BREAKING: Botín warns that there will be “less growth” due to the war but that Santander will resist better due to its diversification
New information reveals that the following story has emerged from the international scene.
Banco Santander president Ana Botín is expected to address the general meeting of shareholders this Friday, warning that the world faces a scenario of “higher inflation and slower growth” due to the ongoing war in Iran. She will highlight, however, that Santander is well-positioned to withstand the turbulence thanks to its diversified operations.
Botín will describe diversification as a “key differentiating factor” in the current environment, emphasizing that the bank’s balanced presence across countries and business lines reduces risk, lowers volatility, and makes results more predictable over economic cycles. She will also note that Santander began 2026 strongly, continuing recent trends of customer and income growth, improved efficiency, and stable credit quality.
The meeting will vote on a capital increase to fund the acquisition of Webster Bank, accelerating Santander’s expansion in the United States. Shareholders will also approve a final cash dividend of 12.5 euro cents per share for 2025, payable on May 5, bringing the total dividend for the year to 24 euro cents per share—an increase of over 14%.
New Strategic Stage 2026–2028
Santander enters its 2026–2028 strategic stage “from a position of structural strength,” following the simplification and integration of its operating model and global platforms under the ONE Transformation program. This plan focuses on customer growth, operating leverage, and annual cost reductions, with financial targets including:
- Exceeding €20 billion in profit
- Achieving a return on tangible equity (RoTE) above 20%
- Surpassing 210 million customers by the end of the period
Botín will also underline the transformative role of artificial intelligence, projecting that AI could generate more than €1 billion in business value by 2028. She expects the technology to improve risk analysis, strengthen fraud prevention, personalize offerings, and expand access to credit—what she calls “the greatest economic and social transformation since the Industrial Revolution.”
Corporate Governance
The board will vote on the appointment of Deborah Vieitas, non-executive president of Santander Brazil, as a new independent director, replacing Homaira Akbari, pending regulatory approval. Botín will emphasize that Vieitas’s extensive experience at BNP Paribas, Crédit Commercial de France, and Caixa Geral de Depósitos in Brazil strengthens the board’s geographic diversity and Latin American market expertise.
What This Means:
Our editorial team will continue to monitor this situation as new details emerge.
This is part of a broader trend that has been reshaping the geopolitical landscape in recent months.
We encourage our readers to follow this developing story for the latest information.
Source: This article was originally published in another language by El Español – Home and has been translated and adapted for our global English-speaking audience. Read the original article here.