Over recent years open banking has become synonymous with the digitalization and transformation of the financial sector. New regulation has been one of the major drivers, starting in Europe before quickly spreading around the world.

Analysts praised BBVA’s foresight as the group booked €1.43 billion in provisions during the first quarter to cover the expected impact of COVID-19 on its business. The Group’s capital ratio was another one of the quarter's standouts.  The reports published by analysts also focused on BBVA’s strong top-line growth and the soundness of the messages conveyed by the bank’s management, particularly in connection with its expectations regarding provisions and capital generation.

BBVA and Allianz have reached an agreement to create a bancassurance partnership, aimed at jointly boosting the non-life insurance business in Spain. The partnership brings together two strong and innovative global leaders with common strategic priorities. It also combines the expertise of industry partner Allianz, a leader in innovation and product development in bancassurance, with BBVA’s client knowledge and network distribution, offering customers products and solutions to improve their financial health and that of their businesses. The agreement, which is subject to the approval of regulatory authorities, is expected to generate a net profit of c. €300 million and c. 7 basis points on BBVA Group fully-loaded CET1 capital ratio, according to the initial price set at c. €277 million. Additionally, Allianz could pay up to €100 million more, depending on a series of goals.

BBVA acted as the sole advisory bank and bookrunner in the issue of the bond, Spain’s first in support of the public health system and to combat the COVID -19 outbreak. The bond, issued by the Community of Madrid, was entirely by Spanish insurer MAPFRE, will be the underlying asset of MAPFRE Compromiso Sanitario, the three-year asset-backed fund announced earlier this week by MAPFRE AM.

In order to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis as soon as possible, it is important to adopt measures designed to preserve jobs, especially for SMEs and the self- employed, said BBVA’s Group executive chairman. At this point, “We need to put ourselves in the position of the self employed and business owners,” Carlos Torres Vila said Monday night in an interview with Spanish radio station COPE. In this regard, he stressed the role of banks to help these business endeavors overcome the crisis.

In an op-ed published in El País, Olga Gouveia, Principal Economist at BBVA Research, recalls the importance of banking services - considered essential services by authorities in many countries - in the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, banks are part of the solution and the recovery will be faster if they remain capable of financing the economy.