1.80% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 24.63% | 11.86% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 37.54% | 0.94% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 100.45% | 16.83% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 8.75% | -0.39% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 98.77% | 9.85% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 26.21M | 0.57M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 22.38M | 0.63M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 24.75% | 18.36% |
| Beta | 1.59 | 0.65 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
SAN
12.99%
Banks Industry
- Max
- 25.40%
- Q3
- 15.55%
- Median
- 12.00%
- Q1
- 8.98%
- Min
- -0.10%
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.
WTW
1.73%
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 30.96%
- Q3
- 18.76%
- Median
- 14.22%
- Q1
- 10.34%
- Min
- 1.73%
WTW’s Return on Equity of 1.73% is in the lower quartile for the Insurance industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
SAN
17.09%
Banks Industry
- Max
- 54.20%
- Q3
- 35.73%
- Median
- 28.97%
- Q1
- 22.56%
- 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.
WTW
1.40%
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 26.78%
- Q3
- 14.69%
- Median
- 9.87%
- Q1
- 6.59%
- Min
- -3.51%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Insurance industry, WTW’s Net Profit Margin of 1.40% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
SAN
23.76%
Banks Industry
- Max
- 63.35%
- Q3
- 44.73%
- Median
- 37.24%
- Q1
- 28.25%
- Min
- 12.28%
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.
WTW
6.24%
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 34.52%
- Q3
- 20.17%
- Median
- 14.46%
- Q1
- 9.62%
- Min
- -2.51%
In the Insurance industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | SAN | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 12.99% | 1.73% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 0.70% | 0.49% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.09% | 1.40% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 23.76% | 6.24% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
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.
WTW
1.13
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 2.97
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.54
- Q1
- 0.15
- Min
- 0.00
For the Insurance industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
SAN
3.14
Banks Industry
- Max
- 5.78
- Q3
- 2.66
- Median
- 1.05
- Q1
- 0.40
- Min
- 0.00
The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Banks industry.
WTW
0.66
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 1.25
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.34
- Q1
- 0.23
- Min
- 0.00
The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Insurance industry.
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.
WTW
1.41
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 43.68
- Q3
- 21.45
- Median
- 9.67
- Q1
- 3.55
- Min
- -5.73
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Insurance industry.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | SAN | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 1.13 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | -- | 1.11 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 3.14 | 0.66 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -- | 1.41 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
SAN
0.00%
Banks Industry
- Max
- 11.03%
- Q3
- 6.00%
- Median
- 3.87%
- Q1
- 2.41%
- 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.
WTW
1.06%
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 9.80%
- Q3
- 5.18%
- Median
- 3.58%
- Q1
- 2.07%
- Min
- 0.00%
WTW’s Dividend Yield of 1.06% is in the lower quartile for the Insurance industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
SAN
22.00%
Banks Industry
- Max
- 134.24%
- Q3
- 79.39%
- Median
- 55.09%
- Q1
- 36.09%
- 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.
WTW
14.79%
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 169.40%
- Q3
- 85.57%
- Median
- 53.26%
- Q1
- 23.68%
- Min
- 0.00%
WTW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 14.79% is in the lower quartile for the Insurance industry. This suggests a conservative dividend policy, with a strategic focus on reinvesting profits for future growth.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | SAN | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.06% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 22.00% | 14.79% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
SAN
10.49
Banks Industry
- Max
- 22.69
- Q3
- 13.75
- Median
- 10.32
- Q1
- 7.73
- Min
- 2.59
SAN’s P/E Ratio of 10.49 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.
WTW
245.17
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 30.75
- Q3
- 18.11
- Median
- 12.67
- Q1
- 9.66
- Min
- 2.87
At 245.17, WTW’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Insurance industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
SAN
0.89
Banks Industry
- Max
- 4.90
- 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.
WTW
3.42
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 3.41
- Q3
- 1.88
- Median
- 1.22
- Q1
- 0.80
- Min
- 0.23
With a P/S Ratio of 3.42, WTW trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Insurance industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
SAN
0.93
Banks Industry
- Max
- 2.09
- Q3
- 1.40
- Median
- 1.11
- Q1
- 0.86
- Min
- 0.29
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.
WTW
3.75
Insurance Industry
- Max
- 4.57
- Q3
- 2.56
- Median
- 1.88
- Q1
- 1.20
- Min
- 0.17
WTW’s P/B Ratio of 3.75 is in the upper tier for the Insurance industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | SAN | WTW |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 10.49 | 245.17 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 0.89 | 3.42 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 0.93 | 3.75 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 7.82 | 26.55 |