BBVA has released the 2021 annual report on the remuneration of directors. For the first time the bank is applying the directors’ remuneration policy approved at the latest Annual General Meeting (AGM), which includes the best practices in the market in terms of compensation. In 2021, a year in which the bank posted its highest recurring result and the highest cash dividend per share of the past ten years, the total remuneration for the Chair and the CEO increased 5 percent and 8 percent, respectively, compared to 2019. The remuneration of 2020 is not comparable as that year both waived their full variable compensation as a gesture of responsibility during a period heavily marked by the pandemic.

The finalization of Basel III, post-COVID regulation, artificial intelligence and the crypto world, or international coordination in the supervision of sustainable finance are some of the trends that will mark the regulatory agenda in 2022. Santiago Fernández de Lis, Head of Regulation at BBVA, reviews the keys to financial regulation in the year that has just begun.

BBVA is the first Spanish bank to launch on the wholesale markets, with a euro-denominated senior non-preferred bond of 1 billion euros. The issue has received a high level of demand of two billion euros - double the target, with 125 orders.

The European Investment Bank Group (EIB and EIF) and BBVA are once again joining forces to support the working capital and liquidity needs of Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the COVID19 crisis, as well as to cover their investment difficulties. To this end, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) will guarantee a junior tranche of a €120 million synthetic securitization of an SME loan portfolio originated by BBVA, enabling the Basque bank to provide more than €960 million in financing to support the investment of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has raised BBVA’s rating to A from A-. The outlook is negative, mirroring the negative outlook of Spain's sovereign rating. S&P underscores BBVA’s strength and geographic diversification, the profitability of its retail banking franchise, its cautious risk management and the strength of its capital, among other factors.

At the 12th Financial Meeting organized today by Expansión and KPMG, BBVA’s CEO said that over the past year the bank has made a series of relevant strategic decisions, such as the sale of its U.S. subsidiary, the largest share buyback in Europe and the takeover bid for a 50.15 percent stake in Turkey’s Garanti BBVA. They all show that “we are very committed to shareholders’ profitability,” he added. Onur Genç also underlined the 2024 objectives that BBVA presented at its Investor Day: “Our goals are very ambitious and we are committed to achieving them.”

The BBVA Investor Day allowed investors to learn firsthand the details and objectives of the bank’s strategy in Turkey. Garanti BBVA CEO Recep Bastug provided information on the country's economic outlook and potential, including Garanti BBVA's performance, competitive advantages and strategies.

During his talk at Investor Day on Thursday, BBVA's Country Manager in Spain, Peio Belausteguigoitia, said that the priority in Spain is profitable growth, which will be based on increasing its customer base. In this regard, he announced that the bank aims to double the annual rate of customer acquisition and expects to attract 3.6 million new customers in the next three years.

BBVA is holding its Investor Day this Thursday, when it will present its plan for the 2021-2024 period. It will focus on turning significant social and environmental challenges - like the technological disruption or decarbonization of the economy - into opportunities for profitable growth while having a positive impact on society. BBVA has released an ambitious set of objectives in terms of efficiency, profitability and tangible book value plus dividends, which it aims to reach in 2024. It also set a customer acquisition objective and reaffirmed its commitment to channel €200 billion of sustainable finance through 2025. Additionally, BBVA has increased its payout to 40-50 percent of its annual consolidated ordinary profit.