Overview
- Santander, which met shareholders Friday, said a strong first quarter puts it on track to beat 2025 profit in 2026.
- The bank asked investors to approve a capital increase to issue shares for its planned purchase of U.S.-based Webster Financial, with a TSB acquisition in the U.K. expected to follow pending final clearances.
- CaixaBank investors approved a €2.32 billion cash dividend from 2025 earnings, to be paid on April 9, lifting total cash rewards for the year to €0.50 per share.
- CaixaBank’s chair warned that the Iran-linked Middle East conflict could fuel higher prices, strain supplies and unsettle markets, and its research unit cut Spain’s 2026 growth outlook to 2.0% from 2.4%.
- The CaixaBank meeting drew a 24-hour strike and street protests by staff who say sales targets are too aggressive and constant monitoring is hurting the workplace climate.