Spanish banks – Merger between CaixaBank and Bankia expected to be imminent

As reported in the Spanish press, notably the daily El Mundo, on 3 September 2020, CaixaBank of Catalonia and Madrid Bankia are preparing the merger.

The Spanish banking regulator, the Comisión Nacional de Mercado de Valores (CNMV), has already been officially informed about the merger.

On the basis of 2019 figures, the proposed merger would create the largest Spanish banking group with a balance sheet of €563 billion. This would make the bank larger than the current leaders Banco Santander (€323 billion) and BBVA (€365 billion).

However, the proposed merger is more likely to be a measure to stabilise two underperforming banks. The Corona crisis has had a massive impact on both banks, which still have a dense network of branches and thus a high fixed cost base.

It remains to be seen whether the merger actually takes place in the end and whether the expected synergy effects actually materialise.