Business News & Financial News

In Spain 19th May 2026

Synthetic securitisations now account for half of total in Spanish banking sector

Synthetic securitisations – which allow underlying assets to remain on the balance sheet and enable banks to expand their balance sheets without increasing capital – now account for 3% of Spanish banks’ total assets. By the Consejeros Editorial Team The weight of synthetic securitisations on Spanish banks’ balance sheets continues to rise and now accounts for 49% of total securitisations. Just five years ago, in the 2020 financial year, they…

European economy, In Europe 19th May 2026

Eurozone trade surplus plummets to €7.8 billion in March

Reported by the Consejeros Editorial Team The Eurozone’s goods trade balance recorded a surplus of €7.8 billion in March, compared with €34.1 billion in the same month last year, according to data published on Tuesday by Eurostat. Eurozone exports of goods to the rest of the world reached €265.3 billion in March, representing a 5.5% fall compared with the same month in 2025. Meanwhile, imports rose by 4.4% to €257.4…

In the World, World economy 18th May 2026

Investment and trade announcements made at Trump-Xi Jinping summit mask tactical truce, not lasting reconciliation

By Alicia García Herrero The images of the meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing tell a story: two leaders surrounded by business delegations, flanked by CEOs, toasting the promise of renewed trade relations. Public reports of the talks refer to the creation of new trade bodies and regulatory frameworks for investment, rumours that US financial firms have finally managed to break into the Chinese market and that…

“We are one of Europe’s leading R&D investors: €1.45 billion last year”

Luis Maroto is the CEO of Amadeus, which has just announced the acquisition of Idemia Public Security—for €1.2 billion—to strengthen its biometrics, security, and airport management business. Maroto explains that “alongside biometrics, digital identity is transforming how travelers move throughout their journey. Today, travelers are asked to prove their identity at almost every step: flight check-in, baggage drop, security, immigration, boarding, car rentals, hotel check-in… With digital identity, a traveller…

“We need to approach negotiations with the U.S. on terms that are completely different from those currently being proposed”

“Fifteen years ago, the European economy was larger than that of the U.S. Today, the U.S. economy is one and a half times that of Europe”

Irene Hernández, coordinating advisor of Ence, and advisor of Elecnor and Saint Croix explains that “In Spain and in the European Union, there are times when we are regulating too much and putting brakes on economic growth… fifteen years ago, the European economy was larger than that of the U.S. Today, the U.S. economy is one and a half times that of Europe. We are not in a position to…

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