Spanish bank BBVA has reported $90 million in goodwill impairment charges related to its acquisition of digital bank Simple; the acquisition has caused many analysts to question the valuation metrics for digital banks; BBVA acquired Simple in 2014 for $117 million which was $1,100 per customer; a similar digital bank sale of BankMobile is currently being priced at approximately $50 per customer; despite the impairment charges for BBVA, the bank has reported success from its acquisition with continued investment in Simple helping to increase its workforce to 350 employees. Source
Spanish bank CEO Carlos Torres Vila of BBVA spoke at the IESE 12th Banking Industry Meeting yesterday and explained how banks will need to adapt to stay competitive; BBVA has acquired cloud computing, invested in digital banks, built out artificial intelligence and improved their mobile banking experience in recent years; these changes are meant to address customer needs and position the bank for the future; he also believes banks need to adapt management structures to be more modular, which will also bring more innovative talent and facilitate better communication. Source
Spanish bank BBVA has acquired Openpay; fintech startup Openpay is a payment service provider that will help to facilitate real-time payments and transfers for BBVA; according to Openpay Co-Founder Roberto Bargagli: "This acquisition shows BBVA's commitment to digital transformation and it is an example of how fintech firms and banks are going to revolutionize the global ecosystem together. We will work with tremendous enthusiasm to take advantage of this huge potential." Source
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