In the first quarter of the year, Spain’s largest bank, Grupo Santander SAN , earned EUR 1,205 million, up significantly from the EUR 401 million it earned in the trailing quarter. Most of this increase was due to the non-recurrence of special loan loss provisions in the fourth quarter; excluding this, earnings were up 18% sequentially, but down 26% from the year-ago quarter because of … Continue reading Santander`s First-Quarter Profit Benefits Lower Provisions