Santander Achieves Record Profit Growth Amid Economic Challenges
Madrid, Thursday, 30 October 2025.
Santander reported an impressive €10,337 million profit for the first nine months of 2025, marking an 11% increase. This growth highlights the bank’s resilience and strategic dividend increases.
Financial Performance and Strategic Growth
Banco Santander, S.A. (SAN) has reported a remarkable financial performance for the first nine months of 2025, with an attributable profit of €10,337 million. This represents an 11% increase compared to the same period in 2024, showcasing the bank’s resilience and strategic prowess in navigating a challenging economic environment [1]. The bank’s commitment to shareholder returns is further exemplified by a 15% rise in total value creation, combining tangible net asset value (TNAV) and cash dividends per share [1].
Dividend Policy and Shareholder Value
Santander’s robust financial performance is supported by its shareholder remuneration policy, which aims to allocate approximately 50% of the Group’s reported profit through cash dividends and share buybacks. This policy reflects Santander’s dedication to creating value for its shareholders and optimizing capital returns. The bank has already distributed a cash dividend of €11.00 cents per share in May and plans to pay an interim dividend of €11.50 cents in November 2025 [1][2].
Operational Highlights and Market Expansion
In terms of operational achievements, Santander has successfully increased its customer base by 7 million, bringing the total to 178 million as of the end of September 2025. This growth is attributed to enhanced customer activity and positive market conditions, resulting in a 7% increase in customer funds, with deposits up by 5% and mutual funds by 16% [1]. Additionally, the bank’s loan portfolio has expanded by 2% to €1.0 trillion, driven by sectors such as Consumer, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), Wealth, and Payments [1].
Strategic Insights and Future Projections
Looking ahead, Santander’s strategic focus remains on profitability and capital optimization, as evidenced by its return on tangible equity (RoTE) of 16.1%, a 0.7 percentage-point increase year-on-year [1]. The bank’s strategic initiatives and strong financial foundation position it well to achieve its mid-to-high single-digit growth targets for 2025. With a commitment to innovation and market expansion, Santander continues to reinforce its status as a leading global financial institution [1][2].