BBVA has been awarded the Inhouse Team of the Year in the Banks & Financial Institutions category at the 2024 Iberian Lawyer Gold Awards, in recognition of the work of its legal team and their ability to address challenges within the financial sector.

BBVA CFO Luisa Gómez Bravo reported this Thursday, during an investor conference organized by JP Morgan, that she notes a highly positive dynamic in the Group’s business, which could lead to strong profitability levels (ROTE) in 2025, similar to those of 2024. She explained that this positive outlook for the future is anchored in the Group’s main competitive advantages: excellent franchises with leading positions in the main markets and a strategy based on innovation, digitization and sustainability. Gómez Bravo underscored the strength of BBVA’s business in Mexico: “We have an incredible bank in Mexico that will continue delivering solid returns.”

The top sectors investing through BBVA Mexico's Nearshoring unit are manufacturing, automotive, electronics, technology, and logistics.

BBVA has submitted to the Spanish National Markets and Competition authority (CNMC) a series of unprecedented measures to guarantee financial inclusion, lending to SMEs and competitiveness, especially in Catalonia and the Valencian Community, in order to facilitate a prompt authorization for the combination with Banco Sabadell. The specific commitments being presented include: BBVA will not close offices where there is no other branch nearby and will maintain the commercial terms for individuals and SMEs in those postal codes in which there are fewer than four financial institutions¹. In addition, the bank is committed to maintaining, for 18 months, the working capital lines for all SMEs², and the current total credit volume for those that work exclusively with the two banks. These commitments largely mitigate the risks identified by the CNMC, which are mostly focused on certain territories. The bank will continue to collaborate closely with the authority to finalize the commitment agreement and the authorization of the transaction as soon as possible.

¹For the purpose of competition, BBVA and Banco Sabadell are considered as a single entity.

²Except in case of financial deterioration.

The Banker/Private Wealth Magazine has recognized BBVA as the best private bank in Colombia and Peru in the 2024 edition of the awards. The bank has also been singled out as offering the best high net worth client service in Latin America. The Banker also commended BBVA’s private banks operating in Mexico and Spain.

“We believe that the combination will create significant value for the shareholders of both Sabadell and BBVA, as well as for society in general,” remarked BBVA’s CEO, Onur Genç, while taking part in the 31st Financial Industry Conference organized by ABC and Deloitte. In relation to the ongoing process, the bank’s CEO cited the decision reached on Tuesday, November 12, by the CNMC (Spain’s national competition authority) to commence phase two of the analysis. “We expect the combination to be approved with its full value creation potential.” If this is not the case, i.e. if value creation is compromised, BBVA has the option to withdraw: “We will not hesitate to walk away if it will not create value,” cautioned the bank's CEO. “BBVA will continue to work closely with the authorities to finalize, as soon as reasonably possible, any commitments that may be needed to alleviate any concerns they may have and to get the operation approved.”

The US magazine also proclaimed BBVA the best bank in Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, three key markets for the Group in Latin America.

BBVA is offering Banco Sabadell shareholders the opportunity to participate in the most attractive project in the European banking industry. The integration of both banks will create a stronger, more competitive, and more profitable bank with a greater capacity to support families and businesses in their plans for the future. But apart from an undeniable strategic foundation, what will this integration mean for Banco Sabadell shareholders in terms of their personal finances?

From November 11 to 22, Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan and host of COP29, will be in the spotlight. This Climate Summit, dubbed the "Finance COP," will focus on climate finance—specifically, how to assist developing countries in meeting their goals and protecting the global economy.

BBVA is to donate €4 million to the Spanish Red Cross to help those affected by the DANA in Spain. This donation will be aimed, initially, at covering the most immediate needs and subsequently at contributing to the recovery of the thousands of people who have been affected. This initiative is in addition to a series of emergency measures implemented by BBVA last week, including a donation campaign among customers and employees via Bizum, which has raised over €3 million to date.

BBVA has channeled €26 billion in sustainable business in the third quarter of 2024, reaching a total of €71 billion for the first nine months of the year, a 44 percent increase over the same period last year.

After training more than 50,000 employees in data, BBVA is now busy developing a new program, this time alongside the University of Navarra and focused on the use of tools such as ChatGPT. The aim is to boost productivity by optimizing efficiency in decision-making and daily operations. The program is part of a partnership agreement to train bank employees in data science and new emerging technologies.

During BBVA’s earnings presentation for the third quarter of 2024, the bank’s CEO, Onur Genç was upbeat about the bank’s prospects looking forward, predicated on a clear strategy of profitable growth and sound risk management. Geographic diversification and the ability to adapt to changes in interest rates place BBVA in good stead to face the challenges on the near horizon. Genç also appeared confident that the combination with Banco Sabadell will ultimately go ahead and have a positive impact for Spanish businesses and for the country as a whole.

Garanti BBVA has released its financial statements for January through September 2024, reporting net income of TL 66.95 billion, and total assets of TL 2.88 trillion. The bank provided TL 2.17 trillion in loans, with loans in TL surpassing TL1 trillion.  Customer deposits continued to be the main source of funding, accounting for 70 percent of the bank’s assets. The total customer deposit base reached TL 2.02 trillion, representing 25.9 percent growth in the first nine months of the year. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio stood at 15.8 percent.* Its return on average equity (ROAE) was 32.9 percent and return on average assets (ROAA) was 3.5 percent.

*Calculation does not include forbearance introduced by BRSA

Financial Times and Statista have identified those paving the way for diversity in Europe in their report, ‘Europe’s Diversity Leaders 2025’. The publication ranks BBVA as one of the most diverse companies in Europe; it is the top Spanish bank on the list and 13th in the entire banking sector.

Garanti BBVA recently hosted Istanbul Venture Day to bolster the startup ecosystem and contribute to innovation in the fintech sector. The event was organized in collaboration with Fintech Istanbul and IE University of Madrid as part of its Venture Day series, with the participation of the Spanish and Italian consulates. Fintech startups had the opportunity to meet with Italian and Spanish investors, and learn about the markets and investment opportunities in these countries.

Cover photo: From left to right Garanti BBVA EVP, Ceren Acer Kezik, Zuzzuu Co-Founder & CEO, Ahmet Sukuroglu and IE University Chairman, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Juan José Güemes.

BBVA Asset Management (AM) has launched a pilot project capable of applying blockchain technology to asset management, in line with its strategy of harnessing innovation for the benefit of its clients. To succeed, it has registered a short-term fixed-income ‘tokenized’ investment fund through the regulatory sandbox of the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV).

Garanti BBVA Kripto aims to provide the highest standards in terms of performance, security, and customer trust  for digital assets. It does so by establishing strategic partnerships with Ripple for the services provided by  its subsidiary; and with IBM for secure custody solutions for its crypto asset trading platform, which serves more than 14,000 users.

Garanti BBVA welcomed the second century of the Turkish Republic with a sculpture by Metin Yurdanur, a renowned Turkish artist. Located at the bank’s headquarters in Zincirlikuyu, Istanbul, the ‘Republic Monument’ represents the ideals introduced by Atatürk enduring throughout the second century. Atatürk's light is carried into the future by the Turkish youth, with waves symbolizing the dynamic and enthusiastic values of the Republic. Standing at 6 meters tall with a 1.5-meter concrete base, the piece is crafted in cast bronze and stainless steel, and was designed exclusively for BBVA’s Turkish franchise.

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BBVA reinforces its strategy in Latin America with an ambitious expansion plan in Brazil, the largest wholesale market in the region. With a growing team and a strong focus on sustainability, the entity plans to deploy local capabilities by 2025 to serve more than 250 key companies in Brazil.

The Garanti BBVA-sponsored fire prevention partnership dubbed ‘Türkiye's Life: Fire Management Grant Program’ and headed by WWF Türkiye has successfully completed three new projects. One initiative, managed by Natura, focused on protecting caracal populations; another developed an eco-kit to leverage local knowledge and practices for preventing and fighting forest fires in the Köyceğiz-Gökova area; while the third project implemented fire-resilient production models.

BBVA is the world’s thirteenth most advanced bank on account of its ongoing efforts to integrate data and AI technologies, according to the Evident AI Index. More precisely, the bank ranks first in Spain and fourth in Europe, where it is widely recognized as offering outstanding professional development opportunities for its AI specialists and for having defined a Group-wide strategy that permeates the upper echelons of the organization.

BBVA and the owners of El Celler de Can Roca have renewed their partnership for three more years. On the 10th anniversary of the sponsorship, they are celebrating this alliance that has emerged from their shared values, and plan to continue developing new projects.

BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila participated on Thursday in a new edition of the BBVA Spark Summit in Barcelona, where he made a commitment, in front of more than 400 tech companies and investors, to continue promoting Catalonia as a key center of innovation and entrepreneurship. In this regard, he emphasized that the integration with Banco Sabadell aims to build “a stronger, more competitive and more profitable bank” that provides the support that entrepreneurs and businesses in general need. He also underscored the potential of Catalonia, and Barcelona in particular, as an innovation hub, attracting investors, businesses and talent.

BBVA was presented the ‘Sustainability Action 24’ award by Compromiso RSE for the bank’s support of the clean technology ecosystem. The organization specifically recognizes the creation of a unit dedicated exclusively to financing cleantech, as well as BBVA being the only financial institution participating in the ‘Cleantech for Iberia’ initiative.

A takeover bid is an offer to purchase a company's shares from its shareholders. Deciding to accept a takeover bid is voluntary, but it is essential to consider all options and evaluate their potential consequences.

New York Climate Week, held alongside the United Nations General Assembly during the last week of September, has confirmed its status as a key venue—second only to the COPs—for advancing the global sustainability agenda.

The combination between BBVA and Banco Sabadell, once approved, will create a stronger, more efficient institution that is better able to compete in the European and global landscape. The resulting bank, with more than 100 million customers worldwide and almost 7,000 branches, will generate value for all stakeholders: shareholders, customers, employees and society as a whole.

BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila, together with more than 110 Chairs and CEOs of large global companies, has joined a new declaration encouraging global leaders and the participants of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku (COP29) to “double down on climate action.”  This letter from the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, promoted by the World Economic Forum (WEF), calls on governments and companies to join forces and address challenges because “every fraction of a degree counts” in the race to net zero emissions by 2050.

BBVA was recognized by Global Finance as the bank with the best open banking services for companies globally. This award joins 12 other accolades that the prestigious magazine has presented to the bank this year. On a global level, the awards for the best bank for corporate clients, and the award recognizing BBVA’s AI Factory as one of the best financial innovation laboratories stand out. By country, Spain was recognized as having the best sustainable finance and is considered the most innovative bank for companies, and Peru received the award for the best bank for SMEs.

Sara Magaña, BBVA app product owner and Gerardo Mongelli, Cloud architect, tell us about their experience at BBVA

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BBVA’s CEO Onur Genç remarked on Monday that the integration of BBVA and Banco Sabadell will be beneficial to Spain and its economy, and made a point of emphasizing the bank’s “firm commitment to SMEs.” According to Genç, this integration will enhance lending to small and mid-sized companies (SMEs). “We are doing this transaction to boost lending, particularly to SMEs,” he stated while taking part in the 15th Financial Forum organized by Spanish newspaper Expansión and KPMG. “It wouldn’t make sense to carry out this transaction to reduce the segment we value the most at Banco Sabadell,” he added.