Nerea Abad Gómez

The Chairman & CEO of BBVA, Francisco González, stressed at the summit in Turkey that authorities should start to wrap up the financial reform agenda to take a breather and analyze its impact on the recovery. “Regulation must focus on growth and not just financial stability,” said Francisco González at the summit, where business leaders share their opinions with politicians on the major challenges facing the global economy.

Today, Fox Business broadcast a live interview with the Chairman & CEO of BBVA. “The United States is one of the most promising markets for BBVA. It has a very digitalized society, but the banking system is a bit rudimentary. There is a gap that someone has to fill and BBVA wants to be one of the players,” said Francisco González on the set of the Opening Bell show in New York.

BBVA more than doubled its net attributable profit in the first half compared to the same period a year earlier, totaling €2.76 billion (+107.7%). Without including the results from corporate operations (CNCB and Catalunya Banc), net income grew 52.9% year-over-year between January and June to €2.03 billion thanks to strong recurring banking revenues.

BBVA earned €1.33 billion in the first half of 2014, 53.9% less than in the year-earlier period, due to the absence of corporate operations. Without including such operations, net income from ongoing operations rose 11.7% to €1.54 billion. For the second quarter in a row, the Group’s NPA ratio fell. Net entries to NPAs from the banking business in Spain were negative in the second quarter.

BBVA is now the leading shareholder in Garanti, Turkey's largest bank in terms of market capitalization. After completing the transaction announced last November to acquire an additional 14.89% holding, the BBVA Group now owns to 39.90% of Garanti. Francisco González is in Istanbul due to the closing of the transaction and the appointment of the new Garanti CEO.

The BBVA Chairman & CEO received Garbiñe Muguruza at BBVA's new headquarters in Madrid. Francisco González wanted to congratulate the player in person following her stellar performance during the first half of the current season and particularly for reaching the Ladies' Final in Wimbledon, where she played against Serena Williams. Muguruza is currently number 9 in the WTA ranking.

El Celler de Can Roca, the best restaurant in the world according to the British magazine Restaurant, has revealed today some of the ingredients that will be part of the menus that the Roca brothers will cook during their BBVA Tour 2015, which will take them to Argentina, the United States and Turkey.

This year’s edition of the BBVA Route, dubbed “An Adventure in the Country of Emeralds”, starts tomorrow with the arrival in Madrid of the 174 participating students from 21 countries, who will embark on a journey that will take them across Spain and Colombia. Now on its 30th edition, the program – directed by Miguel de la Quadra Salcedo –renews its commitment to the Ibero-American youth.

BBVA Open Talent 2015 - BBVA’s competition for FinTech start-ups, now in its’ 7th year - has attracted 652 entrants from 63 countries, competing for the chance to make it to this year’s finals, to be held in Spain, the United States and Mexico. For the first time, the United States is the country with the largest number of entrants, with 166 competitors.

El Celler de Can Roca, declared the best restaurant in the world by the british magazine Restaurant, will join BBVA's Open Talent competition. The six winning startups will spend a day in the Roca brothers' kitchen where innovation is a prominent ingredient.

The BBVA Group posted a profit of €2.62 billion in 2014, 25.7% more than in 2013, according to the new accounting rules1, driven by the solid net interest income performance, cost control and lower loan-loss and real-estate provisions. Net income from ongoing operations, which does not include results from corporate operations, grew 53.1% to €3.08 billion year-over-year.

BBVA posted an attributable profit of €1.93 billion between January and September, 37.3% less than in the same period a year earlier, when it booked capital gains on the sale of non-strategic assets. Without taking into account such gains, net income from ongoing operations rose 43.2% year-over-year, totaling €2.28 billion.

The first quarter of 2014 marked the start of a new cycle of growth for BBVA’s operating results. Net income from ongoing operations rose 18.7% over the first quarter of 2013, to €744 million. Net attributable profit came to €624 million, which was 64% less than the same period a year earlier due to corporate operations that were booked in the first three months of 2013.