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).

A new opportunity has arisen for Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo to become president of the Eurogroup, now that the current president, Paschal Donohoe, has resigned to head the World Bank. Air Europa also has a new CEO following the departure of Jesús Nuño de la Rosa, and Josep Santacreu will be the new president of ASCAME. These are the week's most notable appointments:

Banco Santander has just burst into the hostile takeover bid by BBVA for Banc Sabadell, whether it wanted to or not, after a Agreement with the Catalan bank for the purchase of its British subsidiary, TSBThe sale will allow the Vallecas-based bank to distribute an extraordinary dividend to its shareholders. This incentive, chaired by Josep Oliu, is using to discourage shareholders from considering a merger with BBVA attractive, leading them to decide not to accept the offer and, consequently, derail the takeover bid. Beyond the coincidence between the two transactions, these are all the key factors surrounding the TSB operation:

The Catalan financial system is experiencing a new phase that could lead to the loss of the only major bank with its headquarters, Sabadell, which was reclaimed last January after more than seven years in Alicante due to the Process and the referendum. Now, the takeover bid (OPA) for BBVA and the planned subsequent merger are in the hands of the Spanish government. After analyzing the the responses to the unprecedented public consultation called by the executive, The Ministry of Economy has until next Tuesday, the 27th, to submit the file to the Council of Ministers. The Council must then decide whether to object to the merger based on "general interest" criteria, since the free competition criteria were resolved by the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) in a unanimous ruling on April 30th.