Telefonica has informed the Stock Market Regulator (CNMV) that it has reached an agreement with the Colombian government to hike capital for a total of €1.840 billion at its affiliate operating in the country, which is one of the main ones in the group. The reason for the capital increase is the debt the parent company has with the company which manages the pension funds.
The construction company is studying a possible counter-bid for Abertis in order to improve Italian Atlantia’s offer price of 16.5 euros, but no decission has been made yet even though the Spanish Securities and Exchange Commission CNMV has already been notified.
The 29 firms listed on the Ibex 35 which published their treasury stock figures at end-2016 accounted for a total of 678.127.762 own shares, representing 0.87% of social capital, with a market value of 4.372 billion euros. Despite the fact the treasury stock figures registered at end-2016 were higher than those in December 2015, this is not the case if we add to these figures the share redemptions made by these same listed companies during the year
The board of directors of Bankia and Banco Mare Nostrum (BMN) have approved the merger of the two lenders via a share exchange of 1 Bankia x 7,82. Furthermore, Bankia values BMN at 825 million euros. The deal is expected to be closed in December this year, and will give rise to Spain’s fourth largest bank, bigger than Sabadell.
Fernando Rodríguez | The suspension on short-selling in Liberbank, which the CNMV has enforced for a month, has not left stock market players indifferent. Experts, fund managers, traders, analysts and lawyers, traditionally opposed to interference in the workings of the capital markets, are doubtful about the reach of such an exceptional measure. At the same time, they support the usefulness of the short-sellers.
Liberbank’s shares fell as much as 30% during Friday’s stock market session and the CNMV has today forbidden short-selling in the stock for a monthy. But there is concern that Liberbank could suffer the same fate as Banco Popular.
Fernando Rodríguez | The MifidII obliges the 100,000 professionals who inform and advise on finances in Spain to be accredited as being technically qualified to do this job by January 2018. Spain is the only country in Europe which doesn’t have any regulation in place regarding professional qualifications.
On May 2, Fitch confirmed its BBB+ rating with a stable outlook for Abertis, citing as reasons the company’s recent acquisition of 100% of Sanef and the fact it has less debt than its competitors.
Fernando Rodríguez | There are over 200 FinTech companies in Spain. Some are going full speed ahead with a variety of banking and investment activities: price comparisons, collective funding, loans and payments, ‘robo advisor’, property…”It’s all about offering more possibilities and more access to a more transparent market,” says Jesús Pérez president of the Spanish Association of FinTech and InsurTech.
Italian motorway and airports operator Atlantia is considering a tie-up with Spain’s Abertis by launching a tender offer. The transaction is valued at some 15-16 billion euros, taking into account the current market value of Abertis. The offer will be made partly in cash and partly in Atlantia shares, with the end result a merger between the two companies.