MADRID/LONDON (Reuters) -Sabadell CEO Cesar Gonzalez-Bueno was in London on Thursday meeting with analysts to champion his bank's success when news landed that rival BBVA was going hostile with its 12.23 billion-euro ($13.2 billion) takeover offer. The surprise move - the first hostile banking takeover bid in Spain since the 1980s - pits the same long-standing executives against each other who tried and failed to negotiate a deal between Spain's second- and fourth-largest banks in 2020. After making a new approach late last month, BBVA Chair Carlos Torres, who led the 2020 takeover attempt, gave his Sabadell counterpart, Josep Oliu, a clear message in a May 5 letter: there would be no improving its all-share offer.
MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) -Spain's government opposes BBVA's hostile takeover bid for its smaller rival Sabadell, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said on Thursday. Under Spanish law, the Economy Ministry has the power to block any merger or acquisition of a bank. The government has six months to decide after consulting with regulators including the Bank of Spain and the securities regulator CNMV.
(Reuters) -Europe's benchmark index inched up to close at a record high on Thursday, driven by a jump in industrial stocks, while shares of Spanish bank BBVA hit a two-month low after announcing a hostile takeover bid for smaller rival Sabadell. The pan-European STOXX 600 shrugged off earlier losses and ended 0.2% higher, with Germany's DAX up nearly 1%. Industrial stocks like Siemens, ABB and Schneider Electric added over 1% each and were top boosts on the benchmark index.