In Spain

CaixaBank nuevito

Criteria and ‘la Caixa’ Foundation return to Catalonia seven years after the ‘procés’

CriteriaCaixa – the business holding of the Caixa Group, with stakes valued at €30 billion in a wide range of companies (Naturgy, Telefónica, ACS…) – and the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation have returned their headquarters to Catalonia almost seven and a half years after relocating to Palma. CaixaBank will remain in Valencia, where it moved during the same period. The Banking Foundation Caixa d’Estalvis i Pensions de Barcelona has agreed to…


criteria

CriteriaCaixa to acquire up to 5% of Veolia

Veolia and CriteriaCaixa, the investment arm of the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation, have reached an agreement whereby CriteriaCaixa will enter the capital of Veolia Environnement and will have a representative on its Board of Directors, as part of a stable participation agreement in the shareholding and governing bodies of Veolia, as announced by the Catalan group on Tuesday. The entity will allocate around one billion euros to the operation. Veolia, a…


Telefonica

Telefónica president calls on EU to modify regulations to ‘consolidate and grow’

The executive chairman of Telefónica, Marc Murtra, emphasized on Monday in Barcelona, during his participation in the opening session of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the need for Europe to allow consolidation in the European telecommunications sector so that operators can gain size and strengthen their technological potential. “We must be aware that the excessive fragmentation of European TMTs, excessive regulation, and insufficient profitability in the sector have hindered Europe,…


unemployment office

Spain had 3,927,346 unemployed at end 2024 (1.3 million more than officially ‘registered unemployed’)

José Luis Fernández Santillana, Director of the USO Studies Office | A job seeker is a person who registers with public employment services, either because they have lost their job and are looking for a new one (regardless of whether they are entitled to unemployment benefits), seeking their first job, or being employed (having a job) and looking for an improvement in their work situation (a broader or better-paid position),…


industria

Industrial production prices in Spain rebound 2.6% annually against 2.3% previously due to 8.6% rise in energy costs

Link Securities | The National Institute of Statistics (INE) published on Wednesday that the Producer Price Index (PPI) rose in Spain by 0.4% in January in relation to December. During the month, the prices that contributed most to the rise in this variable were those of oil refining (up 5.8%) and those of gas production and distribution by pipeline of gaseous fuels (4.8%). On the contrary, the prices that most…


inflation board

Inflation in Spain back up to 3%

The National Institute of Statistics (INE) published yesterday that, according to the preliminary reading of the data, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Spain rose by 0.4% in February compared to January. Year-on-year, the CPI in Spain increased by 3.0% in February (2.9% in January), a reading that was in line with expectations from the consensus of analysts at FactSet. This development is mainly due to the increase in electricity…


iberdrola megachuli

Iberdrola’s profit increases 17% to €5,612M in 2024 thanks to regulated network assets and tariff revisions

Bankinter | Results and guidance surprisingly positive. Dividends on the rise. Dividend yield 2025 4.90%. Key figures compared with consensus: total EBITDA €16,848M (up 17%) versus €16,243M est.; NBI €5,612M (up 17%) versus €5,550M estimated; adjusted NBI €5,530M up 15%. Funds generated by operations: €11,836 million (up 10%); Net Debt €51,700 million versus €47,914 million in December 2023. The dividend per share on 2024 results rises 15% to €0.6350/share. The…


Mediaset and Netflix

Media Surrealism: Government offers TV channel to El País – which rejects it and dismisses executives promoting it – while setting up registry to disclose support each media outlet receives

José Miguel Contreras, media advisor to Pedro Sánchez and one of the executives of Prisa – the publishing company of El País – who was dismissed yesterday, already benefited from the granting of a television channel by another socialist president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, almost 20 years ago. Contreras was one of the promoters of La Sexta, whose support for the current Government is unwavering. Yesterday, Contreras and Núñez, the…


Cortefiel

Abu Dhabi royal family buys 67% of Cortefiel

The royal family of Abu Dhabi has reached an agreement to purchase 67.91% of Tendam, the company that owns chains such as Cortefiel, Springfield, Women’s Secret, and Pedro del Hierro from the CVC and PAI funds. The operation, which has been carried out through Multiply Group, means that both CVC and PAI will retain 32.09% of the capital after valuing the company at around €1.5 billion, below the €2 billion…


ing 15 970x597

ING Group interested in acquiring Banco Sabadell if BBVA takeover bid not approved by Spanish competition authority

Alphavalue/ Divacons | ING Group considered the acquisition of Banco de Sabadell in 2024, with the aim of expanding its presence in Spain, a market that ING considers to be high-growth, according to what was published yesterday by El Confidencial, citeing sources close to the matter. According to the same article, the Dutch bank is awaiting the decision of the Spanish competition authority on the approval of BBVA’s takeover bid…