Santander Acquires TSB in £2.9bn Deal to Become UK’s 4th Largest Mortgage Lender

Santander Strengthens UK Presence with TSB Acquisition

Santander UK has agreed to purchase TSB from Spanish parent Banco Sabadell in a strategic move that will make it the fourth-largest mortgage lender in the UK. The deal, valued at up to £2.9bn, is set to close in early 2025 pending shareholder approval.

Key Details of the Santander-TSB Deal

• Expanded Market Share: Santander UK will become the third-largest bank by personal current accounts and fourth in home loans after absorbing TSB’s £34bn mortgage portfolio.

• Customer & Branch Network: The merger combines Santander’s 444 branches and £183.4bn in deposits with TSB’s 218 branches and 5 million customers.

• Strategic Rationale: Santander highlights operational efficiencies, low-risk mortgages, and high-quality deposits as key benefits.

Why Banco Sabadell Sold TSB

The sale comes as Banco Sabadell battles an €11bn hostile takeover bid from rival BBVA, launched in May 2023. Selling TSB provides Sabadell with liquidity to reinforce its independence while allowing an extraordinary dividend payout to shareholders.

Santander’s UK Growth Strategy

Santander UK CEO Mike Regnier stated the deal will:

“Accelerate our transformation, allowing us to enhance our customer proposition and invest more in innovative products and our digital offering.”

This acquisition follows Santander’s history of UK banking consolidation, having previously absorbed Abbey, Bradford & Bingley, and Alliance & Leicester.

What’s Next?

• Shareholder Vote: Sabadell investors will decide on 6 August 2024.

• Expected Completion: Q1 2025, subject to regulatory approval.

Contrasting Earlier Reports

Rumors in early 2024 suggested Santander might exit the UK due to costly regulations. However, Executive Chair Ana Botín denied this, calling the UK a “core market”—a stance reinforced by this deal.