Spanish bankers are cautiously optimistic about the outlook for the current year, despite the ongoing squeeze on profitability brought on mainly by low interest rates.
This view is supported by a significant reduction in non-performing loans (NPLs) and the buoyant growth of the Spanish economy. “We expect to see 2.6% gross domestic product [GDP] growth in Spain in 2019, which is positive when compared with the rest of Europe,” says José María Roldán, chairman of the Spanish Banking Association (AEB).
