Santander’s H1 2026 profit jumps 31% to €9.0 bn after gain from Polish unit sale
Executive summary: Santander posted H1 2026 net profit of €8.973 bn, up 31 % YoY, chiefly due to the profit from selling its Polish banking unit. The profit surge strengthens Santander’s capital position and funds a €1.8 bn share buyback, signalling confidence in the bank’s restructuring and return of capital to investors.
Who is involved: Banco Santander, the buyers of Santander’s Polish banking subsidiary, and Santander’s shareholders.
Likely next: Santander will proceed with the announced €1.8 bn share buyback in H1 2026 and may look to reinvest the proceeds from the Polish sale into digital banking or other growth initiatives.
Banco Santander reported a net profit of €8.973 billion for the first half of 2026, a 31 % increase year‑on‑year, driven mainly by the one‑off gain from the divestment of its Polish banking operations. The result also prompted the bank to announce a €1.8 billion share‑buyback program as part of its H1 remuneration to shareholders.
Timeline
- — La Primera de Expansión sobre Santander, Holaluz, Iberdrola, Ormuz, Infantino y OpenAI (Expansión)
Analysis — what this means
Likely next events
- Santander will execute a €1.8 bn share buyback as part of its H1 2026 remuneration to shareholders.
Sectors affected
- Banking
- Polish financial services
Key entities
Sources
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