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The Corner

The Corner has a team of on-the-ground reporters in capital cities ranging from New York to Beijing. Their stories are edited by the teams at the Spanish magazine Consejeros (for members of companies’ boards of directors) and at the stock market news site Consenso Del Mercado (market consensus). They have worked in economics and communication for over 25 years.

Spanish economy 30th October 2026

Retail sales record their largest decline in nearly four years in September (-1.6%)

Retail trade sales recorded a year-on-year decrease of 1.6% in September, their largest drop in nearly four years—specifically since November 2022—according to data released this Thursday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). With this year-on-year drop, which widens the contraction experienced in August by 0.5 percentage points, retail sales have now logged three consecutive months of negative rates. Within the retail sector, food product sales fell by 0.3%, while sales…

In Europe 30th October 2026

ECB will attempt to agree on a new president before year-end, with Pablo Hernández de Cos and Klaas Knot best positioned

Yesterday, in line with expectations, the ECB kept key interest rates unchanged, with the deposit facility rate at 2.5% following the June and September hikes. Furthermore, the statement noted that the scale and duration of the energy shock (crude oil, and especially gas and distillates), along with its indirect and second-round effects (which are currently not evident, given stable wage growth), will likely push inflation higher and weigh on economic…

Companies, Relevant News Item 30th October 2026

CaixaBank boosts net profit by 12.9% through September to €4,962 million

CaixaBank Group closed the first nine months of 2026 with a net profit of €4,962 million, up 12.9% compared to the same period of the previous year (€4,397 million). According to the bank, this growth was driven by the acceleration of commercial activity, customer acquisition, and the consolidation of its 2025–2027 Strategic Plan. The income statement reflects positive dynamics across all margins: Profitability and efficiency: Profitability (12-month ROTE) climbed to…

Companies, Relevant News Item 29th October 2026

Repsol’s profit surges 325% to €5 billion

Repsol reported a net profit of €5.006 billion in the first nine months of the year, representing a 325% increase compared to €1.177 billion in the same period last year. This performance was boosted by stock revaluation (+€943 million) in a 2026 environment marked by rising prices for crude oil and refined products driven by the conflict in the Middle East, according to the company, which has accelerated its shareholder…

In Spain 29th October 2026

At least 68 dead in second rail tragedy in nine months

The collision of a Renfe High-Speed train (AVE) with a stationary Iryo train near Urda (Toledo) has left at least 68 people dead. A failure in the LZB safety system forced traffic to be managed manually. Subsequently, Adif’s control center authorized the AVE train to proceed without warning it of the stopped train ahead. The investigation will have to establish responsibility for this new disaster, which has disrupted the PSOE’s…

Companies, Relevant News Item 28th October 2026

Banco Santander reported a underlying profit of €11,176 million in the first nine months of 2026, up 16%

Banco Santander reported a record underlying profit of €11,176 million in the first nine months of 2026, up 16%. Attributable profit reached €12,405 million, up 20%. This includes a €1.9 billion net capital gain from completing the disposal of Santander Bank Polska in January, partly offset by €666 million in charges, including integration costs associated with TSB and Webster. Underlying results exclude these non-recurring items to give a consistent view…

Spanish economy 28th October 2026

Unemployment has risen back above 10% as the public sector added 90,000 workers in a single quarter, exceeding 3.7 million.

According to last summer’s Active Population Survey (EPA, by its Spanish acronym), Spain added 77,300 employed persons between July and September, reaching a record high of 22.85 million. However, this figure was not enough to offset the surge in unemployment, which grew by 95,900 people. This marks the largest increase for this period since the pandemic years, bringing the total number of unemployed individuals to 2.59 million and pushing the…

Companies, Relevant News Item 27th October 2026

ACS, Ferrovial, and Sacyr enter the private network plan Trump aims to develop

Spain is an undisputed global powerhouse in managing transport infrastructure and networks through public-private partnerships, and these three companies have progressively shifted away from low-margin pure construction to focus on long-term concession management, which provides recurring and stable revenues. The framework of the US plan would allow these companies to contribute private capital, manage the infrastructure, and structure the projects through Project Finance, benefiting from tolls or availability payments for…

Spanish economy 27th October 2026

Spain: Population facing severe deprivation increases from 7.4% to 8.1% over a decade, while the European average drops to 6.3%

The Spanish economy is growing, yes, but so is poverty: Being unable to afford a one-week annual holiday away from home, keep the home adequately warm, or replace damaged furniture are indicators of severe material and social deprivation affecting 8.1% of the population in Spain—a figure that has climbed over the last decade from 7.4% in 2015. This was highlighted by Funcas, the Savings Banks Foundation, in its analysis of…

Relevant News Item 26th October 2026

Ibex 35 created 11,600 jobs last year

A report by EY-Parthenon reveals that the major companies of the Ibex 35 increased their global workforce by 0.9% in 2025 and boosted employment in the domestic market by 1.8%. This makes Spain the only major country in continental Europe with net domestic job creation. In an international environment marked by geopolitical uncertainty, technological disruption, and competitive pressures, top Spanish listed companies continue to demonstrate a solid capacity to generate…

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