Digital loans (or D-loans) are a type of corporate bank financing (which could also come in the form of credit facilities) for which the price is linked to the company’s degree of digitization. The digital maturity level is determined annually by specialized independent consulting firms after a thorough analysis. If the company improves its level of digitization, the conditions of the bank financing also improve. By doing so, the company aligns its financial instruments with its corporate strategy, and has a financial incentive to improve its degree of digitization and accelerate its digital transformation over time.

Mario Draghi reiterated this week that the ECB could tentatively delay the planned rate hike until next year. At a conference in Frankfurt, Draghi responded to banks’ concerns by saying negative rates could impact bank profitability, although it “is not an inevitable consequence.” Given these statements, we asked Olga Gouveia, Lead Economist for Financial Systems at BBVA Research, what is the impact of the decision to keep negative interest rates. In her opinion, it is reasonable the precautionary tone of the ECB, provided that there is a planned hike on the horizon.

SSE PLC, a leading developer, operator and owner of renewable energy assets across the UK and Ireland, has once again partnered with BBVA as sole sustainability coordinator under its new 'revolving credit facility' (or RCF). In 2017, SSE and BBVA worked together in the arrangement of the company’s inaugural green bond issue.

Iberdrola has successfully signed, with BBVA acting as lead arranger and sustainable agent, a new €1.5 billion multi-currency syndicated credit facility linked to sustainability criteria. This is the first transaction aligned with the 'just transition’ concept, introduced in the Paris Agreement.

Bonds are credit instruments used by companies in need of financing. The company in question issues this debt product in order to obtain liquidity from the financial markets. But how does a bond issue take place? What steps must be followed from the moment the company decides to issue a bond until their subsequent placement and sale on the market?

Garanti Bank’s Motorcycle Loans were named the best new product at the 2019 Business Awards. This award from such a prestigious international organization represents further recognition of Garanti’s efforts to make its customers’ lives easier through innovative products and services.

BBVA Group paid €4.5 billion in worldwide tax on its own business activities in 2018, 10 percent more than in 2017. According to BBVA’s Total Tax Contribution Report, its total contribution (which is the total of the bank's taxes and those made on behalf of third parties) rose to €9.8 billion. Since 2011 BBVA, in accordance with its commitment to transparency with customers, shareholders, employees, and society as a whole, has voluntarily released its tax information.

BBVA signs with the French electricity company EDF a €300 million sustainability-linked revolving credit facility (RCF) which incorporates a pricing adjustment based on the company’s sustainability performance linked to CO2 emissions and energy efficiency.

One lesson from the crisis is just how important it is for international standards like Basel to be applied uniformly across countries. Furthermore, decisions related to compliance with standards, such as equivalence or mutual recognition through which countries declare that their regulations are aligned, should not be left to the full discretion of national authorities. Reports international authorities already carry out could be used for this purpose, allowing countries in adherence with the standards to receive equivalence, or mutual recognition.