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 Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., 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 Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander and S.A. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander and S.A.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Spain, Mexico, Turkey, South America, Europe, the United States, and Asia. The company offers traditional retail, wholesale, investment, and transaction banking. It also engages in financial, insurance, asset management, and capital markets businesses, as well as digital banking. The company was formerly known as Banco Bilbao Vizcaya, S.A. and changed its name to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. in January 2000. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Bilbao, Spain.

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 Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander, S.A. Stock News

As of September 4, 2026, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. had a $162.7 billion market capitalization, compared to the Banks median of $767.9 million. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.’s stock is up 26.6% in 2026, up 1.8% in the previous five trading days and up 59.86% in the past year.

Currently, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.’s price-earnings ratio is 13.6. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $39.0 billion with a 32.6% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 16.9%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $2.390 per share for the current fiscal year. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. currently has a 4.8% dividend yield.

As of September 4, 2026, Banco Santander, S.A. had a $216.4 billion market cap, putting it in the 99th percentile of all stocks. Banco Santander, S.A.’s stock is up 27.3% in 2026, up 1.8% 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 Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., 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 Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander and S.A.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander and S.A.’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.	BBVA	F
Banco Santander, S.A.	SAN	F

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks 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 the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. has a Quality Score of 20, which is Very Weak. Banco Santander, S.A. has a Quality Score of 19, which is Very Weak.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander or S.A. has a high enough Quality Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander or S.A. is the better investment when it comes to quality.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander and S.A.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.	BBVA	A
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%.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. has a Momentum Score of 85, which is Very Strong. Banco Santander, S.A. has a Momentum Score of 81, which is Very Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Momentum Grade breakdown above, both Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander and S.A. have a grade of A. For those who focus solely on a company’s momentum, further research will need to be conducted into both companies to see if they fit your individual needs as an investor.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander and S.A.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.	BBVA	C
Banco Santander, S.A.	SAN	C

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.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 52, which is Neutral. Banco Santander, S.A. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 50, which is Neutral.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander or S.A. has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander or S.A. is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Other Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander and S.A. Grades

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

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

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.

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 Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., 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, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., Banco Santander or S.A. Stock?

Overall, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. stock has a Momentum Score of 85, Estimate Revisions Score of 52 and Quality Score of 20.

Banco Santander, S.A. stock has a Momentum Score of 81, Estimate Revisions Score of 50 and Quality Score of 19.

Comparing Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., 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.