Santander shares jump 8% after lender announces record quarterly profit, 10-billion-euro buyback

Shares of Banco Santander jumped after Spain’s largest lender reported record profit in the fourth quarter and announced plans for 10 billion euros ($10.4 billion) in share buybacks from 2025 and 2026 earnings and anticipated excess capital.

The bank’s net profit picked up by 11% year-on-year to 3.265 billion euros in the fourth quarter and by an annual 14% to 12.574 billion euros across the full-year stretch, as Santander noted a pick-up in customer activity, robust margin management and growth across operations — particularly in the core retail business. The lender added eight million new customers in 2024 to 173 million.