BBVA Research keeps making progress in its project to measure the economy in real time and high definition, adding an index to measure investment and its components in its operating countries to its range of Big Data indicators.

Tolkido founder Can Yıldız took part in Garanti BBVA’s Film Gibi Girişimler program through an interview series dedicated to discussing the future with new entrepreneurs and promoting social innovation projects.

BBVA Asset Management signed the Principles for Responsible Investment supported by the United Nations (known as UN PRI), intended to reflect reflecting the increasing relevance of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues to investment practices. The signing of these principles by BBVA Asset Management is global, which is why BBVA's asset managers in Europe, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Argentina have also committed to these principles.

BBVA Mexico has launched BBVA Invest, an innovative and personalized digital advice experience that offers customers and clients access to investment fund portfolios based on their investment goals and risk tolerance assessment.

After debuting its loan offering for eco-friendly cars for individuals, Garanti BBVA announces Turkey’s first green car loan for businesses.

In 2019 BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking took a decision to boost its equities business for institutional and corporate clients. Since then the bank has been working on two vectors: on one hand, developing its equity investment products factory; and on the other, revamping its digital solutions for product distribution. In this line, and to further advance in its growth plan, the BBVA global equities business opens two trading and sales hubs in Hong Kong and in New York.

Bitcoin and ether are the best known cryptocurrencies, but there are thousands on the market with different purposes and functions. Cardano, binance coin or USD coin are some of those that are gaining more and more relevance.

The BBVA unit thus becomes the first and only Turkish bank to join the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), which was launched in April by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP-FI).

BBVA's Swiss subsidiary, which specializes in private banking, is launching New Gen, a new 100% digital investment account that can be accessed with an initial deposit of $10,000 or its equivalent in euros or Swiss francs.

We cannot confidently predict the future, but we can build it. Future studies or research in futurology are one of the best tools to guide our personal projects and wishes, as well as to design the strategy for the coming years of our company or startup and therefore succeed with innovation.

This September 1, BBVA has returned to the markets with a two-year floating rate senior preferred bond (FRN) issue. Investors’ interest in the bond issue was extraordinary, with demand reaching €4.75 billion, which allowed the bank to reduce the price to 15 basis points plus 3-month Euribor, which is 20 bps lower than the initial price talk (IPT). The social nature of the bond allowed the issue to close below the reasonable price assigned to the bond. “The market’s response has far exceeded expectations,” commented BBVA’s wholesale funding team in charge of the operation.

The pandemic has been one of the greatest health crises in recorded history. Thanks to rapid advances in science and technology, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer. Major vaccination efforts are currently underway to immunize the world's population. According to data from health authorities compiled by Our World in Data, 39.7% of the world's population has received at least one dose, while, as of today, almost 2.1 billion people across the globe are fully vaccinated.

Valora Coches, the BBVA Group tool for customers and non-customers that helps you decide whether to change your vehicle or not, continues to grow. From its late February 2020 launch in Spain until July 2021 it registered almost two million hits and more than 900,000 vehicle searches. In March 2021, the tool reached its highest figures with 100,000 hits and 50,000 car searches.

Global Finance magazine has announced the winners for the 2021 Best Digital Bank Awards. BBVA has become the only Spanish bank recognized by the publication in two categories: Best digital bank for SMEs, and best corporate mobile banking app in Western Europe.

BBVA has been recognized as the world's global leader in sustaining communities at the Global Finance Awards 2021, which recognize global and regional leaders in different categories. The publication has especially valued “the bank's support for entrepreneurs via the Microfinance Foundation.” BBVA, the only Spanish bank to receive recognition as a “global leader”, has also won five other regional awards in different categories related to sustainability.

BBVA's state-of-the-art data processing centers (DPCs) hold the most prestigious certifications in the world in terms of design, construction and operational sustainability. This ensures that the Group's operations are maintained in the face of possible contingencies, offering the best service to its customers under virtually any circumstances.

The Turkish men’s wheelchair basketball team, the 12 Brave Hearts, will take part in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, sponsored by Garanti BBVA. The players, who have already accumulated some important victories in European and World Championships, including Gold in 2017 and Bronze in 2019 at the European Championships, will once again represent Turkey at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, as they did in London 2012 and Rio 2016. This year, the Turkish team will compete in Group A and will play against South Korea on August 26. In addition to the Korean team, the group is made up of teams from Canada, Spain, Colombia and Japan, the host country.

In less than a year, BBVA has issued one million Aqua cards in Spain. This groundbreaking system, which eliminates data from the plastic and uses dynamic CVV, is expanding rapidly in Latin American subsidiaries. Mexico, Peru and Colombia already have the first features.

The coronavirus crisis has made us more aware of how vulnerable we are to unforeseen events. As a result, in the new social context the insurance industry and insurtechs have been driven to strengthen their customer focus, digitisation, health insurance and microinsurance, with innovation at the fore.

BBVA and Windar Renovables, a leading global manufacturer of towers for onshore and offshore wind farms and foundations for offshore wind farms, have signed a sustainable invoice factoring line worth a total €50 million. The proceeds of the agreement will be used to finance a contract related to the Baltic Eagle offshore wind project, recently awarded to the company. This sustainable financing scheme, Windar Renovables’ first ever, will allow the company to, through the non-recourse sale of its invoices, muster the financial resources it needs to honor its contract obligations.

The Payment Systems Department (GÖSAŞ) at Garanti BBVA is developing innovative solutions to meet the new needs of both businesses and SMEs while streamlining their digitization process.

Trading listed products is becoming more and more popular. In recent years, various apps and digital platforms have democratized this activity to make it available to practically any user. The sale of listed assets is no longer the realm of qualified brokers and investors, but for the general public.

BBVA endorsed the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Market's (TSVCM) new report which defines a roadmap for implementing a voluntary market that guarantees the quality and integrity of carbon credits. BBVA is the only Spanish bank that is a member of this working group.

The BBVA in Spain app is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a key element in the bank’s commitment to lead the digitalization of banking in the country. Since 2011, the app has adapted its functionalities to the times and needs of its customers, at first by allowing them to operate remotely with ease and total security, and over the years with the deployment of a wide range of personalized tools to help them make decisions about their personal finances.

Of 8,300 known animal species, 8% are extinct and 22% are endangered. These United Nations figures place the planet on the brink of what some scientists now call "the sixth mass extinction." The impact of human action on ecosystems is causing many species to disappear, with irreversible harm to biodiversity and the environment.

Subscribe to our weekly sustainability newsletter!

On July 30 BBVA reported a €1.29 billion profit in the 2Q of 2021, excluding non-recurring impacts. This figure is 35 percent higher than consensus estimates by analysts, who view the strong set of results and forecast improvements, particularly for CoR in main business areas, as upbeat.

Green digital finance is geared to finance initiatives with a sustainable development goal. Its aim is to speed up the reassignment of capital to carbon-neutral assets and release new sources of climate and socially just finance.

In response to the devastating forest fires that have spread throughout several regions of Turkey, Garanti BBVA announced a donation of one million saplings to the TEMA Foundation, an NGO dedicated to the fight against erosion and desertification through reforestation and the protection of natural habitats.

Turkey recently held its women's wheelchair basketball championship which took place in Hatay this year. As part of its social commitment, Garanti BBVA has been supporting this sport´s men's and women's teams since 2013.

The Banker, a magazine part of the Financial Times group, recognized BBVA at its annual awards as the Best Bank in Europe for Innovation in Digital Banking. The magazine gave this award to BBVA for being the first bank to allow its business customers to measure their carbon footprint, helping customers make the best decisions to improve their financial health and the bitcoin trading and custody service launched in Switzerland for private banking customers.

During the results presentation for the first half of 2021 BBVA CEO Onur Genç stated that: "We have begun to take the necessary steps for our up to 10 percent share buyback." The bank plans to “start the programs in the fourth quarter,” subject to market conditions and regulatory approvals.

BBVA has once again stood out in the latest stress test carried out by the European Banking Authority (EBA). In the adverse scenario BBVA’s fully-loaded CET1 capital ratio at the end of the assessment period (2021-2023) would be reduced on  303 basis points (bps), an impact considerably lower than the 50 European banks average analyzed on the stress test (485 bps). BBVA is the bank with the second lowest impact on capital among comparable European peers. In the baseline scenario, BBVA would generate 128 bps of capital, to reach a fully-loaded CET1 capital ratio of 13 percent in 2023.

BBVA gives a new boost to its strategy, promoting sustainability to the highest level of the organization. Javier Rodríguez Soler, current country manager in the U.S., will head the new area, which aims to make BBVA the leading bank for clients in sustainability solutions. Separately, Jaime Sáenz de Tejada (CFO) and Rafael Salinas (CRO) are exchanging responsibilities.

Türkiye Garanti Bankası A.Ş., announced its financial statements dated 30 June 2021. Based on the consolidated financials, the Bank’s net income in the first 6 months of the year was recorded as TL 5 billion 437 million 136 thousand. Asset size realized at TL 607 billion 787 million 125 thousand and the Bank’s contribution to the economy through cash and non-cash loans was TL 473 billion 179 million 816 thousand.

BBVA Asset Management has announced its commitment to support reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by the year 2050, in line with global efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C. To this end, the asset manager is committed to including investments that are in line with this goal in its portfolios.

BBVA has formalized its first sustainable-linked deal in Belgium with Cofinimmo. The transaction consisted of increasing an existing revolving credit facility to €25 million and linking it to a fundamental environmental indicator for its sector.

World Finance magazine awarded Garanti BBVA as the best retail bank in Turkey for the seventh consecutive year in its 2021 awards. The publication also found BBVA's Turkish subsidiary to be the best bank in Europe, an award it has won for the fourth year.

Thanks to a solution developed by the Society for Worldwide Interbank and Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), an online purchase payment from another country or service charges provided by an SME to an international client can be made faster. BBVA is the only Spanish bank to participate in the launch of SWIFT Go and has successfully carried out its first pilot testing of the system as well.

BBVA, which first invested in the fintech in 2018, participated in a new capital increase, part of which was used to fund the acquisition of payments specialist Contis. The new funding round will allow Solarisbank, which recently launched operations in Spain, France and Italy to expedite growth in the embedded finance market.

Embedded finance allows you to pay for a purchase online without entering bank details or instantly take out a consumer loan on digital platforms outside banks, among many other options. This Bank-as-a-Service model, which allows the integration of financial services via APIs, moved $22.5 billion in 2020, a figure that will increase tenfold in the next four years.

Garanti BBVA´s pioneering initiatives aim to fight climate change and achieve a more sustainable world. On the occasion of the Corporate Governance Forum at Sabancı University, the institution launched a climate index in collaboration with CDP Turkey and the Turkish stock exchange.

To measure and understand a banking entity's credit quality, several metrics must be considered as an interrelated whole. One indicator in isolation cannot give a full picture of credit risk. The three most widely used metrics are the NPL ratio, the coverage ratio and the cost of risk. These metrics enable us to analyze the volume of non-performing assets in relation to the size of an entity's loan portfolio, the provisions recognized to cover future default losses and the annual cost of generating this buffer of provisions.

BBVA has launched a digital tool in Spain that provides SMEs and the self-employed with a simulator to find out if they are eligible for direct aid from the Spanish Government under Royal Decree Law (RDL) 5/2021. The assistance package is aimed at protecting the productive fabric in the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. By entering the details of their business activity, customers and non-customers can find out if they meet the requirements for accessing the aid, the amount they would receive and how to apply. Thanks to this solution, small businesses will be able to carry out a preliminary assessment and anticipate an application for aid.

On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, the European Bank for Reconstructionand Development (EBRD) recently held a conference on climate change. Ebru Dildar Edin, Executive Vice President of Garanti BBVA explained how the BBVA Turkish Unit’s climate related strategic decision have helped itstrengthen its position against eventual crises.

BBVA granted FONPLATA a structured loan for $100 million that will allow this development bank to finance support programs aimed at tackling the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. This structured loan is part of FONPLATA's strategy to diversify its sources of financing.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and BBVA have further strengthened their relationship and signed an agreement to support large Spanish companies and mid-caps affected by the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. To this end, the EIB will grant a guarantee of up to €400 million to BBVA, enabling the Spanish bank to mobilise more than €1.015 billion in the real economy via loans.

BBVA launches the fourth edition of BBVA EduFin Research Grants, the international call for grants from BBVA's Center for Financial Education and Capability. This initiative seeks to support research on topics related to the challenges of financial education around the world. The deadline for receiving proposals is September 24.

BBVA has signed a partnership agreement with Acciona to inform, advise and finance projects for energy efficiency upgrades in buildings. The aim is to reduce the electricity bills (by using less energy) and the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of Spanish buildings, some of the most energy obsolete in Europe. In the first stage of this service, BBVA will contact almost 3,000 home owners in Spain to promote energy efficiency.

The report 'Impact of COVID-19 on Consumption in Real Time and High Frequency´ in Spain, published by BBVA Research, reflects a 28 percent increase in card purchases  compared to June 2019 levels. Transactions grew by 19 percent y-o-y through face-to-face channels and 69 percent in non-face-to-face channels. The increase in mobility saw a boost in spending, especially in consumer sectors such as hospitality and leisure, and in those that involve travel, such as transport.

Consumption continued growing at strong rates in June, despite the correction of most of the base effect in year-on-year terms. Mobility-dependent sectors continued recovering unevenly on a per country basis, but rates remained particularly strong in the restaurant and catering industry. This are some of the key takeaways of 'The COVID-19 Impact on Consumption in Real Time and High Definition', a report published by BBVA Research.

Biotechnology is by no means a new discipline, although it does encompass many others. Today, it is advancing by leaps and bounds and has an increasing range of applications: from pharmaceutical development, with the production of vaccines for COVID-19, to the creation of biofuels and more sustainable industrial processes, not to mention the treatment of polluting waste.

The BBVA CEO underscored banks' advisory work as an essential element in their new customer value proposition, during his participation in the sixteenth edition of the IESE Banking Meeting, held today under the motto “Helping to boost the economy.” Onur Genç also stressed that this advice is based on the trust and knowledge of an expert, and that through the use of technology and data, banks can improve the value they deliver to clients. In addition, he dubbed climate change one of the biggest disruptions in the history of mankind and also a huge opportunity.

StepEx has raised £1.1 million in pre-initial funding, with the venture studio BBVA Anthemis Venture Partnership being the lead investor. This startup from the UK offers an alternative system of student finance based on the estimation of their future income, to democratize access to postgraduate qualifications.

Decentralized finance is a blockchain-based set of applications that, in principle, need no intermediaries to work. These financial products have similar characteristics to traditional services and their boom period could, to some extent, change the financial sector and give rise to both opportunities and challenges.

BBVA placed €1.04 billion through two social bonds in 2020, the funds of which were mainly used to help micro- and small companies through ICO-guaranteed loans, in the case of Spain. In total, 15,175 companies with a total of 207,628 employees have benefited. This is shown in the 'BBVA 2020 green and social bond report'. The report highlights that, since the 2018 publication of the framework for issuing bonds linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the emission of more than 2.3 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere has been avoided, through the projects financed with BBVA's green bonds in 12 countries; a figure that is equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 913,000 cars.

No venture fund can reveal all its secrets, is the first thing Propel says when asked how it selects the startups in which it wants to invest. But it does recognize that there are elements that are as clear a sign as any to detect a great company.

With more than 40 companies in its portfolio, six of them considered unicorns (valued above $1 billion) and two listed on the public stock markets, Propel has become a corporate venture capital benchmark since it was founded five years ago. The book 'Transactional to Transformational - How Banks Innovate', recently published by Wiley, recounts how BBVA opted to create an independently managed fund in order to approach the most promising fintech.

Garanti BBVA's principle is to offer a long-lasting and sustainable contribution to society. In this sense, the bank celebrates one of the longest and most successful sponsorships in Turkish sports history after twenty years of supporting the country's basketball.

'The Banker' magazine has published its list of the 1,000 best banks worldwide in its 2021 edition, and has placed BBVA at number 35. The magazine uses its own methodology in which it analyzes more than 30 indicators for each bank, grouped into eight categories: growth, operational efficiency, return on risk, solvency, profitability, asset quality and leverage.

BBVA is the first Spanish bank to join 'Every Action Counts', a coalition promoted by the Green Digital Finance Alliance (GDFA). This coalition was created with the goal of engaging, through technological and digital initiatives, 1 billion citizens around the world to drive action and environmental awareness by 2025.

BBVA experts recommend that SMEs should digitize, become more technified, and increase their training to adapt to the new times in order to get onboard the sustainability train and make progress in their recovery.

BBVA's Investor Relations team received two awards from IR Magazine in the ´Crisis Management´ and ´Best Use of Multimedia for IR´ categories. This is considered one of the most reputable accolades in the investor relations industry in Europe.

Ebru Dildar Edin participated as one of the guest speakers in 'For a Future without Carbon Emissions', one of the seminars held during the sixth edition of the Global Hope Festival, an event that intends to raise awareness among society about sustainability.

“Real-time measurement of economic activity is a necessity in these times,” said Tomasa Rodrigo during the traditional summer course at Menéndez Pelayo International University (Santander), organized by the Spanish Association of Economic Information Journalists (APIE), with BBVA's collaboration and sponsorship.

BBVA, together with the other 15 major Spanish banks, took part in the first tests leading to potential issuance of the digital euro. The initiative, coordinated by Iberpay, involved the Bank of Spain as an observer and its findings are included in the report.

Carlos Torres Vila today opened the 38th APIE Seminar in Santander together with Nadia Calviño, Second Vice-President of the Government and Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. During his speech, the BBVA Chairman highlighted that, after a weak and uncertain start in 2021, the outlook for growth is now very positive. "We all expect a strong rebound in the economy in the second half of the year," he said. In his opinion, the economic recovery and the arrival of European funds put Spain in an excellent position to face the challenges of the productive model transformation. "We must take advantage of this new period of growth to transform our economy and that means preparing ourselves for a world that is undergoing radical change, preparing ourselves to face the challenges associated with that change, and to capitalize on the unparalleled opportunities that are opening up on the horizon," he stated.

Endeavor, the global entrepreneurship organization, convened four European banks at its event 'Leading Innovation in Financial Services' to seek synergies and formulas that promote innovation. Ainhoa Campo, global manager of Open Innovation at BBVA, pointed to the “robust growth” of fintech’s ecosystem in southern Europe.

According to 'Impact of COVID-19 on Consumption in Real Time and High Definition', a report by BBVA Research, May 2021 card spending was 19 percent higher than in May 2019 (+36 percent y-o-y, i.e. compared to May 2020). Spending in restaurants and leisure grew the most, driven by the lifting of state of alarm restrictions.

The end to mobility restrictions has begun to show in the hotel, restaurant, entertainment, and transport sectors. All of them displayed signs of recovery in May 2021, although at unequal rates depending on the country. This according to 'The COVID-19 Impact on Consumption in Real Time and High Definition,' the latest report published by BBVA Research.

BBVA has launched Travel Packs; a new fully digital service that allows customers to save on fees and commissions during their travels abroad. Customers will be able to select the plan that best suits them, choosing from basic, standard and premium, and enjoy the advantages that each one provides; all without having to take out a new card. This new service is available for more than seven million debit and credit cards issued by the entity to individuals.

BBVA was named Most Innovative Financial Institution Borrower in this year’s edition of the Bond Awards, promoted by Global Capital magazine to recognize key achievements across all the main segments of the international bond markets. The world’s first green CoCo and the first COVID-19 social bond by a private European financial institution were the two landmark transactions that showcased BBVA’s capability to surprise the market.

This competency status is a significant milestone for BBVA Next Technologies as it is a seal of quality recognized by AWS for carrying out high-quality projects in the DevOps field with total confidence.

BBVA has published an update of its report on the risks and opportunities of climate change in accordance with the Task Force Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) standard, with data as of December 2020. This report reflects BBVA's progress in sustainability. Since its first publication in October 2020, it has already incorporated climate risk into the management of all the bank's businesses and its commitment to accompany customers towards a more sustainable future.

Within a sustainable finance framework, BBVA continues to provide innovative solutions to support Turkey's fight against climate change. This time it's launched new commercial green loans for real estate developers that build and sell buildings with aspecific type of energy certification.

BBVA has entered into a collaboration agreement with energy services firm Stratenergy in Spain to accompany companies in the transition to a sustainable model. As part of this initiative, the bank will offer funding to contribute to energy efficiency improvements. The ultimate aim is to promote the implementation of projects that help to enhance savings by consuming less energy and decreasing their environmental impact.

With a view to helping companies, SMEs and the self-employed obtain fast and simple access to public aid, in particular those associated with the Next Generation EU funds, BBVA has reached an agreement with Minsait, an Indra company, to develop a service that helps to identify and manage the subsidies its customers can apply for in Spain. Customers interested in applying must simply inform their BBVA manager of the type of initiative they are looking to start and Minsait will provide them with details of the possible solution, completely online in the coming months, which will simply the process for handling and monitoring their request.

Founded in 2011, the platform by Garanti BBVA has received more than three million visitors in ten years thanks to its original offer of content and activities. The entity encourages participation and learning and preserves collective memory, which it makes available to future generations through freely accessible archives and research resources, as well as exhibits and programs.

In 2007 BBVA set off on its transformation journey with the aim of servicing customers through digital channels, making DIY capabilities the cornerstone of our strategy. As a result we achieved exponential trends in sales through digital channels, while customer experience was improved. Now, the bank is immersed in a new stage, focusing on growing our customer base, leveraging on our digital channels and those of third parties. Moreover, it already faces the next challenge: provide proactive and personalized advice to our clients, supported by technology and data.

BBVA´s CEO was invited to speak at the third edition of an annual meeting organized by the students of the Koç School in Istanbul. The event analyzed opportunities in fintech as well as technology and digitization´s contribution to the banking sector.

BBVA is the first bank to receive a special mention in the design category during Spain's National Innovation and Design Awards (Premios Nacionales de Innovación y de Diseño), organized by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The award was presented by the King and Queen of Spain in Granada.

The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, released a letter today, calling on the G7 and other world leaders to support a just transition. BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila, the sole representative of a Spanish bank, has signed, together with 78 other CEOs or heads of large global companies, a declaration whose objective is to promote the contribution of the private sector in the fight against climate change.

BBVA and the majority of the labor union representatives (CC.OO., ACB and UGT) have reached an agreement on the adjustment plan in Spain, which involves redundancies of part of the workforce (a total of 2,935 people, about 10 percent of employees of the Group in Spain) through layoffs and voluntary terminations, and an outplacement program for 100 percent of the affected employees through Randstad. The agreement also includes the closing of 480 branches. The process has been characterized by a constructive dialogue between the parties to reach the best agreement for everyone.

A short meeting first thing in the morning can be more productive than a two hour meeting at midday, and a team working on a project no longer needs to complete one phase to start the next. These are two examples of what BBVA employees have learned since they incorporated agile methodologies into their daily working lives, practices that have been further strengthened in the last year under the pandemic.

BBVA Research through its Global Economic Research area and Clarity AI, presents the "Cash vs. card consumption patterns: a Machine Learning approach" study on the use of cards and cash in the country.

BBVA voluntarily adhered to the Code of Good Practices approved by the Government on May 11 for customers benefiting from government-backed financing as of March 17, 2020. BBVA is firmly committed to companies and the self-employed, as it has shown during the crisis. By adhering to the Code, BBVA reinforces its commitment to this segment, one of the country's key economic drivers.

BBVA is embarking on a new phase in the US following the sale of BBVA USA to PNC. The bank, which has been present in the United States for more than 45 years through its New York branch, is working on a long-term growth plan focused on the wholesale banking business. Víctor Martínez, recently appointed Head of BBVA CIB in the United States, will be heading the business in the country.

BBVA reinforces its commitment to reducing the risks of climate change and joins PCAF (Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials), an alliance that enables financial institutions to assess and disclose the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions  of loans and investments.

Garanti BBVA is a firm believer that financial health is a prerequisite for a better life. As such, monitoring the financial health of its customers has become a priority social responsibility for the bank.

The BBVA Group closed today the sale of its U.S. subsidiary to The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., announced in November 2020. BBVA will continue operating in the U.S. through its broker-dealer BBVA Securities and the New York branch – from which it will provide wholesale banking services –, as well as the fintech investment fund Propel Venture Partners.

Starting Jan. 1, 2022, BBVA will be required to meet a volume of own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL) of 24.78 percent of its risk-weighted assets (RWAs), in line with expectations. As of March 31, 2021, the bank already complies with this requirement, reaching 29.23 percent, as well as with the new subordination requirement.

The BBVA Chairman believes that 2020 has been a turning point in the drive for sustainability. He explained that climate change and decarbonisation represent not only a risk but also an enormous opportunity for both the economy and for banks. Firstly, because of the investments involved, and secondly, because of the importance of advising customers on their ecological transition. "Banks are moving fast to tackle this change head on, involving the whole organisation, because sustainability and climate change affect all businesses".

BBVA Asset Management and Robeco have struck a deal whereby the Dutch firm will advise BBVA's sustainable equity funds. Strengthening the sustainable range is a strategy the asset management company has closely focused on in recent months. Partnering with Robeco will enable us to address this goal by opening up a new dimension while boosting efficiency and flexibility by leveraging the strengths of the two financial groups.

ALCO portfolios are one of the main tools available to banks to manage some of the structural risks on balance sheets (liquidity risk and interest rate risk) and, as a secondary objective, to contribute to the stability of earnings generation. They are a portfolio of financial assets, mainly composed of government bonds, which is governed by the bank's Assets and Liabilities Committee (ALCO).

“Financial health impacts more than just our wallets, it is also related to our physical health and social well-being.” This was one of the key takeaways that emerged during the closing day of the EduFin Summit 2021. In this last session, representatives of the financial industry acknowledged that it is necessary to “understand and address customers’ needs, and to even go beyond” and that, for this purpose, “digitization is a lever that will help people strengthen their finances.”

Emre Hatem, Director of Investment Banking and Finance at Garanti BBVA, took part in a webinar organized by The Bosphorus Energy Club in collaboration with PwC on Turkey’s readiness for the European Green Deal, the Paris Agreement and environmental, social and governance criteria (ESG).

BBVA has bolstered its ‘Plan Invita a un Amigo’ ('Invite a Friend Plan') with a new promotion that rewards the Bank's most loyal customers in Spain. This time, customers of the bank who persuade a friend or family member to bring their paycheck are entitled to a gift of 50 euros per person.

The BBVA Turkish unit joins a club of only 16 data centers worldwide with the highest certification.

The Ministry of Education has presented the "Vocational Training Alliance: a country strategy", which seeks to consolidate the network of joint responsibility for consolidating the transformation of Vocational Training in Spain. BBVA and more than fifty other Spanish companies, organizations and institutions, have confirmed their commitment to the plan and joined this strategic alliance.

BBVA has renewed its range of services for companies with BBVA Pivot - an ecosystem that simplifies cash management for multinational companies. BBVA’s business customers in Spain, Mexico and other Latin American countries now have an easy experience that unifies access to all payments and collections with all the security and guarantees of the BBVA.

Luisa Gómez Bravo, Global Head of BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking, has participated in a panel discussion on the recovery of the global banking sector after COVID-19 as part of the "Female Leaders in Finance" conference. This financial news conference, with a focus on female talent in the industry, was organized by HSBC Bank.

The private and public sectors must work together to improve nationwide financial education and inclusion strategies and plans. This was one of the key takeaways that emerged during the fourth session of EduFin Summit, the financial education summit organized by the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability. The session concluded with an interactive workshop, where attendees shared their experiences regarding obstacles, success stories and disruptive elements that affect the expansion of financial education.

New technologies are changing the way financial services are delivered. That is why financial inclusion must come hand in hand with digital inclusion and “in this journey, solid financial education is essential.” These were some of the conclusions of the experts who participated in the third session of EduFin Summit 2021, the global financial education summit organized by the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability. Participants shared their insights into the challenges of financial vulnerability and solutions to reduce it.

Garanti BBVA is aware of the role that teachers play in promoting quality education. For this reason, since the restrictions began in March 2020, the bank and its ÖRAV Academy have transformed the content they offer teachers through their platform, enriching it with additional information and training apps so that teachers can adapt to the changes following the pandemic.

Of 67 projects submitted in Spain, the General Secretariat of the Treasury and International Finance only picked 18 initiatives for the new controlled testing environment (regulatory sandbox). BBVA's project "Innovation in online consumer loan signings" is one of them.

Access to financial services and the digital divide were two of the main issues addressed during the second session of the 2021 EduFin Summit. The experts who participated in this session agreed that the pandemic has accelerated financial digitization in everyday life, and stressed the need to improve the level of financial education in order to access digital products and services that support inclusion and financial health.

Garanti BBVA Mobile’s innovations and benefits have earned the bank an iF Design Award, one of the most prestigious in the world of design.

BBVA Group Chairman Carlos Torres Vila stressed during his presentation at the opening session of the 2021 EduFin Summit the importance of financial education, which he considers “essential to promote a sustainable and inclusive growth.” Also participating in the event was Bank of Spain’s Deputy Governor Margarita Delgado, who underlined the importance of education to foster change toward a more sustainable world.

Consensus Economics, one of the world´s most recognized analysis firms, has awarded Garanti BBVA the Forecast Accuracy Award for work by its economic analysis department.

EduFin Summit 2021, the conference on financial education organized the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability, will bring together leading international experts in this field of studies. According to experts, financial knowledge should play a more relevant role on people's lives, more so in the post-pandemic era.

In 2020, BBVA allocated €79.1 million (55.6 percent of its total investment in social programs) to initiatives in support of education, knowledge and culture, benefiting 5.6 million people. In addition, over 2.2 million users accessed the content on education, science, culture and economics, which was provided by the bank through the digital platforms for its initiatives and programs. The BBVA Foundation and its activities also benefited 3.5 million people.

Changes to Turkey's banking legislation herald a new stage that will see customers increasingly shifting towards digital banking. In anticipation, Garanti BBVA - the bank that spearheaded the development of online banking in the country - has digitized its entire customer onboarding process and allows banking transactions to be carried out easily, quickly and safely.

John Rutherford, the Global Head of Public Affairs at BBVA, chairs the Chamber of Commerce's new European Affairs Committee, which has been set up to make the European Union's recovery plans accessible to Spanish companies. The Committee, which comprises more than 25 major companies and institutions, was unveiled in the presence of Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

BBVA USA Bancshares, Inc., a Sunbelt-based bank holding company (BBVA USA), reported today net income of $385 million for the first quarter of 2021 compared to net income of $334 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 and net loss of $2.2 billion in the first quarter of 2020.  Return on average assets and return on average tangible equity(1) for the first quarter of 2021 were 1.49 percent and 16.57 percent, respectively.

The BBVA Group obtained a net attributable profit of €1.21 billion in the first quarter of 2021 - a figure that shows a return to levels prior to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. These results were achieved thanks to strong recurring revenue - despite the complex environment - and lower impairments and provisions compared to those made in the first quarter of 2020 in anticipation of the crisis. “In the first quarter of 2021, we produced positive results in an environment that continues to be very challenging. In a context of profound change in our sector, we continue to move forward in key areas of our strategy: sustainability and digital transformation,” said Onur Genç, CEO of BBVA.

The BBVA Group earned €1.21 billion in 1Q21, in line with quarterly earnings prior to the pandemic. In the year ago period, BBVA posted a €1.79 billion loss when it recorded a goodwill adjustment in its U.S. subsidiary and higher impairments. This quarter’s result was driven by strong recurring revenue and lower impairments and provisions than in 1Q20. Thanks to these earnings, BBVA generated 15 basis points of capital in the January-March period.

Türkiye Garanti Bankası A.Ş., announced its financial statements dated 31 March 2021. Based on consolidated financials, the Bank’s net income in the first three months of the year were recorded as TL 2.54 billion. Asset size realized at almost TL 569 billion and the Bank’s contribution to the economy through cash and non-cash loans was arround TL 446 billion. Actively managing the funding base, deposits continued to be the main funding source; 65% of assets were funded via deposits.

In the past five years, the social call to action to build a more sustainable world has spread at great speed, according to the BBVA Research report ‘Sustainability through the Lens of Big Data’. The study underscores that while climate change is still leading the conversation, biodiversity is emerging as the concept with the greatest growth —especially in Latin America— and it is expected to be one of the pillars that will mark the sustainability debate in the short and medium term.

EduFin Summit, the annual benchmark event on financial education organized by BBVA's Center for Financial Education and Capability, is back after a year of absence due to the pandemic. This year's online edition will begin on May 12 for five days during a three-week-period. Edufin Summit 2021 will address the state of financial education in the post-COVID era and the value of financial knowledge for contributing to inclusive growth, among other topics.

BBVA will be offering recycled cards in all countries where it operates prior to the end of 2021. By 2023, the bank will no longer issue other types of cards, in line with its commitment to the responsible consumption of recycled materials, and recycling. In 2021, the financial institution will provide up to 7.3 million of these cards to its customers as part of a progressive process by segments and countries.

Garanti BBVA has managed to achieve carbon neutrality by reducing its direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to zero.

BBVA has been the global coordinator and sustainable co-agent of Iberdrola's new  €2.5 billion multi-currency syndicated loan. This operation, which was linked to two sustainable indicators, constitutes an industry milestone as it´s referenced to Risk Free Rates (RFR), which replace LIBOR and which will serve as a model for future financing in Spain. It's also a unique transaction since Iberdrola has committed to donating part of its adjusted margin to sustainable projects.

Organized for the 14th time by focusing on technology, Digital Age Tech Summit under the corporate sponsorship of Garanti BBVA hosted creative names of the digital world.

BBVA has joined the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) as one of the 43 founding members. Banks in this international alliance commit to ensuring that all of their credit and investment portfolios are neutral in net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, in line with science and the most ambitious targets in the Paris Agreement. In addition, the direct impact of their activities must also be neutral - something that BBVA already achieved in 2020.

BBVA shareholders backed the possibility of redeeming up to 10 percent of the bank’s share capital, equivalent to 667 million shares, with 99.6 percent of the votes at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Bilbao today. This item on the agenda aims to be able to implement a relevant share buyback, as means of distribution to shareholders.

Carlos Torres Vila, Group Chairman

• Sustainability: Banks have a key role in “analyzing investment opportunities and managing the risks associated” to climate change
• Sale of the U.S. subsidiary: “We have an extraordinary position of strength, which gives us tremendous strategic optionality to continue creating value for shareholders”
• Dividend: “We propose to the AGM the approval of the agreements required to implement a share buyback plan of up to 10 percent of the Group’s shares once the sale of our U.S. subsidiary is closed”

Onur Genç, Chief executive officer

• Digitization: “Our focus on creating end-to-end digital solutions and processes has been key to reaching new clients, which is one of our strategic priorities”
• Capital: Following the sale of the U.S. subsidiary, BBVA will be “one of Europe’s best capitalized banks, with the largest margin between our capital position and the minimum requirement”
• Team: “We continue fostering inclusion and diversity, because we are convinced that it makes us better, as a company and as a society”

BBVA joins the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, which aims to promote the extension and development of the use of green hydrogen for a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050. BBVA is the only Spanish bank in this alliance promoted by the European Commission.

Spain’s GDP fell 10.8 percent in 2020 (practically in line with BBVA Research’s prediction of 11 percent) and could grow 5.5 percent in 2021 and seven percent in 2022, according to the latest report Spain Economic Outlook by BBVA Research. It was presented on Thursday by Jorge Sicilia, Director of BBVA Research and Chief Economist at BBVA; Rafael Doménech, the Head of Economic Analysis; and Miguel Cardoso, Chief Economist for Spain. Nevertheless, if the spread of COVID-19 continues to be limited and the government’s vaccination plans move ahead, the research service feels that there could be an upward bias for these forecasts.

In an especially hard year for the world of entrepreneurship, BBVA continued supporting entrepreneurs who create a positive social impact. The bank devoted €7.7 million euros (5 percent of the total investment in social programs) to entrepreneurship initiatives, benefitting 2.61 million entrepreneurs in 2020.

José Luis Elechiguerra, a chemical engineer, born in Mexico and with more than 12 years of experience at BBVA, recently took on the role of the Global Head of Engineering and Organization at the BBVA Group.

Recently arrived from BBVA USA where he was in charge of the Client Solutions area, Elechiguerra has accepted the responsibility of being the technological enabler for the bank’s strategy. The way he sees it, without technology it is impossible to talk about sustainability, or helping customers make the best financial decisions, or any other objective set by the BBVA Group. His greatest challenges include consolidating the global application development platform, continuing to explore the potential of cloud computing, helping to make data available to be a smarter bank, and further developing the agile work model so that it expands across the entire organization.

All of this, while continuing to watch the major digital competitors and fintech companies in the rearview mirror - from whom he has learned that banks must be faster in responding to customers’ new demands, as Elechiguerra explains in this interview.

Much has been written about generational differences and how to classify the population according to someone's year of birth. The truth is that there is no exact or official definition of when a generation begins or ends and, depending on which demographers or researchers you consult, there are discrepancies about the years that comprise each generation.

BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila stressed today that the energy transition poses a great opportunity because many existing activities will see enormous growth as new activities will emerge. “Spain has a competitive advantage in the energy transition,” he said. “We have the natural resource - the new oil, which is the sun and the wind,” he added during his presentation on the second day of Wake up Spain, the energy transition symposium organized by El Español, Invertia and D+I.

BBVA has fulfilled its commitment to offer a sustainable alternative for its products in Spain - both for individuals and companies. The wide range of sustainable solutions is designed to respond to society’s growing demand and to help customers make the best financial decisions that also help the environment.

Atom bank, has confirmed that its £40m raise will be led by Toscafund Asset Management LLP and BBVA. As the bank heads towards profitability, the £40m raise includes an offer to participate for qualifying shareholders in new ‘A’ class shares in Atom priced at 60 pence.

Garanti BBVA and its subsidiaries have been recognized by Kincentric as the ‘Best Employer 2020’ in Turkey. The bank received three out of four awards, making the bank and its subsidiaries the best place to work.

As part of its ongoing commitment to financial education, BBVA USA hosted its third annual Financial Education Forum, a virtual event designed to provide insight on the state of financial health in the U.S. This year’s event featured a presentation of Financial Health Pulse 2020 U.S. Trends, which provides an ongoing snapshot of the financial lives of people in America.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data are transforming the traditional application of tech in the world of marketing. With these tools, startups and SMEs are able to reach a more specific audience for their products at a lower cost than traditional advertising.

BBVA and Enel have signed a €1.35 billion sustainable linked guarantee facility. This guarantee facility, the largest of its kind signed by Enel Group, is an essential and necessary financial tool for the company’s entire operations: production, transport and distribution of electricity and gas, and public lighting services.

In order to help alleviate the effects of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable, BBVA will make a charitable contribution in Spain in replacement of the traditional gift given to shareholders for the Annual General Meeting. It will be the shareholders who vote on which of four causes they prefer for the donation from this gift: social inclusion, education, health and people with disabilities.

Global Finance has named Garanti BBVA the Best Investment Bank in Turkey for the fourth time in the last five years.

ESG criteria refer to environmental, social and corporate governance factors that are taken into account when investing in a company. Although their origin dates back several decades, they have become a reference for socially responsible investing in recent years.

One year after the outbreak of the health crisis in Spain, we spoke to some of the leaders in the fight against the virus to find out how aid was mobilized. In the case of science, researchers consider this aid “essential for the research of this pandemic.” Three and a half million people have benefited from the global plan that BBVA launched in March 2020, ‘Social Response to COVID-19’. The money has been used to purchase medical equipment, support vulnerable groups and for research on the disease.

Spain has set itself the challenge of becoming an attractive country for emerging companies through the Strategy for Spain as an Entrepreneurial Nation. The purpose of the strategy is to promote and boost their formation and development through four milestones: investment, talent, scalability and public sector support for entrepreneurship.

Garanti BBVA reaffirms its commitment against climate change and announces that it will stop financing coal-related activities.

Contact Center World has given two awards to Garanti BBVA, which came in second place in the categories of best call center and best customer service.

BBVA became carbon neutral in direct CO2 emissions in 2020. The Group managed to meet this goal by offsetting its entire carbon footprint through carbon mitigation projects, which also benefited the local communities where they are developed. The bank offset 120,562 tons of CO2e during the year through seven projects developed in different countries across its footprint. This achievement represents another step towards in its push to align its activity with the Paris Agreement and reduce direct and indirect emissions.

BBVA has invested €91.4 million in financial education programs that have benefited 29.2 million people (almost the equivalent of the population of Peru) since 2008, the year in which it launched its Global Financial Education Plan. On the occasion of the European Money Week and Global Money Week celebrations, BBVA also announced that in 2020 it devoted a total of €2.7 million to fund these initiatives that contribute to promoting financial health among communities.

The Spanish National Police’s Unit of Internal Affairs (UAI, in Spanish) has issued a report on its investigation of the 2.3 million documents (hits) provided by BBVA in the Cenyt case. The report does not provide any information that had not already been made available by BBVA to the Judge and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. This confirms that not only the internal investigation ordered by BBVA was objective, rigorous and thorough, but it also shows the full cooperation with the judicial authorities in clarifying the facts, a priority set by the bank since the onset of the proceedings.

BBVA CEO Onur Genç said today that the sale of the U.S. subsidiary is a historic milestone for the bank, and that value creation will continue to be the guiding force in all decisions related to the use of the excess capital from that transaction. “We have a lot of ammunition, a lot of capital” to create value for shareholders, he added. Regarding Turkey, he said that: “We are prepared to manage the risks in emerging markets.”

BBVA has named Patricia Bueno as new Head of Investor & Shareholder relations, within the area of Finance.

Due to its international presence, BBVA has an exchange rate risk hedging policy which is intended to preserve the Group's capital ratios and provide stability to its results.

Garanti BBVA’s retail and business clients can now view their account balances and statements with other banks. Garanti BBVA Internet allows self-employed and businesses check their accounts with other banks from a single screen, without any further login requirements.

The agile work methodology, new skills that teams look for or the recent inclusion of diversity as a strategic business priority are some of the ways in which BBVA’s human team has changed over the past few years. Paloma Tejada, head of Talent and Culture, Agile and Communications, at Client Solutions, BBVA, spoke about all of them in a conversation with Matthew Gamser, CEO of the SME Finance Forum.