BBVA notes the announcements made today by the European Banking Authority and competent National Supervisor regarding the capital exercise, which demonstrate the following result for BBVA.

The capital exercise proposed by the EBA and agreed by the Council on 26 October 2011 requires banks to strengthen their capital positions by building up a temporary capital buffer against sovereign debt exposures to reflect current market prices. In addition, it requires them to establish a buffer such that the Core Tier 1 capital ratio reaches a level of 9% by the end of June 2012. The amount of any final capital shortfall identified is based on September 2011 figures. The amount of the sovereign capital buffer will not be revised.

71 banks across Europe, including BBVA, were subject to the capital exercise whose objective is to create an exceptional and temporary capital buffer to address current market concerns over sovereign risk and other residual credit risk related to the current difficult market environment. This buffer would explicitly not be designed to cover losses in sovereigns but to provide a reassurance to markets about banks’ ability to withstand a range of shocks and still maintain adequate capital.

Following completion of the capital exercise conducted by the European Banking Authority, in close cooperation with the competent national authority, the exercise has determined that:

BBVA has a capital shortfall of €6,329 mn which must be addressed by end June 2012, of which €2,313 mn corresponds to the sovereign buffer.

BBVA will ensure that by the end of June 2012 the bank will adhere to the 9% core tier ratio and, to this end, submit a plan to the national supervisory authority. In this plan the bank will set out the proposed mix of actions to meet the required 9% target thereby bringing the shortfall to zero by June 2012. The plan – to be submitted by January 20, 2012 – will be discussed with the national competent authorities, in consultation with the relevant college of supervisors and the EBA.

BBVA has already adopted measures to address the capital buffer required by EBA. Amid them, the recent substitution of preference shares by convertibles bonds on November 22nd for a maximum amount of €3,475 mn. In addition, BBVA will meet the requirements established by EBA through a combination of organic capital generation and other measures of balance-sheet management.

The capital to be raised and measures to be taken by the bank are designed to restore confidence in market participants, to facilitate banks’ access to the funding markets as well as to put them in the condition to continue providing financial support to the real economy.

The methodology underlying the capital exercise was outlined by the EBA prior to its announcement to ensure consistency across all banks in the EU banking system involved in the exercise.

Notes

Find attached detailed information of the results of EBA exercise. Further information could also be consulted on the EBA website.
Madrid, 8 December 2011

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