Banco Santander is located among the four major international banks with better rating, according to S & P.

The agency maintained the rating of AA-Santander Group, while it was lowered to other 17 international organizations.

Rating agency Standard & Poor's announced the impact of new methods for calculating the solvency rating of the 37 major international financial institutions analyzed. Santander Group's rating remained at AA-, while S & P downgraded the rating to other 17 international organizations.

Angel Santodomingo, Director of Investor Relations and Analyst Santander Group, said "Santander is situated, according to Standard & Poor's, along with Rabobank (Netherlands), BNP (France) and Nordea (Nordic countries) in the select group of large entities AA rating, we believe that group's geographical diversification has been determining to achieve this result."

With respect to the subsidiaries of Grupo Santander, improves rating in Brazil (BBB) and the U.S. (A +), and held in the UK (AA-), Banesto (AA-), Mexico (bbb), Santander Totta (bbb-) and Chile (A +). Finally S & P cut the ratings of Santander Consumer Finance (A +) and Puerto Rico (bbb).