The wealth management sector is a unique area of the financial industry. Like two merging streams, it can easily blur the lines of consumer and business banking, and mix it into a quickly moving entity that changes at every curve.

BBVA placed on Thursday a $2-billion issue of senior preferred debt filed with the U.S. SEC. The issue consists of two tranches, with a maturity of three and five years: The three-year tranche accounted for $1.2 billion, while the five-year one reached $800 million. Demand topped a maximum of $5 billion, with 210 orders, and the book closed with orders of $4.5 billion: $2.5 billion for the three-year tranche and $2 billion for the five-year tranche. Investors’ appetite allowed for the starting price to be set lower. The interest rate has been set at the U.S. Treasury rate plus 75 basis points spread for the three-year tranche (versus a starting spread of 100 bps) and a 100 bps spread for the five-year tranche (vs. a starting spread of 125 bps).

The COVID-19 crisis is pushing vulnerable groups – those bearing the economic brunt of the crisis – to the limit. Leora Klapper, lead economist of the World Bank’s Development Research Group and member of the Advisory Board of the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability, analyzes the key factors to boosting these groups’ economic resilience and promoting their financial inclusion.

BBVA and the Korean energy company, SK Innovation, have signed a working capital loan of €100 million to expand the company’s electric vehicle battery manufacturing facilities in Europe. This transaction is the first working capital loan certified by BBVA in Asia in compliance with its sustainable transaction banking framework.

BBVA USA recently released a BBVA PPP Loan Forgiveness Webinar to help small business owners prepare for the forgiveness phase of the small business relief component of the CARES Act. 

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila participated in the Plenary Session of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, where he emphasized that the recovery in Spain may open up an opportunity to “quickly embrace” a more digital economy. For this, he considers that digitization should be a priority for businesses – especially SMEs – and any progress in this sense will greatly depend on public investments and the amplification effect derived from private initiatives. He also noted that “the role of banks has been pivotal, not only amplifying the impact of public money, but also aligning targets.”

In what has been a steady flow of awards from Greenwich Associates, BBVA USA was recently recognized by the financial industry research firm for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analyst firm reports for the most part agree that BBVA presented solid numbers for the second quarter of 2020 and particularly stress the positive quarterly performance of its capital ratio.

BBVA’s chief executive officer presented the media with 2020’s second quarter results. Onur Genç expects the bank to “certainly beat our capital target by the end of the year,” given that in June the bank had already hit the high end of its target range. He therefore believes that “in 2021, we will return to paying dividends,” as per recommendations the supervisory authority may make.