• The financial institution reaffirms the strategic importance of Alicante as a key hub for technological innovation and local economic development
  • Oliu: “Banco Sabadell is a solid institution with ample capacity to generate capital and steadily raise its shareholder remuneration, which will reach 3.8 billion euros over the next twelve months”
  • González-Bueno: “Spain is our core market and we are focusing on accelerating the growth of all business lines. Ours is a profitable and solvent project with a bright future”
  • In the next two General Meetings, Banco Sabadell will ask shareholders to vote on the sale of TSB and on the use of the capital generated to pay out an extraordinary dividend in cash of 50 euro cents per share, equivalent to around 2.5 billion euros. This amount will be additional to the 1.3 billion euros estimated to be distributed out of 2025 earnings

8 July 2025

On Tuesday, Banco Sabadell held its annual meeting of advisory boards in Alicante for the very first time. These regular meetings bring together key executives from the Bank, alongside representatives of companies and institutions from across Spain in order to analyse the economic performance of the region and explore opportunities for joint development.

Speakers during the meeting were the Bank’s Chairman, Josep Oliu; its Chief Executive Officer, César González-Bueno; its Chief Financial Officer, Sergio Palavecino; and the general manager of Business Banking, Network and Private Banking, Carlos Ventura.

The event, organised by Banco Sabadell, also includes a meeting with retail shareholders, to share information about the Bank’s recent performance as well as its future path and prospects.

The Chairman of Banco Sabadell, Josep Oliu, noted that “the Valencian Community, and Alicante in particular, are vital for both our present and our future. This region is a driver of economic growth that stands out due to its entrepreneurial spirit and its huge potential for innovation. At Banco Sabadell, our goal is to continue working hand in hand with Valencian companies and society to launch and support projects that create employment, value and sustainable development in the long term”.

Oliu assured his audience that Banco Sabadell “is a solid institution with ample capacity to generate capital and steadily raise its shareholder remuneration, which will reach 3.8 billion euros over the next twelve months”

In parallel to this, the Chairman of Banco Sabadell argued that the Bank’s Board of Directors “was right to reject the two offers put forward by BBVA”, referring to the offer put forward in November 2020 and the one submitted in April 2024, which later became a hostile takeover bid.

“A 10,000 euro investment made in Banco Sabadell in 2020 would be worth than 95,000 euros today, while in the case of BBVA it would be worth 47,000 euros” noted Oliu. In terms of the second offer, 10,000 euros worth of Banco Sabadell shares purchased just one year ago would represent an investment of 17,700 euros today, compared to just below 12,500 euros in the case of BBVA shares; in other words, the investment in Banco Sabadell would be worth 42% more.

“Banco Sabadell has created much more value as a solo project than it would have done together with BBVA”, said Oliu, after pointing out that the premium offered by BBVA has been negative for more than five months now and is already above 11%, representing a loss of value for shareholders of over 1.7 billion euros. “With the current offer, the transaction has no value”, he affirmed.

Oliu reminded listeners that last week, the Board of Directors of Banco Sabadell agreed to submit a proposal at the first Extraordinary General Meeting for shareholders to vote on the sale of its UK subsidiary, TSB, to Banco Santander for a cash amount of 2.9 billion pounds (3.4 billion euros), a deal that is expected to be closed in the first quarter of 2026.

Thanks to the value created by this transaction, explained Oliu, the Bank will put forward a proposal at the second Extraordinary General Meeting, to be held in Sabadell on 6 August, regarding the payment of an extraordinary dividend in cash of 50 euro cents per share, equivalent to approximately 2.5 billion euros. This figure is additional to the 1.3 billion euros of expected remuneration to be paid out of 2025 earnings, which will bring total shareholder remuneration to 3.8 billion euros over twelve months.

The Bank’s Chairman concluded by recommending that, if and when shareholders are asked to decide between accepting BBVA’s offer or remaining with Banco Sabadell, they should consider the anticipated dividend, the expected share price revaluation, and the price offered.

Focus on Spain and become more profitable

The Chief Executive Officer of Banco Sabadell, for his part, explained that the Bank’s track record since the end of 2020 “has been spectacular, delivering record-breaking profit, thanks to the decisive implementation of a strategic roadmap that has transformed the Bank”.

As a result of this, the Bank secured the top spot in the dividend yield ranking of the Ibex-35 in 2024, and it has been recording the highest share price revaluation of the Ibex-35 and European banks since 2021. In addition, Banco Sabadell is the only Spanish bank to have no sell recommendation from analysts.

“Ours is a profitable and solvent project with a bright future, in which Spain is our core market and on which we are focusing to accelerate the growth of all business lines. Not only that, but we also have no material exposure in emerging markets”, González-Bueno said.

Continuing in this vein, the Bank’s Chief Executive Officer emphasised that “Banco Sabadell has ample capacity to generate capital and remunerate its shareholders, thanks to a project with much credibility thanks to the results delivered”.

Commitment to Alicante and the Valencian Community 

The decision to hold this event in Alicante reflects Banco Sabadell’s strong historical commitment to the Valencian Community, a key region for the Institution, in which it has traditionally had a significant presence and where it has been extremely active. It is clear that Alicante remains a core hub for the Bank, particularly in the field of technological and financial innovation.

Specifically, Alicante hosts key innovation initiatives promoted by Banco Sabadell, such as its tech skills centre in Alicante (Centro de Competencias Tecnológicas de Alicante, or CCTA), which develops cutting-edge projects for banking digitalisation and advanced technological services. The Bank’s presence in this region is essential to strengthen the local business fabric, promoting competitiveness and making it easier for companies, particularly SMEs, to access specialised financial advice.

These advisory boards form part of the Bank’s strategy, under which it aims to actively listen to and work together with the communities in which it operates, reinforcing its commitment to economic growth, local entrepreneurship and enterprise innovation.

Banco Sabadell thus reaffirms its primary role as a driver of economic and financial growth in Alicante and the Valencian Community, further strengthening its link to economic, social and institutional agents across the region.