Madrid, Feb 1, 2026, 22:24 CET — The market has closed.
- Shares of Santander closed Friday at 10.78 euros, rising 1.45%.
- As a packed week of bank earnings kicks off, rate expectations continue to steer the sector.
- Santander will release its full-year 2025 results on Feb. 4.
Banco Santander’s shares closed Friday 1.45% higher at 10.78 euros, hitting an intraday peak of 10.86 euros—its highest level in 52 weeks. The stock heads into the new week ahead of midweek earnings.
Banks pushed Europe higher into the month-end close, the sector rising 1.7%, with Spain’s IBEX also up 1.7% on Friday. The European Central Bank kept policy unchanged, while traders digested U.S. rate prospects after Donald Trump picked former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell when his term ends in May. “Checks the box in terms of credibility and offers a degree of continuity,” said Daniel Murray of EFG International. Reuters
Spain’s rally got a boost from CaixaBank, which surged 6.3% after revealing it expects higher lending income and profits through 2026. The bank cited stronger loan growth, driven by Spain’s economy outpacing the euro zone. CEO Gonzalo Gortazar said the updated profit target points to around 7 billion euros in net profit by 2027, despite margin pressure from recent rate cuts.
Santander is reshuffling in Britain. Santander UK named Mahesh Aditya as its new chief executive, pulling him from the parent group’s chief risk officer role to lead the TSB integration after Mike Regnier’s departure.
Coming next: results day. Santander plans to release its full-year 2025 figures on Wednesday, Feb. 4, according to a CNMV filing. An analyst audio conference is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. local time, followed by a media presentation at noon in Boadilla del Monte.
In the U.S., Santander’s ADRs closed Friday at $12.75, slipping 0.47% for the session, per market data.
Investors will zero in on the Feb. 4 release not just for the headline profit, but for guidance. They’ll scrutinize net interest income — the difference between what a bank earns on loans and pays on deposits — searching for signs of how quickly margins might shrink if rates drop further.
Capital returns are also under scrutiny. Santander disclosed an interim cash dividend of 11.5 euro cents per share paid in November and wrapped up a €1.7 billion buyback, which will hit the 2025 results.
The setup isn’t one-sided. A steeper fall in rates could pinch lending income, and the UK unit still faces execution challenges while integrating TSB and dealing with a leadership shuffle.
Trading picks up again on Monday. The next key checkpoint
Feb. 4 is the date for results, guidance for 2026, and any clues on what follows the buyback.
