Sifting through countless of stocks in the Banks industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander or S.A. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A.

U.S. Bancorp, a financial services holding company, provides various financial services to individuals, businesses, institutional organizations, governmental entities, and other financial institutions in the United States. The company operates through Wealth, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking; Consumer and Business Banking; Payment Services; and Treasury and Corporate Support segments. It offers depository services, including checking accounts, savings accounts, and time certificate contracts; and lending services, such as traditional credit products and credit card services, lease financing and import/export trade, agricultural finance, asset-backed lending, and other products. The company also provides cash management, capital markets, and trust and investment management services; and ancillary services comprising capital markets, treasury management, and receivable lock-box collection services to corporate and governmental entity customers. In addition, it offers asset management and fiduciary services for individuals, estates, foundations, business corporations, and charitable organizations; and investment and insurance products to its customers principally within its domestic markets, as well as fund administration services to mutual and other funds. Further, the company provides corporate and purchasing card, and corporate trust services; and credit card services, merchant and ATM processing, mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage and leasing services. U.S. Bancorp was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Banco Santander, S.A. provides various financial products and services to individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, large corporations, and public entities worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Retail & Commercial Banking, Digital Consumer Bank, Corporate & Investment Banking, Wealth Management & Insurance, and Payments. It offers demand and time deposits, mutual funds, and current and savings accounts; mortgages, consumer finance, loans, and various financing solutions; and project finance, debt capital markets, global transaction banking, and corporate finance services. The company also provides credit and debit cards, real estate loans, microfinance, and auto loans; corporate and investment banking services; advice on mergers and acquisitions; wealth, asset, and risk management services; and digital payments and technology solutions. In addition, it is involved in the securitization, leasing, management of portfolios, e-commerce, air transport, aircraft rental, software, consulting, fund and investment management, renewable energy, vehicle rental, insurance, advertising, marketing, telemarketing, automotive, agricultural, factoring, securities brokerage and investment, pension fund management, trade intermediary, venture capital fund, renting, restaurant, electricity production, IT, internet, and financial advisory and other activities; management, and other real estate activities; and purchase and sale of vehicles. Further, the company offers mobile and online banking services. Banco Santander, S.A. was formerly known as Banco Santander Central Hispano SA and changed its name to Banco Santander, S.A. in February 2007. The company was incorporated in 1856 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

Latest Banks and U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander, S.A. Stock News

As of September 4, 2026, U.S. Bancorp had a $98.7 billion market capitalization, compared to the Banks median of $767.9 million. U.S. Bancorp’s stock is up 17.8% in 2026, up 2.1% in the previous five trading days and up 28.88% in the past year.

Currently, U.S. Bancorp’s price-earnings ratio is 12.6. U.S. Bancorp’s trailing 12-month revenue is $27.3 billion with a 29.9% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 10.4%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $5.238 per share for the current fiscal year. U.S. Bancorp currently has a 3.3% dividend yield.

As of September 4, 2026, Banco Santander, S.A. had a $216.7 billion market cap, putting it in the 99th percentile of all stocks. Banco Santander, S.A.’s stock is up 27.1% in 2026, up 2.4% in the previous five trading days and up 55.85% in the past year.

Currently, Banco Santander, S.A.’s price-earnings ratio is 14.8. Banco Santander, S.A.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $55.4 billion with a 33.5% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 7.2%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.280 per share for the current fiscal year. Banco Santander, S.A. currently has a 2.0% dividend yield.

How We Compare U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
U.S. Bancorp	USB	B
Banco Santander, S.A.	SAN	B

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

U.S. Bancorp has a Growth Score of 77, which is Strong. Banco Santander, S.A. has a Growth Score of 64, which is Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Growth Grade breakdown above, both U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A. have a grade of B. For investors who focus solely on a company’s upward growth, further research should be conducted into both companies’ other financial metrics before deciding whether to invest.

U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
U.S. Bancorp	USB	B
Banco Santander, S.A.	SAN	A

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

U.S. Bancorp has a Momentum Score of 67, which is Strong. Banco Santander, S.A. has a Momentum Score of 81, which is Very Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: Banco Santander, S.A.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, Banco Santander, S.A. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to U.S. Bancorp. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, Banco Santander, S.A. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
U.S. Bancorp	USB	C
Banco Santander, S.A.	SAN	A

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

U.S. Bancorp has a Earnings Estimate Score of 60, which is Neutral. Banco Santander, S.A. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 86, which is Very Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Banco Santander, S.A.

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Banco Santander, S.A. has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than U.S. Bancorp. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Banco Santander, S.A. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A. Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Growth and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander or S.A. Stock?

Overall, U.S. Bancorp stock has a Growth Score of 77, Momentum Score of 67 and Estimate Revisions Score of 60.

Banco Santander, S.A. stock has a Growth Score of 64, Momentum Score of 81 and Estimate Revisions Score of 86.

Comparing U.S. Bancorp, Banco Santander and S.A.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.