BBVA Research published its July auto sales chartbook, noting vehicle sales exceeded expectations for the quarter, resulting in an upward revision to the economists’ annual forecast.  However, sales were still 33.7 percent below levels observed in 2Q2019, the worst decline since 2Q09.

The BBVA Research team published its economic analysis of the drop in gross domestic product for second quarter 2020, noting it is the steepest decline in over-the-quarter growth since 1937, in the aftermath of the Great Depression.

As companies across the globe struggle to find a balance between protecting the health and safety of employees and maintaining an efficient and effective workforce, BBVA is using its highly visible leadership team to meet that challenge with frequent transparent updates.

BBVA USA Indirect Auto Executive Melissa Sacher was named to American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Banking: Next. Now in its second year, the list recognizes the accomplishments of women age 40 and under in the banking industry.

April 2020 marked a high point in U.S. investments in environmental, social and governance (ESG)-themed exchange-traded funds in April 2020, according to analysts with BBVA Global Market Research. Nearly $2.8 billion flowed into equity and fixed income ETFs during the month, compared to the previous record of $2.4 billion in January 2020.

The BBVA Research team published its insights into the economic impact of possible presidential election outcomes in 2020, noting that a divided government is unlikely to make significant policy changes, resulting in a continuation of the status quo in terms of growth.

Simple, a subsidiary of BBVA USA, today announced the addition of Carrie Roso to the company’s corporate leadership team. Roso will serve as Director of Marketing for the fintech.

The BBVA Research team has published two reports: its U.S. Regional Outlook for July, highlighting key factors impacting regional economies, along with its economic analysis of the U.S. employment report. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact job growth and other economic indicators.

BBVA USA continues its strong push to provide financial education opportunities in the communities it serves, despite the continuing challenge of pandemic related stay-at-home orders in many areas.

BBVA USA announced earlier this week that it would close offices across its footprint in commemoration of Juneteenth, creating an opportunity to cultivate a deeper understanding of our individual and collective roles in standing against systemic racism and social injustice.

BBVA USA will close all offices across its footprint at 1pm Friday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.

It’s a constant refrain among leaders at BBVA USA that theirs is an organization of people helping people, and that means addressing both sides of the people equation – customers and employees. Not surprising, then, that the bank’s five-year strategic plan contains pillars that focus on both.

The BBVA Research team has published its unemployment insights for May 2020, noting that the economy appears to have reached bottom and that the recovery is underway.

Operational excellence provides the foundation upon which the hallmarks of superior performance are built. This is true for companies of all sizes in all industries, and BBVA USA is no exception.

The BBVA Research team has published its Economic Outlook for second quarter 2020, offering a look at how the U.S. economy might recover in a post-COVID world.

BBVA USA announced today it awarded $600,000 to Feeding America®, a nationwide network of food banks. The organization will distribute funds to food banks across the bank’s geographic footprint.

While banks across the country struggle to keep up with the onslaught of loan applications from small businesses racing to access Paycheck Protection Program funds, employees at BBVA USA found a unique solution: volunteers.

The BBVA Research team has published its U.S. Macroeconomic Pulse for April 2020, offering insight into the economic outlook as well as macro fundamentals.

When the pandemic relief legislation known as the CARES Act passed in late March, BBVA USA recognized that an online application for the Act’s Payroll Protection Program (PPP) would be the best way to expedite funding and ensure the safety and health of its customers and employees.

As small businesses across the country struggle with challenges from decreased sales to mandatory shut-downs tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, BBVA USA employees worked fervently to ensure the bank was one of the first in the U.S. to accept applications for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program.

Simple,a subsidiary of BBVA USA, today announced another addition to its rapidly growing list of products and features for its online customers with the launch of its No-Penalty CD.

BBVA USA today announced it will be one of the first banks in the U.S. to begin processing customer applications for the Paycheck Protection Program, a key small business relief component of the recently passed CARES Act and administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA).

According to the publication released from BBVA Research, When will the U.S. economy recover from the infection?, the experience of countries that have transitioned beyond the worst phase of the pandemic suggest that the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. could peak in the spring or early summer.

As millions of Americans face the prospect of being quarantined — either self-imposed or medically necessary — all of us are looking for creative ways to accomplish our daily chores and activities.

Simple, a subsidiary of BBVA USA, today announced the addition of Moin Moinuddin to the company’s corporate leadership. Moinuddin will serve as Vice President of Engineering for the neobank.

BBVA often is quoted as saying that the future of finance is financing the future – in part, this means that the bank believes that financial institutions play a key role in the transition to a more sustainable economy.

The BBVA Research team has published its Economic Outlook for first quarter 2020, offering a look at a number of timely events and their anticipated economic impact.

Simple, a subsidiary of BBVA USA, today announced its automatic savings program, Round-up Rules, reached a benchmark of more than $1.2 million in customer savings accounts.

Nonfinancial debt, specifically the relatively high ratio of business leverage, is drawing attention from economists working in policy and finance spheres, according to a recent publication by BBVA Senior Economist Filip Blazheski.

BBVA Research published its January auto sales chartbook, noting vehicle sales were 16.9 million in 2019, down 1.7% from 2018. While the sales results are still solid, 2019 sales were the lowest since 2014.

According to the publication released this week from BBVA Research, U.S. Macroeconomic Pulse for January 2020, the current baseline assumes growth of 1.8% in 2020, with a potential upside emerging.  The paper further notes that model-based recession projections suggest probability around 30% over the next 24-months.

BBVA USA highlighted the work its employees do to share knowledge and empower community members through financial education in its recent submission to the Boston College Corporate Citizenship Film Festival.

BBVA Chief U.S. Economist Nathaniel Karp, a member of the American Bankers Association (ABA) Economic Advisory Committee, joined the group’s other 14 economists in providing a detailed forecast for the coming year.

BBVA USA received a perfect score of 100 on the 2020 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. The bank joins the ranks of over 680 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.

Forbes contributor Blake Morgan highlighted in a recent article that digital transformation and customer experience go hand in hand. She goes on to share 100 statistics that demonstrate the growth and importance of digital transformation and its impact on customer experience, as well as the digital challenges and opportunities that companies are likely to face in the future.

BBVA Research released its U.S. Recession Risk Monitor, noting that the probability of a recession within the coming 12 months is at a one-year low, with the likelihood at 30 percent.

BBVA USA Jacksonville Market CEO Nelson Bradshaw was named by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to serve a second term in the Florida Development Finance Corporation (FDFC). Bradshaw, who serves as the organization’s treasurer, was one of four members announced and the only returning member.

BBVA USA was named one of the Best Regional Banks of 2020 by GOBankingRates, an online resource that helps consumers find the best financial products nationwide.

BBVA Research released its U.S. Oil Prices Outlook, highlighting the expectation that oil production will expand further in 2020, though at a slower pace.

BBVA USA announced today Murat Kalkan will be responsible for the bank’s mortgage and home equity business across the U.S. including mortgage and home equity originations, servicing, secondary marketing, and portfolio management.

The City of Birmingham last week celebrated the opening of phase one of the new $79.6 million Villas at Titusville housing community and the groundbreaking of phase two, slated for completion in 2020.

BBVA USA pledged today to put nearly $15.5 billion in lending, investments and services toward supporting low- and moderate-income individuals and neighborhoods in the U.S. over the next six years, renewing its 2014 5-year $11 billion commitment to boost economic development across all the communities in its footprint.

More than 2,600 BBVA USA employees participated in the bank’s annual Week of Service during the week of Oct. 7. Employees across the bank’s footprint participated in 227 events, including Habitat for Humanity projects, food bank initiatives, community clean up efforts, and financial education workshops for individuals and small businesses. Their efforts generated more than 8,000 volunteer hours across the bank’s footprint.

The American Heart Association (AHA) yesterday named BBVA USA to its 2019 Workplace Health Achievement Index, a comprehensive annual survey that uses science-based and evidence-informed methods to evaluate the overall effectiveness of workplace health programs across the nation.

BBVA recently completed its 49th investment in community development financial institutions (CDFIs), moving its total investment in the community catalysts to $100 million in the U.S. three months ahead of its five-year target.

BBVA USA today became one of the Founding Signatories of the Principles for Responsible Banking, committing to strategically align its business with the Sustainable Development Goals.

• U.S. is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), making its involvement in the fight against climate change a matter of critical importance.
• Efforts outside the federal government could enable the U.S. to fulfill two-thirds of its commitment to reduce GHG emissions.

Banks, with their array of financial service offerings and bottom-line image, may not seem like natural cheerleaders for sustainable corporate practices. Your banker, after all, doesn’t make a living sourcing fair-trade chocolate for candy bars or producing renewable biomass fuel. Banks, however, play an increasingly significant role in promoting sustainable activities that support a clean environment, vulnerable populations and human rights, among other goals through their internal practices and through the enterprises they finance.

The Montrose Center broke ground Tuesday on its affordable senior independent living center in Houston, as part of the organization’s mission to empower primarily LGBTQ individuals and their families, to enjoy healthier and more fulfilling lives.