Global Payments Inc vs Banco Santander SA — how do they compare? Global Payments Inc trades at $80.36 (market cap $21.40B), while Banco Santander SA trades at $13.67 (market cap $195.14B). The key difference: Banco Santander SA is far larger — about 9.1× Global Payments Inc's market cap, and Banco Santander SA pays the higher dividend (2.01%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| GPN | SAN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $21.40B | $195.14B |
Sector | Industrials | Financials |
52-Week High | $90.01 | $14.37 |
52-Week Low | $62.47 | $8.40 |
Enterprise Value | $39.11B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.28% | 2.01% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Global Payments (GPN) trades at $79.67, up 4.98% today, with a bullish technical outlook and strong earnings beats in recent quarters. The company shows robust operating cash flow of $2.66B in 2025 and benefits from strategic initiatives like the Worldpay integration and AI-powered POS expansions. However, net income margin turned negative at -7.97% for 2026, reflecting margin pressures amid rising costs and competitive fintech landscape.
GPN presents a mixed outlook: analyst consensus is bullish with a $81.56 price target (58% buy ratings), but investors face risks from debt growth (debt-to-asset ratio rising to 41.57% in 2025) and profitability challenges. Near-term catalysts include continued execution on commerce technology deals, while volatility may persist from macroeconomic headwinds.
SAN trades at $13.67, up 0.29% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a neutral RSI. The company reported Q1 2026 EPS of $0.4144, beating expectations of $0.29, and maintains a strong net income margin of 26.72%. Recent developments include the acquisition of TSB and AI-driven efficiency initiatives targeting over $1.15 billion in business value.
Outlook is positive with analyst consensus at 64% buy ratings, supported by record profitability and a dividend yield from the recent $0.15 payout. Risks include declining operating cash flow, high debt levels, and antitrust probes in Spain. The stock offers value with a P/E of 13.73 and ROE of 16.18%, but investors should monitor cash flow trends and regulatory outcomes.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Global Payments is a leading provider of payment processing and software solutions and focuses on serving small and midsize merchants. The company operates in 30 countries and generates about one fourth of its revenue from outside North America, primarily in Europe and Asia. In 2019, Global Payments merged with Total System Services in an all-stock deal that gave Total System Services shareholders 48% of the combined company's shares.
Read more on GPN →Santander's focus is on retail and commercial banking. Latin America is geographically the largest operation, with Brazil by far the largest. Its continental European business is still mainly Iberian. Santander's U.K. presence is the result of the acquisition of building society Abbey. In the U.S., Santander operates a vehicle finance business and a regional bank focused on the Northeastern states.
Read more on SAN →