Banking

Business

BBVA fails in €17bn takeover battle for smaller Spanish rival Sabadell

The bid only convinced shareholders representing 25.47% of Sabadell voting rights. That was far short of the 50% BBVA needed for the deal to pass outright.

17/10/2025

12 minutes with

EBRD chief: Bank ‘even more important’ amid global tensions, aid cuts

Odile Renaud-Basso dismisses decline of multilateralism as a threat to the mission of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and foresees a role in post-war Ukraine and Gaza’s post-war recovery.

14/10/2025

Europe News

Austrian bank takes centre stage as EU pushes new sanctions on Russia

Raiffeisen is seeking to offset €2.1 billion in damages imposed by a Russian court. As a solution, Austria has proposed to unfreeze the assets of a sanctioned Russian company. But the plan has proven controversial.

14/10/2025

Economy

Poland's banking sector - still too small to meet economic ambitions?

While Poland boasts one of the most technologically advanced banking systems in Europe, experts say its capital potential remains insufficient to support the development of an economy with growing investment needs.

10/10/2025

Business

BBVA's improved takeover bid for Banco Sabadell approved by regulator

The Spanish regulator has authorised the 10% raise in BBVA's takeover bid for Banco Sabadell and the elimination of the cash component. Shareholders have until 10 October to agree to the offer.

25/09/2025

Business

Spanish BBVA receives greenlight for Banco Sabadell takeover

Spain's Banco Sabadell has been fighting off unsolicited interest from financial giant Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) since last year.

05/09/2025

Business

MPS offer for Mediobanca hits minimum take-up threshold

As a requirement for the takeover, MPS needed investors to offer up at least 35% of Mediobanca shares. This goal has been surpassed, with MPS securing 38.5% of Mediobanca.

04/09/2025

Business

MPS relaunches bid for Mediobanca takeover

Monte dei Paschi raises its offer for the acquisition of Mediobanca, adding €0.9 in cash per share and lowered the threshold for the validity of the takeover bid to 35%. The offer is now worth a total of €13.5 billion. Piazza Affari reacts with falls for both stocks.

02/09/2025

Business

Klarna IPO is back: Fintech firm to go public in New York

The Swedish financial technology company announced on Tuesday the launch of its initial public offering, months after the firm paused its planned listing.

02/09/2025

Economy

Fed independence ‘hangs by a thread’ as Trump moves to oust Lisa Cook

Efforts to oust Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook and install allies could erode the bank’s autonomy, with consequences for inflation, market confidence and everyday borrowing.

01/09/2025

Business

Here's what to do if your money has been burned in the Spanish fires

Thousands of people in Spain have lost their homes and belongings to the wildfires that have ravaged much of the Iberian Peninsula. PM Pedro Sánchez has declared the burnt areas to be catastrophic. The Bank of Spain has drawn up a protocol on how to recover burnt money.

27/08/2025

Business

Mediobanca shareholders reject bid to acquire Banca Generali

The rejection could threaten Mediobanca’s independence as the Milanese lender seeks to fend off a takeover by Italian competitor MPS.

21/08/2025

Europe News

ING bank probed for role in Didier Reynders money laundering case

The former EU Justice Commissioner came under investigation in December 2024.

20/08/2025

Economy

What is de-banking? How EU, US & UK banks screen their risky customers

What began as technical risk management is now a political battlefield as governments wrestle with how far banks can go in choosing, or refusing, their customers.

17/08/2025

Business

EU urges China to drop sanctions on two Lithuanian banks

The EU has demanded Beijing revoke "unjustified" sanctions on two Lithuanian banks in a dispute also rooted in long-standing tensions over Taiwan.

14/08/2025

Business

Greece bans ATM withdrawal fees for banks across the country

The Greek Ministry of Finance has implemented new rules across the country banning withdrawal fees for bank ATMs.

11/08/2025

Markets

Crypto giant Binance gets BBVA backing to fix reputation, report says

After a history of questionable trading practices, mega crypto exchange Binance is teaming up with Spain’s BBVA to let traders park their assets with the bank — a major shift for the digital asset world.

08/08/2025

Business

Banco Sabadell shareholders approve sale of TSB to Santander

Banco Sabadell on Wednesday unanimously approved the sale of its British subsidiary TSB to Banco Santander for around €3bn. The transaction seeks to shield the group's independence from the hostile takeover bid launched by BBVA.

06/08/2025

Business

Sweden’s Klarna receives licence from UK’s Financial Conduct Authority

The move will allow the fintech firm to launch a debit card and offer its UK-based customers Klarna accounts where they can save funds.

30/07/2025

Markets

UniCredit delivers record earnings, raises 2025 outlook

UniCredit delivers record-breaking second-quarter results, boosting confidence with stronger full-year outlook and new share buy-back. CEO Orcel calls it the best first half in the bank’s history.

23/07/2025