Grupo Financiero Santander México Reports Fourth Quarter 2015 Loan Portfolio Up 17.7% YoY and Net Income of Ps.4,224 Million

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Financiero Santander México, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE: BSMX; BMV: SANMEX), ("Santander México"), one of the leading financial groups in Mexico, today announced financial results for the three- and twelve-month periods ending December 31, 2015.

Santander México reported net income for 4Q15 of Ps.4,224 million, representing YoY and QoQ increases of 10.5% and 21.9%, respectively. For 12M15, net income amounted to Ps.14,141 million, reflecting a 0.9% increase from 12M14.

Héctor Grisi, Grupo Financiero Santander México's Executive President and CEO, commented, "Our fourth quarter 2015 results reflect the many strengths and opportunities we see at Santander México. Total loans grew by 18% year-on-year, exceeding market growth, while we achieved even stronger performance in consumer loans, a clear reflection of the strength of our franchise. We hold leading market shares in core segments - SMEs, middle-market and mortgages, as well as solid positions in consumer banking and credit cards. Our heightened focus on individuals also allowed us to achieve a significant increase in retail deposit growth, although we maintain more ambitious targets for our long term share in this segment."

"Despite our achievements, key profitability metrics remain below our desired levels. Since joining in December, I have been working closely with our leadership team on a thorough assessment of Santander México's operations. The bank has identified its key challenges, and we are already implementing initiatives that will enable us to attract new clients and increase customer loyalty in our retail banking operations. Our goal is to be our customers' primary bank and for this we need to become a client-centric franchise."

"While Mexico has a growing economy and favorable market dynamics, like all banks, capital is becoming a scarce and increasingly costly resource. In this context, our mandate is clear: to improve profitability. At Santander México, we are uniquely positioned to better realize the strong potential of our investment and corporate banking business, creating additional synergies with our retail operation."

"I am excited by the opportunities ahead, and confident that the operational transformation of our retail and corporate banking franchise, will ensure we achieve profitable, sustainable growth for customers and shareholders. I am fully committed to maintaining our focus on profitability, and look forward to updating you on our progress," Mr. Grisi said.

To obtain the full text of this earnings report and the 4Q15 earnings presentation, please click on the following link: http://www.santander.com.mx/ir/english/financial/quarterly.html

4Q15 EARNINGS CALL DIAL-IN INFORMATION

ABOUT GRUPO FINANCIERO SANTANDER MÉXICO, S.A.B. DE C.V. (NYSE: BSMX; BMV: SANMEX)
Grupo Financiero Santander México, S.A.B. de C.V. (Santander México), one of Mexico's leading financial services holding companies, provides a wide range of financial and related services, including retail and commercial banking, securities brokerage, financial advisory and other related investment activities. Santander México offers a multichannel financial services platform focused on mid- to high-income individuals and small- to medium-sized enterprises, while also providing integrated financial services to larger multinational companies in Mexico. As of December 31, 2015, Santander México had total assets of Ps.1,185 billion under Mexican Banking GAAP and more than 12 million customers. Headquartered in Mexico City, the Company operates 1,079 branches and 298 offices nationwide and has a total of 17,205 employees.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Grupo Financiero Santander México cautions that this report may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be found in various places throughout this report and include, without limitation, statements regarding our intent, belief, targets or current expectations in connection with: asset growth and sources of funding; growth of our fee-based business; expansion of our distribution network; our focus on strategic businesses; our compound annual growth rate; our risk, efficiency and profitability targets; financing plans; competition; impact of regulation; exposure to market risks including interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk and equity price risk; exposure to credit risks including credit default risk and settlement risk; projected capital expenditures; capitalization requirements and level of reserves; liquidity; trends affecting the economy generally; and trends affecting our financial condition and our results of operations. While these forward-looking statements represent our judgment and future expectations concerning the development of our business, a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors could cause actual developments and results to differ materially from our expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to: changes in capital markets in general that may affect policies or attitudes towards lending to Mexico or Mexican companies; changes in economic conditions, in Mexico in particular, in the United States or globally; the monetary, foreign exchange and interest rate policies of the Mexican Central Bank (Banco de Mexico); inflation; deflation; unemployment; unanticipated turbulence in interest rates; movements in foreign exchange rates; movements in equity prices or other rates or prices; changes in Mexican and foreign policies, legislation and regulations; changes in requirements to make contributions to, for the receipt of support from programs organized by or requiring deposits to be made or assessments observed or imposed by, the Mexican government; changes in taxes; competition, changes in competition and pricing environments; our inability to hedge certain risks economically; economic conditions that affect consumer spending and the ability of customers to comply with obligations; the adequacy of allowances for loans and other losses; increased default by borrowers; technological changes; changes in consumer spending and saving habits; increased costs; unanticipated increases in financing and other costs or the inability to obtain additional debt or equity financing on attractive terms; changes in, or failure to comply with, banking regulations; and certain other factors indicated in our  annual report20F. The risk factors and other key factors that we have indicated in our past and future filings and reports, including those with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, could adversely affect our business and financial performance.

Note: The information contained in this report is not audited. Nevertheless, the consolidated accounts are prepared on the basis of the accounting principles and regulations prescribed by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission (Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores) for credit institutions, as amended (Mexican Banking GAAP). All figures presented are in nominal terms. Historical figures are not adjusted for inflation.

SOURCE Grupo Financiero Santander Mexico, S.A.B. de C.V.