SAN
Banco Santander S.A.
stock NYSE ADR

I remember looking at the commercial real estate holdings of banks and everyone seemed worried and frightened that could just collapse the banks
like holding all the office space around Detroit and similar around the Great Lakes region
as if Los Angeles and San Francisco wasn't a big enough worry
I think the Federal Reserve thing got people to flood into the banks in the pask week and a half
You got me hunting and I discovered something new
the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index
and that seems to match up
3 days ago
Seeking Alpha
# Regional bank stocks climb, propelled by merger outlook as one analyst sees it
Feb. 04, 2026
Regional bank stocks' gains have outpaced the banking sector and the S&P 500 Index in the past month as investors rotate away from the megacap bank stocks, likely bolstered by optimism for continued consolidation in the sector.
The KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index (KRX) climbed 10% in the past month, compared with the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index's (BKX) 1.7% increase and the S&P 500's -0.1% slip. Regional bank stocks' strength continued on Wednesday. KRX gained 1.7% in afternoon trading, compared with BKX's 0.8% rise and the S&P 500's (SPX) 0.8% dip.
Wednesday's gains come after Webster Financial (WBS) agreed to be acquired by Banco Santander (SAN) in a $12B deal. That comes after Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) completed its $10.9B acquisition of Comerica on Monday, the same day that Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) closed on its $7B purchase of Cadence Bank. Late last month, Prosperity Bancshares (PB) agreed to acquire Stellar Bancorp (STEL) in a deal valued at \~$2B.
"I think Webster Financial is the start of a domino effect," Wells Fargo analyst Mike Mayo said in an interview with Seeking Alpha. "I think it's the acquisition and deregulatory environment that's driving most of the change."
"The expectations and the actual consolidation in the sector" have produced "a new era for bank consolidation," he added. He sees a "sweet spot for certainly the next eight months before the midterms, where you have a very unique window for bank mergers."
As a result, he sees the potential for the greatest number of bank mergers in a decade or more. "Mergers are back for midcap banks," he said, adding that it's the "greatest change in regulation in a generation."
Furthermore, "scale is more important than it's ever been before." For example, for a bank of Webster Financial's (WBS) size, it would take a decade and a half of total expenses to equal the amount that JPMorgan Chase (JPM) spends on tech alone in a single year, Mayo said.
Among the stronger-performing regional stocks on Wednesday are
Huntington (HBAN), +3.2%
Fifth Third (FITB) +3.2%
Zions Bancorp (ZION) +1.8%
First Citizens (FCNCA) +2.6%
Truist Financial (TFC) +2.1%
PNC Financial (PNC) +2.3%.

"National defense, specifically EU," - I would go the opposite - sort of speaking - meaning got into SAN, ISP, 2 EU banks from 2 countries that seems not to rally to all guns on deck race -acc. to their nato spendings, and also 2 of which did not rally 100-150% last year like their other peers

I remember looking at the commercial real estate holdings of banks and everyone seemed worried and frightened that could just collapse the banks
like holding all the office space around Detroit and similar around the Great Lakes region
as if Los Angeles and San Francisco wasn't a big enough worry
I think the Federal Reserve thing got people to flood into the banks in the pask week and a half
You got me hunting and I discovered something new
the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index
and that seems to match up
3 days ago
Seeking Alpha
# Regional bank stocks climb, propelled by merger outlook as one analyst sees it
Feb. 04, 2026
Regional bank stocks' gains have outpaced the banking sector and the S&P 500 Index in the past month as investors rotate away from the megacap bank stocks, likely bolstered by optimism for continued consolidation in the sector.
The KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index (KRX) climbed 10% in the past month, compared with the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index's (BKX) 1.7% increase and the S&P 500's -0.1% slip. Regional bank stocks' strength continued on Wednesday. KRX gained 1.7% in afternoon trading, compared with BKX's 0.8% rise and the S&P 500's (SPX) 0.8% dip.
Wednesday's gains come after Webster Financial (WBS) agreed to be acquired by Banco Santander (SAN) in a $12B deal. That comes after Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) completed its $10.9B acquisition of Comerica on Monday, the same day that Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) closed on its $7B purchase of Cadence Bank. Late last month, Prosperity Bancshares (PB) agreed to acquire Stellar Bancorp (STEL) in a deal valued at \~$2B.
"I think Webster Financial is the start of a domino effect," Wells Fargo analyst Mike Mayo said in an interview with Seeking Alpha. "I think it's the acquisition and deregulatory environment that's driving most of the change."
"The expectations and the actual consolidation in the sector" have produced "a new era for bank consolidation," he added. He sees a "sweet spot for certainly the next eight months before the midterms, where you have a very unique window for bank mergers."
As a result, he sees the potential for the greatest number of bank mergers in a decade or more. "Mergers are back for midcap banks," he said, adding that it's the "greatest change in regulation in a generation."
Furthermore, "scale is more important than it's ever been before." For example, for a bank of Webster Financial's (WBS) size, it would take a decade and a half of total expenses to equal the amount that JPMorgan Chase (JPM) spends on tech alone in a single year, Mayo said.
Among the stronger-performing regional stocks on Wednesday are
Huntington (HBAN), +3.2%
Fifth Third (FITB) +3.2%
Zions Bancorp (ZION) +1.8%
First Citizens (FCNCA) +2.6%
Truist Financial (TFC) +2.1%
PNC Financial (PNC) +2.3%.

"National defense, specifically EU," - I would go the opposite - sort of speaking - meaning got into SAN, ISP, 2 EU banks from 2 countries that seems not to rally to all guns on deck race -acc. to their nato spendings, and also 2 of which did not rally 100-150% last year like their other peers