BBVA's results for the first three months of 2018 surpassed market estimates by a wide margin. Banking analysts reacted positively to the results of both the Group and its regional franchises, which outperformed consensus forecasts. On the whole, analyst reports focused on the bank’s revenue strength, cost containment efforts, and impairment losses below expected levels.

Born in Chantada (Lugo), Spain, in 1944.

Graduated in Economic and Business Sciences from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

BBVA’s strategy to bolster digitization translates into more digital sales, which are the main driver of total sales thanks to their impact on customer satisfaction and efficiency. These were some of the key insights shared by BBVA CEO Carlos Torres Vila during the bank’s Q1-18 conference call: “Digitization helps us improve efficiency while driving profit growth,” he said.

BBVA Compass Bancshares, Inc., a Sunbelt-based bank holding company (BBVA Compass), reported today net income of $209 million for the first quarter of 2018 compared to $52 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 ($173 million(1) adjusted for the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) and $121 million earned during the first quarter of 2017. Earnings in the quarter represented a 20 percent increase from adjusted earnings(1) in the fourth quarter and a 73 percent increase from year ago levels. Return on average assets and return on tangible equity(2) for the first quarter of 2018 were 0.96 percent and 10.51 percent, respectively.

These are the ratios that show up the financial position of a bank. This is a disclosure of BBVA’s ratios calculated as of March 2018.

BBVA posted a net attributable profit of €1.34 billion between January and March 2018, up 11.8 percent compared to the same period of 2017 (+22.3 percent in constant terms) and the highest quarterly result in the past three years. During Q1-18, BBVA Group’s net attributable profit grew across all regions year-on-year. A solid performance of recurring revenues, moderation in operating expenses and the drop in impairment losses on financial assets and provisions were the main drivers supporting this growth.

BBVA kicked off 2018 with a strong performance. First-quarter earnings confirm the positive trends seen in the previous quarters. “We had a very solid start of the year, with solid and recurring results. The significant progress in the transformation highlights the success of our strategy,” said BBVA CEO Carlos Torres Vila.

These are the keys to BBVA’s results in the first quarter of this year:

• Transformation: Digital sales grew in all regions and accounted for 37 percent of total in Q1-18. Clients banking through digital channels rose 25 percent yoy, while those using mobile devices grew 43 percent. Such exponential growth contributed to the strength of recurring revenues, and the efficiency ratio reached its best reading since June 2012
• Income: Driven by strong recurring revenues and cost containment efforts, the operating income grew 5.1 percent yoy in constant terms
• Risks: Risk indicators continued to perform positively. At the end of March, the NPL ratio stood at 4.4 percent, with coverage of 73 percent
• Capital: BBVA’s pro forma fully-loaded CET1 ratio -including the already announced agreements of BBVA Chile and Cerberus, which are to be concluded later this year- stood at 11.47 percent at the end of March

Carlos Torres Vila (born in Salamanca, 24 February 1966) is the CEO of BBVA. Carlos Torres Vila joined BBVA in 2008 as head of Strategy and Corporate Development and a member of its Executive Committee. In 2014 he became head of Digital Banking until May 2015 when he was appointed as Group’s CEO.