Publications
Publications
- November 2006
- HBS Case Collection
Santander's Acquisition of Abbey: Banking across Borders
Abstract
Banco Santander, Spain's largest commercial bank, announced in July 2004 the acquisition of Abbey National Bank, the fifth largest U.K. commercial bank. This transaction was the largest ever cross-border acquisition in European banking and would result in the 10th-largest bank in the world. Discusses the main sources of value creation from international expansion and acquisitions in the commercial banking industry. Also, highlights the barriers to integration within the single market of the European Union in a regulated service industry such as commercial banking.
Keywords
Integration; Value Creation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Globalization; Commercial Banking; Banking Industry; United Kingdom; European Union; Spain
Citation
Ghemawat, Pankaj, Eduardo Ballarin, and Jose Manuel Campa. "Santander's Acquisition of Abbey: Banking across Borders." Harvard Business School Case 707-485, November 2006.