Banco Sabadell: Πούλησε την TSB στην Santander για 3,3 δισ. ευρώ
Ολοκληρώθηκε η πώληση της βρετανικής θυγατρικής της Banco Sabadell, TSB, στην Banco Santander έναντι 3,3 δισ. ευρώ, γεγονός που θα επιτρέψει στην πρώτη να καταγράψει κεφαλαιακό κέρδος περίπου 300 εκατ. ευρώ και να διανείμει στους μετόχους της έκτακτο μέρισμα 50 λεπτών στις 29 Μαΐου.
Όπως εξήγησαν τα δύο μέρη στην Εθνική Επιτροπή Αγοράς Κινητών Αξιών (CNMV) νωρίς το πρωί της Παρασκευής, η συναλλαγή που ανακοινώθηκε στις αρχές Ιουλίου 2025 ολοκληρώνεται τώρα, αφού έλαβε όλες τις απαραίτητες εγκρίσεις από τους εποπτικούς και ρυθμιστικούς φορείς. Τι θα αποφέρει η πράξη στη Sabadell
Η πράξη θα αποφέρει στη Sabadell ποσό σε μετρητά ύψους 2,863 δισ. λιρών (περίπου 3,3 δισ. ευρώ), αν και η Santander θα χρειαστεί να καταβάλει μόνο τα 2,65 δισ. λίρες, περίπου 3,05 δισ. ευρώ, που συμφωνήθηκαν ως τίμημα αγοράς, γεγονός που αντιστοιχεί σε 1,5 φορές τη λογιστική αξία της TSB.
Σε αυτό το ποσό, σύμφωνα με τα συμφωνηθέντα, προστίθεται η καθαρή αξία που δημιούργησε η TSB έως την ολοκλήρωση της συναλλαγής, η οποία ανήλθε σε 213 εκατ. λίρες, περίπου 242 εκατ. ευρώ. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο, η πράξη δημιουργεί για την Banco Sabadell περισσότερες από 400 μονάδες βάσης κεφαλαίου και κεφαλαιακό κέρδος «ελαφρώς υψηλότερο» των 300 εκατ. ευρώ, γεγονός που θα επιτρέψει τη διανομή στους μετόχους της, στις 29 Μαΐου, έκτακτου μερίσματος σε μετρητά ύψους 50 λεπτών του ευρώ.
Ο διευθύνων σύμβουλος της Banco Sabadell, César González-Bueno, τόνισε σε ανακοίνωση ότι πρόκειται για «μια μεγάλη συναλλαγή, ελκυστική για όλα τα μέρη» και υπογράμμισε ότι πραγματοποιήθηκε «σε κατάλληλη στιγμή, επιτρέποντας την καταβολή έκτακτου μερίσματος 50 λεπτών ανά μετοχή και την εστίαση της στρατηγικής της τράπεζας στην Ισπανία».
Από την πλευρά του, ο μέχρι τώρα διευθύνων σύμβουλος της TSB και μελλοντικός διάδοχος του González-Bueno στην ηγεσία της Sabadell, Marc Armengol, εκτίμησε ότι η TSB αποτελεί σήμερα μια ιστορία επιτυχίας στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο χάρη στην εξαιρετική δουλειά που επιτέλεσε όλη η ομάδα τα τελευταία χρόνια.
Στο παρελθόν, η πρόεδρος της Santander, Ana Botín, είχε δηλώσει ότι η εξαγορά αποτελούσε ένα ακόμη βήμα στη στρατηγική του ομίλου στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο και «μια ελκυστική ευκαιρία» από χρηματοοικονομική άποψη. Η Santander ενισχύει τη θέση της στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο
Η εξαγορά ενισχύει τη θέση της Santander στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, καθώς ενσωματώνει την TSB στη Santander UK, γεγονός που την καθιστά την τρίτη μεγαλύτερη τράπεζα της χώρας ως προς τα υπόλοιπα λογαριασμών όψεως ιδιωτών και την τέταρτη ως προς τα στεγαστικά δάνεια.
Συνολικά, οι δύο τράπεζες θα εξυπηρετούν σχεδόν 28 εκατομμύρια ιδιώτες και επιχειρήσεις σε όλη τη χώρα.
Η Santander αναμένει ότι η συναλλαγή θα αποφέρει απόδοση επί του επενδεδυμένου κεφαλαίου άνω του 20%, εν μέρει επειδή εκτιμά ότι οι συνέργειες κόστους θα φτάσουν τουλάχιστον τα 400 εκατ. λίρες ή το 13% της βάσης κόστους της νέας οντότητας.
Για τον σκοπό αυτό, η Santander προβλέπει ότι τα κόστη αναδιάρθρωσης προ φόρων το 2026 και 2027 θα ανέλθουν σε 520 εκατ. λίρες.
Το διοικητικό συμβούλιο της Sabadell ενέκρινε την προσφορά της Santander, η οποία επικράτησε έναντι εκείνης της Barclays, ενός ακόμη ενδιαφερόμενου για την TSB, εν μέσω της δημόσιας πρότασης εξαγοράς (OPA) της BBVA, γεγονός που την υποχρέωσε να συγκαλέσει τον Αύγουστο τη γενική συνέλευση των μετόχων της για την έγκριση της συναλλαγής.
Στην ίδια αυτή συνάντηση και χάρη στη δημιουργία αξίας που προέκυπτε από την πώληση της TSB στη Santander, η Sabadell πρότεινε την καταβολή έκτακτου μερίσματος σε μετρητά ύψους 50 λεπτών του ευρώ ανά μετοχή, που αντιστοιχεί περίπου σε 2,5 δισ. ευρώ.
Santander completes the sale of 49% of Santander Bank Polska to Erste Group
Banco Santander and Erste Group Bank AG announced the completion, as planned, of the sale of Santander Bank Polska, which had been disclosed in May 2025, following the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.
Erste has acquired 49% of the share capital of Santander Bank Polska and a 50% stake in the Polish asset management business (TFI) that Santander Bank Polska did not own, for a total cash consideration of approximately €7 billion. The all-cash transaction at 584 zlotys per share values the bank at 2.2 times first-quarter 2025 tangible book value per share and represents a premium of 7.5% versus Santander Polska’s closing price on 2 May 2025, excluding the dividend paid in May 2025.
The transaction results in a net capital gain of approximately €1.9 billion for Santander, increasing its CET1 ratio by c.95 basis points, equivalent to around €6 billion. The financial impacts on both results and capital from this transaction will be recorded in the first quarter of 2026. Santander aims to maintain a target CET1 ratio of 12-13% by deploying capital in line with its stated hierarchy, prioritizing profitable organic growth and investments across its businesses that create a compounding effect on earnings, returns, book value and distributions.
As already announced, the bank plans to devote around 50% of proceeds to accelerate the delivery of its extraordinary shareholder buybacks, subject to regulatory approvals.
The transaction in Poland is expected to be earnings per share accretive in 2027–2028, driven by the redeployment of capital, and strengthens Santander’s strategic and financial flexibility. This supports disciplined capital allocation across the group and long-term value creation for customers and shareholders. The increased flexibility also supports the announced acquisition of TSB in the UK, subject to the relevant regulatory approvals.
With the completion of the transaction, Erste becomes the main shareholder of Santander Bank Polska, marking a new phase for the bank. Erste plans to change Santander Bank Polska’s name and brand to Erste Bank Polska within the second quarter of 2026.
Following the transaction, and after the accelerated placement of approximately 3.5% of Santander Bank Polska’s share capital completed in December, Santander now holds a 9.7% stake in the bank.
As already announced, Santander has become the sole owner of Santander Consumer Bank in Poland, following the acquisition of the remaining 60% stake it did not own. Santander will maintain a long-term presence in Poland through its consumer finance business.
I would like to thank Michał and all our teams in Poland for their dedication and outstanding contribution to the group over the years. It has been a privilege to work with such a strong team. Santander and Erste will continue to work closely together through a strategic partnership, leveraging our complementary strengths to better serve clients across our respective markets. While we will miss our colleagues in Poland, we are confident that Erste is the right owner for the business as we reallocate capital towards markets with the greatest connectivity to leverage the strength of the group and support sustainable growth and increased returns.
Ana Botín, Banco Santander executive chair
In parallel, Santander and Erste are entering into a new strategic alliance in Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), designed to leverage the complementary strengths, geographic footprints and capabilities of both groups.
The cooperation, which has taken effect, is based on a client referral and product specific joint approach model through which both banks will work together to better serve corporate and institutional clients operating across their respective markets. Santander will provide Erste’s clients with access to its global product platforms and international network across the UK, Europe and the Americas, while Erste contributes its deep market expertise and coverage in Central and Eastern Europe. This collaboration is intended to facilitate seamless client interactions, broaden product offerings and support clients’ cross-border growth strategies.
In the area of payments, the cooperation encompasses a potential collaboration with PagoNxt, Santander’s global payments platform business, with the initial focus on cloud-native payments infrastructure in Poland.
Santander simplifies its offering by removing the fee for international transfers between individuals via its app and website
Banco Santander is taking another step forward in its commitment to offering simpler, more global, and barrier-free banking. Starting already, the bank’s retail customers will be able to make international transfers through the app and website without paying any transfer issuance or SWIFT fees, regardless of the destination country or amount. No other bank or money transfer company in Spain currently offers this service without fees.
Under this initiative, Santander aims to make life easier for a growing number of customers who send money abroad, whether within Europe or to other countries outside the SEPA zone. Until now, international transfers outside SEPA — to countries such as Mexico, Colombia, China, or the United States — were subject to commission and SWIFT fees that in many cases amounted to around 50 euros, even for transactions carried out through digital channels.
Santander thus reinforces its leadership in digital payment services and moves forward with its strategy to offer customers a borderless banking experience, with a simple process that helps bring customers closer to their family and friends anywhere in the world.
In addition, starting next week, the bank will simplify and reduce fees for international transfers made from branches to outside SEPA, setting them at 20 euros for transfers up to 10,000 euros and 50 euros for higher amounts.
Banco Santander customers were also the first in Spain to enjoy instant cross-border payments between individuals made account-to-account using just a mobile phone number — without the need for bank cards or conventional transfers. Thanks to the interconnection of payment solutions in Spain (Bizum), Italy (Bancomat), and Portugal (MBWay), Santander customers who use Bizum can send and receive money instantly simply by selecting a contact from their phonebook, with the same level of security and trust as Bizum transactions between Spanish bank accounts. Furthermore, technical tests are already underway to add two new partners to the alliance: Blik (Poland and Slovakia) and Vipps MobilePay (Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark), thereby expanding the peer-to-peer payment service to nine European countries and reaching more than 80 million users.
Banco Santander: Στα 3,25 δισ. ευρώ τα κέρδη τριμήνου
Τα κέρδη γ΄ τριμήνου της Banco Santander έδειξαν περαιτέρω σημάδια μείωσης των εσόδων από τόκους εν μέσω μιας παγκόσμιας στροφής προς χαμηλότερα επιτόκια, επιβαρύνοντας ένα κατά τα άλλα σταθερό τρίμηνο.
Η τράπεζα με έδρα τη Μαδρίτη σημείωσε καθαρά κέρδη 3,25 δισεκατομμυρίων ευρώ τους τρεις μήνες έως τον Σεπτέμβριο. Αν και υψηλότερα από τις εκτιμήσεις των αναλυτών, το ποσό σηματοδότησε με τριμηνιαία πτώση στα έσοδα από τόκους και προμήθειες.
Η ανακοίνωση αργά τη Δευτέρα ότι η τράπεζα θα καθυστερήσει την ανακοίνωση των αποτελεσμάτων της στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο μετά την πρόσφατη δικαστική απόφαση για τις αποζημιώσεις των τραπεζών σε πελάτες για δάνεια αυτοκινήτων επισκίασε επίσης τα αποτελέσματα. Η μετοχή της Santander υποχωρούσε 2,4% στις 10:47 π.μ. ώρα Ελλάδος.
Η τράπεζα που εστιάζει στη λιανική τραπεζική είναι μεταξύ των ευρωπαϊκών εταιρειών που δυνητικά επηρεάζονται περισσότερο από τη μείωση των επιτοκίων της κεντρικής τράπεζας, μετά από δύο χρόνια αυξήσεων που συνέβαλαν στην επίτευξη κερδών-ρεκόρ. Τα στελέχη επιδιώκουν να αμβλύνουν αυτό το πλήγμα με υψηλότερες τιμές για τις υπηρεσίες, καθώς και να στραφούν σε περικοπές θέσεων εργασίας και μεταφορά ρίσκου, σε μια προσπάθεια να ελέγξουν το κόστος.
«Παραμένουμε πολύ εποικοδομητικοί σχετικά με το μέλλον των λειτουργικών μας εσόδων και των κερδών μας την επόμενη χρονιά», δήλωσε ο Οικονομικός Διευθυντής Χοσέ Γκαρσία Καντέρα σε συνέντευξή του στο Bloomberg TV την Τρίτη. Η απόφαση του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου για τα δάνεια χρηματοδότησης αγοράς αυτοκινήτων δεν αναμένεται να αποδειχθεί σημαντική για τον όμιλο, είπε ο Cantera.
Τα κέρδη επηρεάστηκαν από μια “σημαντική επίδραση από την υποτίμηση του νομίσματος”, ανέφερε η τράπεζα στην έκθεσή της. “Η γενική απώλεια καθαρού εισοδήματος από τόκους οφείλεται στην Αργεντινή, δεδομένης της ασθενέστερης συναλλαγματικής ισοτιμίας που χρησιμοποιείται ως μέρος των λογιστικών προσαρμογών για τον υπερπληθωρισμό”, ανέφεραν σε σημείωμα αναλυτές της Goldman Sachs Group, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του Chris Hallam.
Σε δήλωσή της, η πρόεδρος Ana Botin είπε ότι η τράπεζα θα διατηρήσει τη δυναμική της για το υπόλοιπο του έτους και μέσα το 2025. Η τράπεζα επιβεβαίωσε τους προηγούμενους στόχους και την πολιτική επιστροφής κεφαλαίου της. Ο στόχος της φέτος είναι καθαρά κέρδη άνω των 12 δισ. ευρώ.
Ο Cantera είπε ότι ο αντίκτυπος της απόφασης του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου για τη χρηματοδότηση της αυτοκινητοβιομηχανίας θα είναι χαμηλότερος από 600 εκατομμύρια ευρώ σε καθαρά κέρδη. Η Royal Bank of Canada εκτίμησε ότι ο αντίκτυπος θα ανέλθει σε 1,1 δισεκατομμύρια βρετανικές λίρες (1,3 δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ).
Οι μεγαλύτεροι συνεισφέροντες στα καθαρά έσοδα της Santander ήταν οι μονάδες της Ισπανίας και της Βραζιλίας, με 1,1 δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ και 630 εκατομμύρια ευρώ αντίστοιχα. Τα κέρδη μειώθηκαν στο τρίμηνο σε χώρες όπως οι ΗΠΑ, το Μεξικό και η Πορτογαλία. Τα κέρδη στις ΗΠΑ ήταν 44% χαμηλότερα λόγω υψηλότερων δαπανών και προβλέψεων.
EIB Group and Banco Santander to unlock €990 million in new financing to support SMEs and its ecological transition
The EIB Group -made up of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Investment Fund (EIF)- has invested in senior and mezzanine tranches of a new asset-backed securities (ABS) issuance worth €360 million with Banco Santander. This investment, made in the Santander Consumo 5 securitisation fund of consumer loans issued by Banco Santander, will support working capital and liquidity needs, and address the investment constraints of Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), small mid-caps and mid-caps. The deal will enable Banco Santander to free capital and direct up to €990 million (or almost the triple of the EIB Group’s investment) into the real economy, including up to €300 million for green projects.
The EIB’s investment commitment under the transaction totals around €330 million, alongside €30 million committed by the EIF. The EIB Group’s total investment is executed through a single securitisation with a structure designed to achieve optimal efficiency.
Approximately €250 million of the notes purchased target SMEs and mid-caps, facilitating access to finance and promoting private sector investment. The transaction will address working capital and liquidity needs, supporting these firms’ economic recovery while helping them overcome investment constraints due to circumstances like the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, persistent inflationary pressures, high energy prices and rising interest rates.
The ABS securitisation transaction also has a significant green component: Around €110 million of the EIB Group’s investment will go to finance environment and climate action projects based on energy efficiency activities, such as the construction of nearly zero-emissions buildings by real estate developers, or the installation of solar photovoltaic equipment in residential buildings. Thus, Banco Santander will be able to commit up to €300 million for green projects.
The transaction supports the national and European targets for energy efficiency and renewable energy and helps reduce carbon emissions. This focus on energy efficiency is aligned with the EIB Group’s cross-cutting objective of climate change mitigation, and with REPowerEU, the European Union’s plan to reduce dependency from fossil fuel imports and increase Europe’s energy independence.
It is estimated that more than a third of the final beneficiaries of this agreement will be based in cohesion regions, where per capita income is less than the EU average. The operation will thus promote equitable growth and convergence between EU regions, which is one of the key aims of the EIB’s lending activities.
“We are pleased to join forces with a longstanding partner like Banco Santander to support SMEs and mid-caps as they navigate the challenging current environment, with issues like high energy prices and inflation,” stated EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix. “This agreement is aligned with our climate action and environmental sustainability objectives and accelerates green transformation for both companies and private individuals.”
“This transaction reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting economic growth and access to finance for businesses in Spain. We are determined to mobilise our expertise and proven financial instruments in co-operation with Banco Santander because these investments are expected to bring long-term benefits – for the people and the planet,” said EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt.
The agreement follows a previous one signed months ago between the EIB Group and Banco Santander, to finance energy efficiency projects for buildings developed in Spain by homeowner associations and individuals, as well as by SMEs and mid-caps. That transaction was a synthetic RMBS securitisation under which the EIB and EIF provided guarantees of up to €105 million on the upper mezzanine tranche with Santander expected to originate €141 million in funding for energy efficiency projects.
Banco Santander takes 5% stake in Kimitec to help farmers and agribusiness switch from chemical to natural
Santander has acquired a 5% stake in Grupo Kimitec and its MAAVi Innovation Centre, the largest natural biotech hub in Europe. The bank’s holding, secured through the fund Fondo Agro Smart, is part of its strategy to help innovative, sustainable companies with high growth potential.
Since the Green Deal and the EU Farm to Fork strategy were approved, Spain’s Kimitec, which saw 80% higher turnover last year, has been known as a key company in making agribusiness more sustainable in Europe.
Santander España’s CEO, António Simões, says, “It’s a strategic deal for Santander. Not only are we entering the biotech industry; we’re [entering] alongside one of scaleups with the greatest chances of becoming the most profitable unicorn in the years to come. With this agreement, we will add value to our portfolio of agribusiness customers”.
According to Kimitec CEO Félix García, “At MAAVi Innovation Centre, we have a vision: changing the way food is produced. The current production model has met its end. In a moment marked by calls in the EU to cut synthetic chemicals, supermarket chains talking about zero waste, and more uncompromising consumers with growing concerns about health and sustainability, agribusiness is forced to transform. We were able to get ahead of this situation and, for over 15 years, [we’ve] been uncovering the power of nature to succeed in this challenge for a different, nature-inspired production model”.
In fact, Kimitec and the MAAVi Innovation Centre have closed several deals with Bollo, GS España, Pescanova and other leading companies, as well as with such agrochemical giants as UPL, which made the MAAVi Innovation Centre a strategic partner in its transition to a natural production model. Kimitec is also the only company in its sector with 5 EU Horizon projects, given its strategic capacity to steer agribusiness from chemicals to natural production methods.
From agriculture the Spanish scaleup has leaped into aquafarming, livestock (antibiotic substitutes in animal medicine and higher productivity) and other sectors, while aiding agribusinesses transition from chemicals to natural techniques. Its long-term plans include entering cosmetics (substitutes for pigments and active ingredients) and pharmaceuticals (substitutes for active ingredients).
The MAAVi Innovation Centre creates value for agribusinesses in three major ways: eliminating waste in raw material production (removing chemicals traced to their products); helping them obtain E-number clean labels (for food additives); and raising the cost of subproducts that harm the environment and companies’ bottom line.
With Santander’s equity stake, the Almeria-based Kimitec can build on the bank’s advice to attract new customers across Santander’s footprint and expand internationally.
“In15 years of testing the concept in agriculture, we’ve come to lead the transition from chemicals to natural [products]. Now is the time for us to move on to agribusiness to achieve our purpose: changing how food is produced. Our goal with this strategic agreement with Santander is to partner with each and everyone of its agribusiness customers”, said Félix García.
Under the agreement, the two groups will work together on social projects. Kimitec’s not-for-profit organization, the MAAVi Foundation, believes diversity is a source of wealth for businesses and broader society. It builds on such values as respect, equality and loyalty to create opportunity for more than 400 children and their families in sport, education, nutrition and job placement.
Banco Santander takes part in Global Money Week to promote youth financial literacy
Since 21st and until 27th of March, Banco Santander is taking part in Global Money Week run by the OECD across the globe to teach the importance of basic financial education and ensure young people get the skills they need early in order to make sound financial decisions for the rest of their life.
The bank’s Finanzas para Mortales (“Finance for Mortals” or “FxM”) initiative has organized an extensive programme with the Santander Financial Institute (SANFI). Under the slogan “Build your future. Be wise with money”, it consists of over 40 activities. For 10 years, Santander has been running this free, employee-led programme in Spain to promote financial inclusion and learning, particularly among society’s most vulnerable.
The activities starting today include classes at university campus Santander Work Cafés about managing finances, saving, digital banking, being self-reliant and wise borrowing; online and at such NGOs as Asociación Española contra el Cancer (Spanish Association Against Cancer or “AECC”); training pills with comedienne Eva Soriano; visits with schoolchildren to the Santander archives; and a new FxM finance challenge with a prize for everyone who wants to test their mastery of finance. See the entire programme at www.finanzasparamortales.es (in Spanish).
Banco Santander maintains its staunch support for financial inclusion as part of its Responsible banking agenda and its commitment to the United Nations’ SDGs for 2030. It aims to empower 10 million people financially across the globe between 2019 and 2025 in three key ways: helping the unbanked access basic financial services; offering special products, tailored to low-income or struggling individuals and SMEs; and fostering financial education. In just three years (2019-2021), Santander gave access, financing and financial education to 7.4 million people, including struggling micro-entrepreneurs, individuals, households, SMEs, social entrepreneurs and groups at risk of exclusion. In 2021 alone, it supported some 185,000 encumbered SMEs and provided over 75,000 people with financial education in Spain.
Fundación UCEIF and SANFI
Fundación UCEIF, University of Cantabria’s financial sector studies and research foundation (www.fundacion-uceif.org) was created in 2006 as a joint initiative between the university and Banco Santander — through its Santander Universities (www.santander.com/universidades corporate area) — with a mission to become a leading financial research institution in Spain and worldwide.
The Santander Financial Institute (SANFI), Fundación UCEIF’s centre for financial learning and research, was created in 2021 as part of the partnership agreement between the University of Cantabria, Fundación UCEIF and Banco Santander.
Banco Santander reports attributable profit of €5,849 million for the first nine months of 2021
Banco Santander achieved an attributable profit of €5,849 million in the first nine months of 2021. This compares to a loss of €9 billion in the same period last year, when the bank made a non-cash adjustment to the valuation of goodwill and deferred tax assets (DTAs). Excluding net charges of €530 million for restructuring costs already announced in Q1 2021, underlying profit for the first nine months was €6,379 million, up 87% versus the same period of last year. This is Santander’s highest underlying profit in the first nine months since 2009. In the third quarter alone, the bank achieved an attributable profit of €2,174 million, an increase of 25% versus the same period of last year.
The bank’s strong performance was driven by good volume growth, with loans increasing 4% and deposits 6% year-on-year. Across the group, businesses continued to focus on supporting customers, driving revenue growth, effective net interest income management and cost control.
The results illustrate the benefits of Santander’s geographic and business diversification, with its three regions (Europe, North America and South America), making similar contributions to the group’s overall profit. Underlying profit in the first nine months nearly doubled in Europe to €2,293 million (+98%) and more than doubled in North America to €2,288 million (+122%), while it grew 31% in South America to €2,471 million. The Digital Consumer Bank also grew strongly (+17%) to €935 million.
Underlying profit before tax was €11.4 billion in the first nine months of the year, up 74%, while tax on profit in the period was €3.9 billion, resulting in an effective tax rate of 34%.
Full press release
More than 700,000 benefit from Banco Santander financial education programmes
Banco Santander brought financial education to some 716,000 people in 2020 (up 30% from last year), thanks to the various programmes it runs across its footprint.
Financial education is a cornerstone of its responsible banking strategy and mission of financial empowerment. Just last year, amid an economic downturn, it helped 3.5 million people get basic financial services, obtain personalized financing and learn essential financial concepts. Recently named “Best Bank in the World for Financial Inclusion” by Euromoney Magazine, Banco Santander aims to get 10 million people financially empowered between 2019 and 2025. So far, it’s accomplished 60% of that goal.
According to the World Bank, some 1.7 billion people across the globe remain unbanked, even though digital financial services and the widespread use of technology have invigorated financial inclusion. Experts say that digitalization and financial education will be central to strategies to promote financial inclusion, which directly supports seven of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.
In addition to basic financial services for vulnerable people and custom financing for individuals and SMEs with difficulties accessing credit, Banco Santander has several education programmes for everyone to learn basic finance, budgeting and risks and make the right decisions for themselves and their families.
According to the OECD, financial education (literacy) is “a combination of financial awareness, knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours necessary to make sound financial decisions and ultimately achieve individual financial well-being”.
The initiatives the bank is undertaking across its footprint (over 60 projects in 2020, funded with three million euros) include workshops and courses in classrooms, as well as online modules with websites, applications, tutorials and games.
“Finance for Mortals” in Spain
In Spain, Santander collaborates with Asociación Española de Banca’s (Spanish Banking Association) Tus finanzas, tu futuro (“Your finances, your future”) programme and with ‘Educació Financiera a les Escoles de Catalunya’ (Financial Education in Schools in Catalonia, or “EFEC”). Furthermore, for 9 years it has run the Finanzas para Mortales (“Finance for Mortals”, or FxM) programme with Universidad de Cantabria and the Santander Financial Institute (SANFI).
Considered one of Spain’s most important financial education platforms by Banco de España and the CNMV, the programme features courses taught by Santander volunteers. In the past year and a half, it has tightened the online learning and digital content found on its website www.finanzasparamortales.es, which received over half a million visits and queries last year. In the first half of 2021 alone, more than 2,600 financially vulnerable people benefited from its 314 classes.
Furthermore, Santander Consumer Finance, the bank’s consumer credit arm, unveiled Simplifi, a new financial education initiative in Spain with online tools that give users access to free courses on household finance, saving, responsible consumption and other topics.
Financial education in other countries
These projects also exist in nine countries in Europe and the Americas. Last year in the UK, bank employees ran anti-fraud workshops. In Chile, the bank has Sanodelucas, an online financial literacy platform to teach proper use of financial products; it also runs an in-school financial education programme with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile’s centre for public policy. In Mexico, it runs financial literacy courses through Tuiio, Finanzas de tú a tú (“One-to-one finance”), games, personal finance simulators and talks at Work Cafés and online. In Argentina, the bank has workshops for customers and non-customers run by employee volunteers, in addition to its “financial education starters’ kit” for society’s most vulnerable financially. In Brazil, it offers online courses and tools; runs Parceiros em Ação (“Friends in action”), which provides specialist financial literacy resources; and organizes talks that employees give at schools through the Escola programme.
Furthermore, Santander has international partnerships to promote financial inclusion where it operates. In 2020, it made inroads on initiatives with great potential to expand access to scalable financial services and to accelerate financial inclusion worldwide alongside the CEO Partnership for Economic Inclusion (CEOP).
Santander Consumer: Πλήρης εξαγορά από την Banco Santander έναντι 12,7 δισ. δολαρίων
Η Santander Consumer USA Holdings ανακοίνωσε ότι συμφώνησε στη δημόσια εγγραφή της από τον μεγαλομέτοχο Santander Holdings USA έναντι 41,50 δολαρίων ανά μετοχή, συνολικού ύψους 12,7 δισ. δολαρίων.
Ο βραχίονας της Santander στις ΗΠΑ πρότεινε τον Ιούλιο να αγοράσει τις μετοχές που δεν ανήκει στην εταιρεία consumer Finance, έναντι 2,4 δισ. δολαρίων, στα 39 δολάρια ανά μετοχή.
Η σημερινή πρόταση αντιστοιχεί σε premium 14% σε σχέση με το τελευταίο κλείσιμο της εταιρείας πριν ανακοινωθεί το deal, την 1η Ιουλίου.
Η συναλλαγή έχει εγκριθεί ομόφωνα από τα διοικητικά συμβούλια και των δύο εταιρειών και αναμένεται να ολοκληρωθεί στο δ΄ τρίμηνο του 2021.
Η Santander προσπαθεί να ενοποιήσει ορισμένες από τις δραστηριότητες της υπό αυστηρότερο έλεγχο.
Νωρίτερα φέτος, η τράπεζα απέκτησε το ποσοστό των μεξικανικών της δραστηριοτήτων που δεν κατείχε ήδη, αποκτώντας τον πλήρη έλεγχο δύο χρόνια νωρίτερα.