In this article, we discuss the 5 best European bank stocks to buy now. If you want to read our detailed analysis of these stocks, go directly to the 10 Best European Bank Stocks to Buy Now.
5. HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11
HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC) is a British financial services company with offices in 65 countries around the world. As of the end of 2020, it is the second-largest bank in Europe by total assets. It is ranked fifth on our list of 10 best European bank stocks to buy now. The stock has returned over 25.40% to investors over the course of the past year.
On August 2, HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC) posted earnings for the second quarter of 2021, reporting earnings per share of $0.85, breaking even with the estimates. The revenue over the period was around $12.5 billion, down 4.10% year-over-year.
At the end of the second quarter of 2021, 11 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $213 million in HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC).
On August 3, DBS Bank raised its rating on HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HSBC) to Buy from Hold while reiterating a price target of 576.65 GBp.
4. Barclays PLC (NYSE: BCS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11
Barclays PLC (NYSE: BCS) is a British bank with branches in about 55 countries and divisions spanning wealth management, corporate and investment banking as well as retail banking. As of the end of 2020, it is the fifth-largest bank in Europe by total assets. It is ranked fourth on our list of 10 best European bank stocks to buy now. The stock has returned over 79.76% to investors over the course of the past year.
On July 28, Barclays PLC (NYSE: BCS) posted earnings for the second quarter of 2021, reporting earnings per share of $0.68, beating estimates by $0.16. The net operating income over the period was around GBP 6.21 billion ($8.68 billion), up 67.2% year-over-year.
At the end of the second quarter of 2021, 11 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $120 million in Barclays PLC (NYSE: BCS), up from 10 the preceding quarter worth $80 million.
Out of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Balyasny Asset Management has the most valuable stake in Barclays PLC (NYSE: BCS) as of the end of the second quarter of 2021, worth close to $42 million, comprising 0.19% of its 13F portfolio.
On July 29, Deutsche Bank boosted its price target on Barclays PLC (NYSE: BCS) to 240 GBp from 230 GBp while reiterating a Buy rating. On the same day, UBS also increased its price target on Barclays PLC (NYSE: BCS) to 220 GBp from 210 GBp while reiterating a Buy rating.
3. UBS Group AG (NYSE: UBS)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 15
UBS Group AG (NYSE: UBS) is a Swiss financial services company and the world’s largest private bank with offices in around 50 countries around the world. It is ranked third on our list of 10 best European bank stocks to buy now. The stock has returned over 37.51% to investors over the course of the past year.
On July 19, UBS Group AG (NYSE: UBS) posted earnings for the second quarter of 2021, reporting earnings per share of $0.55, beating estimates by $0.11. The operating income over the period was around $8.98 billion, up 21% year-over-year.
At the end of the second quarter of 2021, 15 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $176 million in UBS Group AG (NYSE: UBS).
Out of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Pzena Investment Management has the most valuable stake in UBS Group AG (NYSE: UBS) as of the end of the second quarter of 2021, worth close to $100 million, comprising 0.38% of its 13F portfolio.
During the second quarter of 2021, D.E. Shaw increased its stake in UBS Group AG (NYSE: UBS) by 3157% to a stake of about $14 million as billionaire Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group increased its stake in UBS Group AG (NYSE: UBS) by 54%.
On July 21, JPMorgan increased its price target on UBS Group AG (NYSE: UBS) to CHF 20 from CHF 18 while reiterating an Overweight rating.
2. Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 17
Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) is a Spanish financial services company. As of the end of 2020, Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) is the fourth largest European bank by total assets. It is ranked second on our list of 10 best European bank stocks to buy now. The stock has returned over 76.41% to investors over the course of the past year.
On July 28, Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) posted earnings for the second quarter of 2021, reporting earnings per share of ($0.13), breaking even with the estimates. The revenue over the period was around EUR 12 billion ($14.47), up 6.58% year-over-year.
At the end of the second quarter of 2021, 17 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $566 million in Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN), up from 15 the preceding quarter worth $491 million.
On August 9, RBC Capital boosted its price target on Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) to EUR 3.40 from EUR 3.30 while reiterating an Outperform rating.
1. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: DB)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: DB) is a German financial services company with a network of close to 60 countries. It has three main business divisions: Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), Private & Commercial Bank, and Deutsche Asset Management (DWS) – the latter of which separated from the bank in March 2018 although Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: DB) still holds a majority stake in DWS. It is ranked first on our list of 10 best European bank stocks to buy now. The stock has returned over 27.65% to investors over the course of the past year.
On July 28, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: DB) posted earnings for the second quarter of 2021, reporting earnings per share of EUR 0.20 ($0.24), missing estimates by $0.16. The total net revenue over the period was around EUR 6.23 billion ($7.51 billion), down 0.79% year-over-year.
At the end of the second quarter of 2021, 20 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $1.86 billion in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: DB), up from 16 the preceding quarter worth $1.77 billion.
Out of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Hudson Executive Capital has the most valuable stake in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: DB) as of the end of the second quarter of 2021, worth close to $878 million, comprising 58.29% of its 13F portfolio.
Moreover, billionaire Jim Simons’s Renaissance Technologies increased its stake in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE: DB) by 49% during the second quarter of 2021, following a 209% increase during the first quarter of 2021. This stake is worth close to $45 million as of the end of the second quarter of 2021.
On July 29, Societe Generale increased its price target on Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE:DB) to EUR 16 from EUR 15 while reiterating a Buy rating.
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