BBVA's $19 Billion Unsolicited Acquisition Attempt for Sabadell Fails
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Oct 17 2025
0mins
Source: WSJ
Failed Acquisition Attempt: BBVA's attempt to acquire Banco de Sabadell through a hostile all-stock bid valued at approximately 16.3 billion euros was unsuccessful.
Regulatory Outcome: The Spanish market regulator declared the offer void as only a little over 25% of Sabadell's shareholders accepted the bid, falling short of the required 30% threshold.
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Analyst Views on SAN
Wall Street analysts forecast SAN stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for SAN is 7.40 USD with a low forecast of 4.90 USD and a high forecast of 9.91 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
2 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
1 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Sell
Current: 13.050
Low
4.90
Averages
7.40
High
9.91
Current: 13.050
Low
4.90
Averages
7.40
High
9.91
About SAN
Banco Santander, S.A. is a Spain-based company engaged as a retail and commercial bank. The Banks segments include Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Latin America and the United States. The Continental Europe segment covers all businesses in the Continental Europe. The United Kingdom segment includes the businesses developed by various units and branches in the country. The Latin America segment embraces all its financial activities conducted through its banks and subsidiaries in the region. The United States segment includes the Intermediate Holding Company (IHC) and its subsidiaries Santander Bank, Banco Santander Puerto Rico, Santander Consumer USA, Banco Santander International, Santander Investment Securities, and the Santander branch in New York. The Company's commercial model satisfies the needs of all types of customers: individuals with various income levels.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Santander Appoints New Head of Auto Business
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- Extensive Experience: McClelland brings over 20 years of auto finance industry experience, having served as Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships at Ford and CEO of Ford Credit, managing a $146 billion balance sheet.
- Global Strategy: In addition to leading the US Auto business, McClelland will oversee auto operations in Canada and Mexico while advancing global OEM partnerships, further strengthening Santander's market position.
- Market Significance: The US remains a critical market for Santander, with operations including retail banking and a top-10 auto lender by market share, expected to leverage the Openbank digital retail banking platform to support low-cost auto lending.
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Santander Appoints New Head of Auto Business
- New Appointment: David McClelland has been appointed as the Head of Santander US Auto business, responsible for executing the company's auto growth strategy, enhancing dealer and customer experiences, and managing manufacturer relationships, succeeding the retiring Bruce Jackson.
- Extensive Experience: McClelland brings over 20 years of auto finance industry experience, having served as Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships at Ford Motor Company and as CEO of Ford Motor Credit Company, where he managed over 6,000 employees and a $146 billion balance sheet.
- Strategic Importance: The U.S. market is crucial for Santander, with operations including retail banking and a top-10 auto lender by market share, and the new appointment is expected to drive continued growth and success in this sector.
- Digital Transformation: Santander launched a national digital retail banking platform under the Openbank brand in late 2024, leveraging deposits from this platform to provide lower-cost funds for auto lending, further fueling profitable growth.
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