Garanti BBVA Payment Systems (GÖSAŞ) recently released the report ‘2025 Card Payments in Türkiye.’ The study, which analyzes trends in card spending, bank and credit card ownership and e-commerce growth, revealed rising credit and debit card spending volumes, increased contactless use, and a growing preference for upfront transactions. The study was based on data from the Interbank Card Center (BKM).

Garanti BBVA has incorporated two new features into its mobile app that let customers plan, reserve and manage their travel in one place. In partnership with Jolly, the bank has added ‘Plan Your Trip’ and ‘Add Trip’ features to the ‘My Travel’ section of its mobile app, with all travel transactions taking place seamlessly and securely on the app.

As of 1 February 2026, BBVA Germany will move the first customers whose introductory offer is coming to an end to the variable interest model of their free current account. As part of its commitment to long-term remuneration with transparent conditions, the bank is setting the variable interest rate for the first quarter of 2026 at 2.0% p.a. This rate applies until 31 March 2026. The variable long-term interest rate is set for each quarter and communicated to customers in advance.

ALTÉRRA announces plans for a new $1.2bn climate co-investment vehicle with BBVA as proposed strategic LP. BBVA commits $250m¹ to the partnership reflecting the bank’s ambitions in the sustainable finance space and the expansion of its regional and international footprint. The initiative accelerates ALTÉRRA’s ambition to mobilize third-party capital at scale and expand its global network of institutional collaborators.

For the fourth year in a row, BBVA has been ranked as the leading bank to work for in Spain in the Merco Talento report, which assesses companies’ appeal as employers. The Bank has also once again been recognized among the country’s top human resources teams.

Garanti BBVA completely reshaped digital banking in 2025. With generative artificial intelligence at the heart of its digital strategy, the bank has evolved the user experience, making it more intuitive, more personalized and smarter. Garanti BBVA Mobile has transformed the banking experience by seamlessly integrating into millions of customers’ daily lives.

In 2025, BBVA successfully completed the global rollout of ADA, its new data and artificial intelligence platform. This technological foundation is key in enabling the bank to offer clients more agile, personalized, and efficient services. Over the course of the year, ADA also received recognition from numerous international organizations operating in the financial and technology sectors.

BBVA closed its largest euro-denominated bond issue in the last 20 years on Wednesday. The Group tapped the market with a dual-tranche senior non-preferred debt issue worth €2 billion, which garnered demand three times the amount offered. The first tranche, featuring a three-year maturity, was placed for €750 million, with the final price set at 3-month Euribor plus 55 basis points, compared with a significantly higher initial guidance of 3-month Euribor plus 85 basis points. The second tranche, maturing in 10 years, was placed at €1.25 billion and fetched an initial price of mid-swap plus 100 basis points, versus an initial guidance of mid-swap plus 125 basis points.

In light of the urgent need to reduce emissions, biomethane is emerging as a proven, efficient and circular solution for companies. BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking, through its Cleantech business line, is leading its financing through project finance structures and supporting companies from the early stages to accelerate their transition towards more sustainable production models.

Sustainability is one of BBVA's strategic priorities. In 2025, the Group has carried out significant sustainable operations across its main geographies—Spain, Mexico, Türkiye, South America, and through BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking (BBVA CIB)—in line with its goal of supporting customers through their transition and generating new business opportunities around climate, natural capital, and social issues.

Garanti BBVA recently launched asset-backed securities (ABS), offering qualified investors a new structured investment alternative. The issuance enhances the bank’s flexibility in asset and liability management while reinforcing its overall balance sheet strength. The transaction also created a new source of liquidity for Garanti BBVA, and supported its capital adequacy ratios.

The European Markets in Crypto-assets Regulation (MiCA) marks its first year in full force this December, having been fully applicable since December 2024. With MiCA, the European Union has led the way in creating a legal framework for stablecoins and crypto-asset service providers.

BBVA Consumer Finance continues making strides in its goal to promote sustainable transportation in Spain. Currently, one in ten sustainable vehicles financed by the bank is contracted through digital channels, underscoring the success of a service that combines advice, financing and a catalogue of ‘ECO’ and ‘CERO’ vehicles, sourced exclusively from official dealerships. The adoption of digital channels has surpassed initial expectations and confirms the growing interest among customers in solutions that facilitate the transition toward a more efficient mobility model.

Mahmut Akten points to 2025 as a year of strong performance and value creation for Garanti BBVA, setting the foundation for a clear and forward-looking strategic agenda for 2026. Following a period of high inflation in Türkiye, the economy has entered a normalization phase. Akten says Turkish banks should prepare for another challenging year, as regulatory credit limits are expected to remain largely in place to support disinflation efforts. While some adjustments may be considered, Akten underlines that maintaining financial discipline will be critical to achieving price stability and sustained growth.

Shotton Mill is completing one of Britain's most significant sustainable industrial transformations. In partnership with Turkish conglomerate Eren Holding, the former newsprint mill in North Wales will reopen in 2026 as the country's largest recycled containerboard and tissue production facility.

BBVA is to launch on December 22 an extraordinary share buyback program for a maximum amount of €3.96 billion, after obtaining all required authorizations. This is the largest buyback ever carried out by the Group. The program is part of the €36 billion that BBVA expects to make available for distribution to shareholders between 2025 and 2028¹, through both ordinary remuneration and additional distributions, such as this program.

Omnicom will become BBVA’s full-funnel agency, a comprehensive approach that spans from creative strategy to media activation. Omnicom will work to strengthen the brand’s global consistency, elevate client experience across all touchpoints and advance its commercial transformation focused on personalization.

BBVA has led a $30 million funding round in Olea, the digital platform specialized in supply chain finance solutions. With this transaction, BBVA strengthens its role as a strategic partner and key driver of Olea’s growth. The round also included participation from XDC Network, theDock, and SC Ventures, the innovation arm of Standard Chartered.

BBVA’s Turkish unit has introduced a new tool on its Garanti BBVA Mobile app to help customers manage their personal finances, improve their financial health and plan for the future. ‘My Credit Coach’ provides an overview of each customer’s financial situation based on their banking history and offers personalized recommendations.

BBVA has rolled out a roadmap, known as ‘The Eight,’ aimed at ramping up the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to evolve the way the bank interacts with customers, manages risk, automates processes, and strengthens its technological capabilities. This decisive step forward in its transformation will enable the bank to radically improve its range of products and services through innovation and to structurally enhance its ways of working to boost value creation.

Image: Antonio Bravo, Head of Data at BBVA

BBVA’s Turkish unit has been named Türkiye’s Best Transaction Bank by Euromoney, one of the world’s most respected financial publications, in recognition of the bank’s performance in transaction banking and its ongoing investment in technology-driven solutions for corporate clients.

In this episode, we speak with M&G Investments, a global asset manager at the forefront of responsible and sustainable investment.

BBVA has successfully completed its €993 million share buyback program, launched on October 31, as part of its ordinary shareholder remuneration for the 2024 financial year. The deal is part of the bank’s strategic plan, which plans to have €36 billion to be returned to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks by 2028. Of this amount, some €13 billion will be distributed in the short term¹.

The two companies have been authorized by the Central Bank of Argentina and the Secretariat of Industry and Commerce to take joint control of FCA Compañía Financiera, a firm until now wholly owned by Stellantis and specializing in auto financing for the brands owned by the auto giant.

BBVA has received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) to obtain a Category 4 (CAT4) license. This authorization will allow BBVA to expand its range of corporate and investment banking service activities and strengthen its position as a strategic partner for corporate and institutional clients in the region. Eduardo Ortiz Gross, Head of BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) in the Middle East, has been appointed Senior Executive Officer for the Abu Dhabi branch, where he will lead the bank’s operations across the region.

The green economy was worth more than five trillion dollars in 2024, according to the report Already a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Market: CEO Guide to Growth in the Green Economy by the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders. It is the second fastest-growing sector, with only technology ahead, and this despite the complex geopolitical environment. Globally, China leads this green market.