The largest bank in the eurozone and one of the largest in the world. Banco Santander is a global, multinational bank which was named the Best Bank in the World, in 2012 in the annual Euromoney ranking for the third time in recent years. At the close of the latest fiscal year, Santander was the largest bank in the eurozone and one of the thirteen leading banks in the world in terms of market capitalisation: 63 billion euros.
Retail banking. Based on a business model that focuses on retail banking products and services for private customers, SMEs, and companies, Santander currently serves more than 100 million customers through a global network of 14,400 branches, the largest in the international banking sector. It has 1.388 billion euros in managed funds in all customer segments, more than 3.3 million shareholders, and 187,000 employees.
Ten main countries. Founded in 1857 in the Spanish town of Santander by 76 businessmen linked to regional economy and to the Spanish colonial trade with the Americas, the 155-year old Banco Santander climbed all the rungs in the financial ladder throughout the 20th century until in the 21st century it became a leading world bank, a reference in good management and competence in the sector, with a solid presence in ten countries in two continents, Europe and America, and businesses in more than forty markets. Santander is currently the main financial group in Spain, its country of origin, and in Latin America, a continent where its main markets are Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. It also holds a significant position in the United Kingdom, Germany, Portugal, Poland, and the north-east of the United States. In addition to these main markets, it also offers consumer finance services in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, and Belgium.
The most liquid shares in the stock market. Santander shares are the most liquid in the Eurostoxx, and are listed in the Madrid, New York, London, Lisbon, Mexico, São Paulo, Buenos Aires and Milan stock exchanges. They are listed in 63 different stock exchange indices.
Capacity to generate profits and sound capital. Santander holds a unique position in the international banking sector, which allows it to increase its profits year after year, generating value for its shareholders, clients, and all of society. In 2012, in the midst of a severe global financial crisis, Santander’s profit before provisions grew to 23.559 billion euros, one of the three largest figures in the international banking sector. Santander closed the year with a 10.33% core capital ratio, and easily passed the strictest financial soundness tests required by all the competent national and international authorities.
