Santander vs BBVA
SANBanco Santander, S.A.vs
BBVABanco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.- Santander: Spain's largest bank and one of the biggest retail lenders in Europe and Latin America.
- BBVA: Spain's second-largest bank, with major retail businesses in Spain, Mexico, and Turkey. Mexico is its biggest profit engine, making it a play on emerging-market banking.
- Over the past five years BBVA stock returned +513% versus +367% for Santander, in USD. Past performance is not a guide to the future.
- They compete in the same space (Finance & banks), so many investors simply own both through a broad index fund instead of picking a winner.
Shown in USD. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future results.
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Industry
- Finance & banks
- Finance & banks
- 1Y return (USD)
- +62.8%
- +82.9%
- 3Y return (USD)
- +285.2%
- +283.9%
- 5Y return (USD)
- +367.0%
- +512.7%
- Trades in
- USD
- USD
SantanderSANSpain's largest bank and one of the biggest retail lenders in Europe and Latin America. It serves over 150 million customers across Spain, the UK, Brazil, Mexico, and the US.
See full Santander details →BBVABBVASpain's second-largest bank, with major retail businesses in Spain, Mexico, and Turkey. Mexico is its biggest profit engine, making it a play on emerging-market banking.
See full BBVA details →
Available on Interactive Brokers
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Frequently asked questions
Which performed better, Santander or BBVA?
Over the past five years Santander stock returned +367% and BBVA returned +513% in US dollars, so BBVA has been the stronger performer in that window. Past performance says little about the future, which is why the chart on this page lets you check other periods too.
Can I buy both Santander and BBVA shares?
Yes. Nothing stops you owning both companies, and many investors do exactly that instead of trying to pick the winner. Both are available to investors worldwide through a broker such as Interactive Brokers.
Is it safer to buy an ETF instead?
A broad index fund holds hundreds of companies at once, usually including both of these, so a single bad year at one business barely dents it. Owning individual shares concentrates that risk, which is why many beginners keep single stocks to a small slice of a mostly fund-based portfolio.