The Bank of Spain closed last year with a profit of 234 million euros, which are transferred directly to the Public Treasury, as the entity collects in its annual accounts. With this result, the body chaired by José Luis Escrivá overcomes the two consecutive years of operating losses with which it closed 2023 and 2024, as happened with all central banks that are part of the Eurosystem, including the European Central Bank (ECB).

A few months ago, the global financial sector began to show signs of concern, especially in the United States, due to the collapse of First Brands, Tricolor Holdings, and the credit fraud cases of regional banks Zions Bancorporation and Western Alliance. Credit panic began to set in in the markets, also on the Old Continent, with stock market declines contagious from Wall Street. Just a few days ago, the bankruptcy of the British mortgage broker MFS (Markets Financial Solutions) also splashed several lending entities, including Barclays and Banco Santander, with a millionaire credit exposure.

Caixa Ingenieros earned €26.5 million in 2025, an 11% increase, achieving record results for the third consecutive year. However, the global context of uncertainty has also affected the bank's accounts: "Interest rates have been falling, and that has affected us. We are a bank, and therefore we are not immune to what is happening in the market. Our scenario for 2026 is for interest rates to remain at the closing rate, which we have offset with expenses," stated the bank's CEO, Juanjo Llopis, during the results presentation this Tuesday. These results were the first of a full year with Llopis as CEO, who took over from Joan Cavallé at the beginning of the year. "We have achieved a new record result for the bank, which makes us very proud and allows us to face the future with strength and confidence," Llopis explained. Business volume rose to €9.269 billion, an 8% year-on-year increase; net interest income fell 2.8% to €74.1 million in a context of declining interest rates; and gross income declined 0.66% to €122.4 million, according to the results published Tuesday by the cooperative group. The year ended with 220,080 members, a 1.7% increase, representing an additional 4,000 members in absolute terms. "We are a community-focused bank, and that's what drives our membership growth. We've gone from having 31 company-owned branches to just two shared ones," the group explained. Of the 33 branches, 10 are in Barcelona, ​​12 in the rest of Catalonia, and 11 in the rest of Spain. Credit investment increased by 5.1% to €2.079 billion, with the majority going to personal loans (€1.482 billion, up 2.5%). Business lending rose by 12.4% to €597 million. New loan originations increased by 10% to €626 million. Llopis explained that they encountered a "particularly competitive" market in this sector, in a year in which banks increased mortgage lending. Forecasts for 2026

"Looking ahead to 2026, uncertainties persist, and we are in a period of high volatility, mainly due to geopolitical tensions, wars, tariffs, the focus on taxation, and sovereign debt markets; but everything will depend on how long the conflict with Iran lasts," he noted. In fact, the CEO has anticipated a possible interest rate hike should the conflict in the Middle East drag on. This will be the year that culminates the group's current strategic plan, the so-called 'Transform 2026 Plan'. The credit union expects to close the year with around 230,000 members and a business volume of approximately €10 billion. The institution also forecasts that profitability (ROE) will fall to 9.35% and the non-performing loan ratio to 2.4%.

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Since 2008, there has been a veritable tsunami in the banking sector. Financial institutions have closed 6,000 branches in Catalonia since then, thus increasing the risk of financial exclusion, according to a report by the Catalan Competition Authority (ACCO). This process has resulted from various consolidation initiatives, such as CaixaBank's acquisition of Bankia. Consequently, Catalonia, along with Andalusia and Madrid—the most populous autonomous communities—has the fewest bank branches per 100,000 inhabitants, according to data from the Bank of Spain. The ACCO analysis, which previously produced a similar report opposing BBVA's takeover bid for Banc Sabadell (a bid that ultimately failed), also warns of the risks of excessive concentration in certain areas and responds to a motion from the Parliament of Catalonia regarding the need to establish a public banking system focused on economic development. The consolidation of the banking sector in Catalonia has been accompanied by branch closures, a decrease in the number of ATMs, and job losses. Between 2008 and 2024, Catalonia lost 6,038 branches, a 74% reduction. As a result, 503 Catalan municipalities (53% of the total) have no bank branches and 435 (46%) have no ATMs. This process has also led to the disappearance of the 10 existing savings banks and a significant increase in concentration: the four largest banks together operate 85% of the branches. According to the study, "the concentration of the retail banking market in Catalonia can be considered high, both in terms of the availability of bank branches and the amount of credit granted." The study adds that "generally, these are markets with an oligopoly structure in which CaixaBank has a significant market share, followed by BBVA, Sabadell, and Santander. Only in a few specific cases do other entities have a considerable market share, such as Ibercaja in the province of Lleida." According to the study, CaixaBank operates 39.22% of branches (828), BBVA 18.85% (398), Banco Sabadell 15.92% (336), and Banco Santander 10.90% (230). The fifth largest bank, Ibercaja, has only 3.27% of branches (69), and the remaining entities, combined, have a market share of 11.84% (250). Currently, only Banc Sabadell, which relinquished its headquarters last year during BBVA's takeover bid, Caixa Ingenieros, and Caixa Guissona have their registered offices in Catalonia. CaixaBank has one in Valencia, although its owner, the La Caixa Foundation, and its investment arm, Criteria, relocated it to Barcelona last year. In total, there are 29 deposit-taking institutions operating in Catalonia.

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BBVA's board of directors will propose the appointment of Catalan Jordi Montalbo Todolí as an independent director to the next shareholders' meeting. With this move, the bank, chaired by Carlos Torres Vila, aims to underscore its commitment to Catalonia following the collapse of its takeover bid for Banc Sabadell last October. Montalbo, born in 1965, is an independent director of Med Vida (Mediterráneo Vida, SA de Seguros y Reaseguros) and spent much of his career at Deloitte, from 1990 to 2022. At the consulting firm, he specialized in sector auditing. He held prominent positions such as partner in charge of insurance in Spain, as well as partner in audit and insurance for financial services and co-lead audit leader for the insurance sector in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The prospective BBVA director holds a degree in economics and business administration from the University of Barcelona. He holds a high level of technical specialization as an insurance actuary from the same university. He has also completed several training and development programs both in Spain and abroad. His appointment is subject to verification by the European Central Bank (ECB) to confirm that he meets the regulatory requirements for suitability to serve as a board member.

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Several banks have announced that they will tighten mortgage conditions throughout 2026. Prices will rise, and lending standards will be stricter. This shift comes after a record-breaking 2025. The official explanation cites prudence and the need to avoid future risks in the real estate market.

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For the four largest banks in Spain, 2025 was not a bad year. In fact, with the exception of Banco Sabadell, CaixaBank, Banco Santander, and BBVA all posted record profits. However, the bank originating in the Vallès region closed the year with a net loss. match ball from the hostile takeover bid and will continue, for now, on the independent path it has so strongly advocated. In total, both entities have achieved a record profit of €32.278 billion this year. If the profits of Bankinter and Unicaja are added to that figure, the final total is €34 billion, more than double what they earned just four years ago (€16.289 billion).

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BBVA has definitively buried the chapter on the hostile takeover bid for Banc Sabadell. Now the financial institution wants to focus on the strategic plan outlined last summer, which requires continued growth, but independently, both within and outside the Spanish market. With the possibility of acquiring Sabadell now gone, Torres has closed the door on any alternative: "There are no possibilities for consolidation in Spain now that the Sabadell deal has passed," the executive stated. Likewise, when asked about the acquisition that Banco Santander has just announced in the United States, the BBVA chairman affirmed that the bank feels "no pressure to make an acquisition." "We must have a plan that generates organic value for shareholders," Carlos Torres reiterated during the presentation of the 2025 results, which are once again record-breaking – between January and December of last year, the bank earned €10.511 billion, a 4.5% increase. BBVA, in fact, decided to sell part of its US business in 2020. "It was the right decision," Torres stated. Santander, on the other hand, is taking the opposite approach: "You can't be a global bank without being in the United States," Ana Botín argued this Tuesday. Her words have been interpreted as a kind of lesson at the Bilbao-based bank. "I don't know what it means to be a global bank," Torres asserted, avoiding any comment on Santander's €12.2 billion acquisition of Webster Bank.

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More population, lower density of bank branches. Catalonia, along with Andalusia and Madrid, the most populated autonomous communities, has the fewest bank branches per 100,000 inhabitants, according to data from the Bank of Spain. And regions like Extremadura, La Rioja, and Aragon, with smaller or more dispersed populations, are among those with the most. However, in both cases, the reduction in networks and supply, with the disappearance of savings banks through their transformation or absorption by other entities, has been drastic since the peak reached in 2008, the year the financial crisis erupted.

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Another historic year for CaixaBank. The bank, chaired by Tomàs Muniesa and with Gonzalo Gortázar as CEO, closed 2015 with a record profit of €5.891 billion, 1.8% higher than the previous year, according to the results published this Friday with the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV). In the last quarter, the bank's profit was €1.494 billion, 3.4% higher than in the previous quarter. "It has been a very positive year for the bank, and therefore also positive for the Spanish economy," stated the bank's CEO, Gonzalo Gortázar, during the press conference presenting the results in Valencia, where the bank maintains its headquarters – "and there are no plans to change it in the coming years" despite the Gortázar incident. "We have exceeded the expectations for the first year of the strategic plan," he noted.

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German police raided Deutsche Bank offices in Frankfurt and Berlin on Wednesday on suspicion of money laundering, just one day before the bank was due to release its financial results for the past year. The Frankfurt prosecutor's office reported that executives and employees, whose identities have not been released, are under investigation, according to the weekly magazine. Der SpiegelA Deutsche Bank spokesperson confirmed to EFE the search of its offices and stated that they are fully cooperating with the Public Prosecutor's Office. "We confirm that a measure ordered by the Frankfurt Public Prosecutor's Office is currently being implemented at Deutsche Bank's offices," the spokesperson for the German bank said. Deutsche Bank shares fell 3% to €32.48 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange during the day, following news of the investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt). The investigation focuses on Deutsche Bank's past business dealings with foreign companies suspected of being created for money laundering and owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, according to reports. Der SpiegelAbramovich has been on the European Union's (EU) sanctions list since spring 2022. Approximately 30 plainclothes police officers searched Deutsche Bank's headquarters offices starting at 10 a.m., according to the weekly magazine.

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Bankinter's CEO, Gloria Ortiz, continues to see "irrationality" in the mortgage market and has once again ruled out entering into any kind of price war for home loans. During the presentation of the 2025 results, in which the bank surpassed €1 billion in profit for the first time, she denounced that some institutions are selling mortgages at 2% or 2.20% when the curve swap The 30-year yield is currently around 3%.

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Changes in CaixaBank's management committee. The board of directors has decided that Jordi Mondéjar will be the new head of business, replacing Jaume Masana, who will assume the role of CEO of SegurCaixa Adeslas, replacing Javier Murillo. Mariona Vicens will retain her position as head of digital transformation and advanced analytics And, in addition, it will assume responsibility for CaixaBank Payments & Consumer (CPC) and Imagin. At the same time, the current risk management department will be divided into two areas: the credit risk admission and monitoring department, which will be led by Manuel Galarza, and the risk management and compliance department, headed by Natividad Capella, who will join the management committee. With these changes, "the entity is adapting to an increasingly digital environment, driving technological disruption, and simplifying its organizational structure," according to a statement. Meanwhile, the sustainability area, which will now report to the business management division, will also integrate social action. And the accounting, management control, and capital department, headed by Matthias Bulach, will also integrate the area of public affairsFurthermore, to facilitate a structured and orderly transition at SegurCaixa Adeslas – whose general insurance company CaixaBank holds a 49.9% stake through VidaCaixa, and Mutua Madrileña a 50% stake – Murillo will continue as CEO, with the support of Jaume Masana as deputy CEO, until his reappointment. Masana, Eugenio Solla (formerly of Bankia, which was absorbed by CaixaBank), who headed the sustainability area and is joining the business side under Mondéjar, and Jordi Nicolau, who led Payments & Consumer, which will now be headed by Mariona Vicens, are leaving the current management committee. The new addition to the management committee is Natividad Capella, director of risk management and compliance. These changes to the management committee are subject to suitability verification by the European Central Bank (ECB). According to CaixaBank, "these changes allow us to evolve towards a digital ecosystem, promoting innovation and technological disruption as drivers of transformation in the financial sector." The new CaixaBank management committee will continue to be chaired by Gonzalo Gortázar, the bank's CEO, and will consist of the following executives:

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The magazine Time The February 15, 1999, issue of the magazine featured three men on its cover with a condescending air and the headline "The Committee to Save the World." In the center, Alan Greenspan, then the all-powerful chairman of the Federal Reserve (the Fed, the US central bank), appeared surrounded by US Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and his deputy, Lawrence "Larry" Summers. The magazine highlighted the three economists' role in managing the recent financial crises in Mexico, Southeast Asia, and Russia. That cover served as a springboard for Summers, the least known of the three. In July of that same year, 1999, he replaced Rubin as head of the Treasury (equivalent to the Ministry of Economy) and for many years was one of the most respected economists in the US, where he stood out as one of the architects of the Democratic Party's neoliberal shift: he was a staunch advocate of financial deregulation, free trade, and free markets.

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In 25 years, the financial landscape has changed dramatically: from extensive branch networks to digital banking and the decline of physical branches, which has led public administrations, such as the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Barcelona Provincial Council, to launch mobile banking service concessions. From 2010 to the present day, two-thirds of bank branches have disappeared. In fact, there are now the same number as there were in 1970. And more than 100,000 jobs have been lost in the sector. When Fibanc, the institution founded in 1983 by financier Carles Tusquets, was born, competition among banks was about who had the most branches, the exact opposite of today. And, at the end of 2000, long before the financial crisis that devastated a portion of the financial system, Tusquets opted to merge with the Italian bank Mediolanum. It was a newly established entity, founded some four years earlier in 1997, family-owned and managed by Ennio Doris – today his son Massimo is the CEO of the parent company and his sister Sara is the vice president and also of the subsidiary in Spain.

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Caixa Ingenieros will close this year with another 4,000 members, reaching a total of 220,000. 2025 will be another record-breaking year, according to the bank's CEO, Juanjo Llopis, speaking at a press conference to review his first year in the position, having succeeded Joan Cavallé. In fact, the bank expects to surpass last year's result of €24 million. The goal of the Transforma 2026 strategic plan is to end this period with 230,000 members. Llopis also spoke highly of the mobile banking service, which the bank won in a tender issued by the Generalitat (the Catalan government) for towns without bank branches. He explained that this service has allowed them to add 400 members, representing 10% of all those acquired during 2025, to the routes they operate in the Girona, Tarragona, and Anoia areas. These routes, for which CaixaBank also won the tender, have received 1,700 visits and 1,900 ATM transactions. They also plan to maintain their proximity banking strategy by opening between one and three new branches next year. This year, they have added three in Catalonia: Vilanova i la Geltrú, Vic, and Manresa, and one in Alicante. The intention is to continue opening branches in regional capitals and some municipalities where they currently offer mobile banking services. They also plan to open branches in other provincial capitals outside of Catalonia where they do not yet have a presence. Currently, they have branches in Bilbao, Zaragoza, Seville (2), Málaga, Palma, Valencia (2), and Madrid (3).

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Qivalis is the name of the consortium of 10 European banks, including CaixaBank, that will launch their own digital currency during the second half of next year. Specifically, a stablecoinThat is, a digital currency linked in this case to the euro. stablecoin It will allow for near-instantaneous, low-cost payments and settlements, available 24/7, including cross-border transactions, improved supply chain management, and settlement of digital assets such as securities and cryptocurrencies.

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As Spain prepares to close a record year for mortgage signings, potentially exceeding 500,000 across the country—levels not seen in fifteen years—a changing cycle is beginning with rising interest rates. "Most financial institutions are raising interest rates on home loans" because no further rate cuts are expected in the short term from the European Central Bank (ECB), explains the comparison website HelpMyCash.

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Banc Sabadell sets a new profit record. The bank earned a total of €1.39 billion between January and September of this year, representing a 7.3% increase compared to the same period in 2014. These third-quarter results are the bank's first since the lengthy BBVA takeover bid process. which was rejected after receiving the support of only 25.47% of the voting rightsAnd these announcements come as the euphoria of having overcome the takeover bid by the Basque bank is still palpable, and as the private celebration this Saturday approaches. The bank has rented the Sant Jordi Palace in Barcelona and expects some 9,000 employees to attend to celebrate the resolution of the case and thank them for their efforts during this time.

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CaixaBank closed the first nine months of the year with a net profit of €4.397 billion, 3.5% higher than in the same period of the previous year. This growth is attributed to the boost in commercial activity despite the trend towards lower interest rates, according to the bank. As a result of these results, the bank's board has approved an interim dividend of €0.1679 per share, representing 40% of the first-half profit, to be paid against 2025 earnings on November 7. The bank has also decided to launch a new share buyback program, its seventh, valued at €500 million.

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