MADRID (Reuters) – BBVA on Thursday said its fourth quarter net profit rose 18% from the same period in 2023 thanks to a solid performance in Spain, where it aims to expand through a takeover bid for smaller rival Sabadell worth around 12 billion euros.
The lender booked a net profit of 2.43 billion euros ($2.53 billion) in the September to December period, up from to 2.06 billion euros in the same period a year earlier.
Analysts polled by Reuters expected a net profit of 2.23 billion euros.
($1 = 0.9597 euros)
(Reporting by Jesús Aguado, editing by Inti Landauro)