Banco Santander, S.A. filed a Form 6-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on 28 October 2026, containing a press release reporting its financial results for the January to September 2026 period.

Key Highlights

  • Underlying profit of €11,176 million for the first nine months of 2026, up 16% year-on-year, described by the company as a record.
  • Total revenue reached €46,807 million, an increase of 8% year-on-year, with net interest income rising 10% to €34,614 million.
  • Statutory earnings per share increased 25% and attributable profit reached €12,405 million, up 20%.
  • Customer base grew by 17 million over the last twelve months to 189 million, including 8 million added through the TSB and Webster acquisitions.
  • CET1 capital ratio stood at 12.7% after a 147 basis point impact from the completion of the Webster acquisition in August 2026.
  • Interim cash dividend of 12.70 euro cents per share approved against 2026 results, to be paid on 2 November, with total H1 2026 shareholder remuneration of approximately €3,660 million.
  • Efficiency ratio improved to 42.6%, a 2.8 percentage point improvement year-on-year.

Banco Santander's January-September 2026 Financial Performance

According to the filing, Banco Santander (NYSE:SAN) reported underlying profit of €11,176 million for the first nine months of 2026, up 16% year-on-year, and described this as a record result. The company attributed the performance to strong customer activity and the continued execution of its ONE Transformation programme. Attributable profit, which includes non-recurring items, reached €12,405 million, up 20%, incorporating a €1.9 billion net capital gain from the disposal of Santander Bank Polska in January, partly offset by €666 million in charges including integration costs for TSB and Webster.

The filing disclosed that total revenue rose 8% to €46,807 million, driven by net interest income growth of 10% to €34,614 million and net fee income growth of 9% to €10,349 million. Total costs, excluding the TSB and Webster acquisitions, fell 1%, and the efficiency ratio improved to 42.6%. Net operating income increased 14% to €26,882 million. The company also reported that AI generated €194 million of business value during the year. Loan-loss provisions increased 13%, with the cost of risk at 1.16% and the non-performing loan ratio at 2.90%, improving 3 basis points from the prior quarter.

Regarding capital and shareholder returns, the filing stated that the CET1 ratio stood at 12.7% following the completion of the Webster acquisition on 20 August, which had a -147 basis point impact. Excluding that effect, the ratio increased 14 basis points in the quarter. The company disclosed an interim cash dividend of 12.70 euro cents per share, 10% higher than its 2025 equivalent, payable on 2 November, and a share buyback programme of up to approximately €1.8 billion against H1 2026 results. The filing noted that Santander reiterates all its 2026 targets, which exclude the impact of M&A.

What Was Disclosed

Banco Santander filed a Form 6-K press release covering January to September 2026 results, reporting record underlying profit, revenue growth, customer base expansion, capital ratios, and shareholder remuneration details including an interim dividend and share buyback programme.