Employee Life

At BBVA, the adoption of artificial intelligence is much more than just a technological change: it represents a profound transformation of the banking business. The bank’s AI strategy is built on leadership and employee empowerment as a way to drive uptake and achieve a truly transformative impact. OpenAI invited Antonio Bravo, Global Head of Data, to take part in its annual event OpenAI Frontiers, where he explained how both entities are already transforming the banking sector, with tangible results.

Garanti BBVA was internationally honored for its design excellence, earning two distinctions from the iF Design Awards for its updated Garanti BBVA mobile app and the Pulse app, and another from the A Design Awards for its ‘My Home, My Car, My Travel’ project — showcasing its highly innovative approach to user experience and digital design.

On Friday, November 7, BBVA shareholders will receive a gross interim cash dividend of €0.32 per share against 2025 earnings, 10 percent higher than the previous year. This is the highest interim dividend in BBVA’s history. In total, the bank will distribute €1.84 billion in cash to its shareholders.

BBVA placed €1 billion in a contingent convertible bond (known as CoCo or AT1) in euros this Monday, with demand reaching more than €5.250 billion. The issue price was set at 5.625 percent, significantly lower than the initial price guidance of 6.125 percent.

Brazil has established itself as one of the most dynamic markets in Latin America. The country is home to a large number of major corporations, leads key sectors such as energy, agribusiness and infrastructure, and hosts a sophisticated financial community. In this context, Agustina Ramírez, Head of BBVA CIB in Brazil, outlines how the bank has built a differentiated value proposition to position itself as a leading financial partner in the country.

BBVA’s sustainable business continues to grow, now at a faster pace than ever. The bank channeled around €97 billion into sustainable business in the first three quarters of 2025 alone, representing a 48 percent¹ increase compared with the same period of the previous year and not far off the €99 billion channeled throughout all of 2024. Notably, in the third quarter alone, it mobilized upward of €34 billion, setting a new quarterly record.

BBVA’s Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) division posted revenues of €4,832 million between January and September 2025, representing a 27% increase versus the same period in 2024 (at constant euros, not including the effect of hyperinflation accounting). All business units recorded double-digit growth: Global Markets (GM) +27% year-on-year; Global Transaction Banking (GTB) +19% year-on-year; and Investment Banking & Finance (IB&F) +35% year-on-year. Additionally, loan book  grew by 15% compared to December 2024, both in transactional banking and IB&F, supported by landmark project finance and corporate lending transactions in Spain, Mexico and the United States. Attributable profit stood at €2,341 million, a year-on-year increase of 32%. Over the nine-month period, business profitability continued to strengthen, in line with the trend seen throughout the year and with a particularly strong performance in Spain, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe and the United States.

Garanti BBVA recently announced its results for the first nine months of the year, reporting TL 84.47 billion in net income, TL 4.27 trillion in assets and TL 3.23 trillion in cash and non-cash loans. Customer deposits funded 69.1 percent of assets, with the deposit base reaching TL 2.91 trillion in the first nine months of 2025 – up 38.7 percent. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio stood at 16.3 percent,¹ return on average equity (ROAE) was 30.9 percent, and return on average assets (ROAA) was 3.1 percent.

BBVA posted an excellent set of earnings in the first nine months of 2025, driven by  solid activity growth (+16 percent in constant euros) and momentum in core revenues (+13.5 percent in constant euros). Net attributable profit reached a record €7.98 billion through September, up 4.7 percent from a year earlier (+19.8 percent in constant euros). The Group continued to show outstanding profitability metrics, with ROTE at nearly 20 percent; while creating value for its shareholders, with an increase of the tangible book value per share plus dividends of 17 percent over the past 12 months. The strength of the CET1 capital ratio, which stands at 13.42 percent, has prompted to accelerate the remuneration plans for BBVA shareholders: on Oct. 31, the bank will start executing the pending share buyback for €993 million; on Nov. 7, it will pay the highest interim dividend ever (€0.32 per share), for a total of €1.84 billion; and, as soon as it receives the authorization from the European Central Bank (ECB), it will launch a significant additional share buyback program¹.

The Fundación Universidad-Empresa (FUE) has honored the financial institution for its steadfast commitment to learning, training, and the professional development of interns in Spain.

BBVA Spark has struck a financing deal worth up to €50 million with Sesame, Spain’s leading HR software company. This funding will enable Sesame to ramp up its growth across Europe, while allocating its own resources to strengthening its leadership in AI. The agreement also marks the launch of an innovative financial instrument in Europe.

Garanti BBVA, Be Node and the Turkish Informatics Foundation recently collaborated on research to explore how young people use financial technology. The findings from the study show their strong connection to digital tools, as well as their need for greater support in financial literacy.

Franco Cinquegrana is BBVA's new country manager in Uruguay, replacing Alberto Charro, who is leaving the BBVA Group after a successful career spanning more than 35 years. This change is subject to obtaining the relevant regulatory approvals.

For many companies, growth no longer simply means gaining market share at home, it means exploring new horizons. In this context, cross-border business has become a strategic decision to diversify risk and access new opportunities. BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking supports its clients' ambitions with a comprehensive offering that combines a global network, tailored financial solutions, and expert local insight.

BBVA is backing the joint statement from global business leaders prior to COP30, which underscores the commercial viability of the decarbonization of the economy and the climate transition.The statement urges companies and political leaders to “scale the historic opportunity for returns, resilience and growth.” Chairs and CEOs from the World Economic Forum’s Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, including BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila, signed the statement.

BBVA’s Turkish unit has completed a new $700 million Basel III‑compliant Tier 2 issue, taking its subordinated bond sales over the past two years to $2.45 billion, the largest recent total among banks. Strong demand and competitive pricing underscored international investor confidence.

In an increasingly digital world, data centers have become critical infrastructure underpinning technological and economic progress. Their rapid growth, however, brings with it unavoidable challenges in terms of sustainability and efficiency. In this context, BBVA CIB positions itself as a strategic partner for companies, supporting them in their transition towards more responsible and resilient models capable of adapting to a constantly evolving environment.

BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila took part in the closing ceremony of the BBVA Spark Summit 2025 in Barcelona, the leading event for startups, scaleups and investors. In a dialogue with BBVA Spark Global Head Santiago Muguruza, he stressed AI’s central role in customer service and outlined a series of strategic AI projects designed to deliver excellence in customer‑relationship processes, customization and efficiency.

BBVA has received LEED Gold certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for the sustainability of its office located at 389 9th Avenue in New York. This recognition, awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), accredits the entity's commitment to energy efficiency, responsible use of resources and the creation of healthy spaces for its professionals and customers.

Antoni Ballabriga, Global Head of Sustainability Intelligence at BBVA, shares the key takeaways from New York Climate Week 2025, within the broader framework of the UN General Assembly. Climate Week NYC is widely regarded as a flagship event in championing sustainability alongside the COP conferences.

The three leading rating agencies have upgraded BBVA’s rating over the past three weeks. On Tuesday, Fitch upgraded the long-term senior preferred debt one notch, from A- to A. It also upgraded BBVA’s long-term issuer rating, from BBB+ to A-, with a stable outlook, among other improvements. This latest move joins the recent upgrades by S&P and Moody’s.

BBVA CEO Onur Genç said on Tuesday that the acceptance period for the takeover bid for Banco Sabadell is progressing well ahead of expectations. Genç participated in the 16th Financial Meeting organized by KPMG and business daily Expansión in Madrid, where he emphasized the positive response from shareholders, both institutional and retail, who are backing the transaction. He reiterated his belief that BBVA will comfortably exceed the 50 percent acceptance threshold thanks to the financial appeal and strategic rationale of the offer. He also stressed that “waiting for a hypothetical second bid makes no sense, as it would be highly unlikely and would offer no advantages in terms of price, timing or taxation. Shareholders who do not tender their shares will be left out and will not benefit from the price being offered,” he said.

It will soon be enough to spot a shirt we like and just ask a voice-enabled AI device to send it home in our size and in a different color, bypassing the entire traditional online shopping process. Artificial intelligence is set to transform shopping into a conversational experience, explained Carmela Gómez, Global Head of Open Banking at BBVA, at the Sibos financial event. AI will also enable companies to anticipate cash needs, open up new financial opportunities for vulnerable communities, and make access to credit easier for gig economy workers.

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Following the recent upgrade of BBVA’s rating by S&P, another leading ratings agency, Moody’s, has raised BBVA’s rating from A3 to A2, one notch above that of Spain, with a stable outlook. The main reason behind this upgrade is the favorable performance of BBVA’s fundamentals.

SWIFT, the global financial messaging network connecting more than 11,500 institutions in 200 countries, is set to develop a shared blockchain platform that will function as a common digital ledger for banks around the world. This infrastructure will enable seamless, real-time international payments and transfers and transactions with stablecoins and digital assets. BBVA has joined a consortium of more than 30 partner banks now starting work on a prototype.

BBVA’s Turkish franchise has shifted a branch-only product to digital channels, enabling quicker access for clients funding sustainability-focused investments.