Santander BanCorp Declares Common Shares Dividend
August 25 2006 - 4:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board
of Directors of Santander BanCorp (NYSE: SBP; LATIBEX: XSBP),
declared a cash dividend amounting to $0.16 per common share. The
dividend shall be payable on October 2, 2006 to shareholders of
record as of September 8, 2006. Cash dividends on common shares are
eligible for direct reinvestment under the Company's Dividend
Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan. For additional information on
how to participate in Santander BanCorp's Dividend Reinvestment and
Cash Purchase Plan, shareholders should contact our transfer agent
and registrar, Mellon Investor Services LLC, at (800) 851-9677.
Institutional Background Santander BanCorp is a publicly held
financial holding company that is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange (SBP) and on Latibex (Madrid Stock Exchange) (XSBP). 91%
of the outstanding common stock of Santander BanCorp is owned by
Banco Santander Central Hispano, S.A (Santander). The Company has
five wholly owned subsidiaries, Banco Santander Puerto Rico,
Santander Securities Corporation, Santander Financial Services,
Santander Insurance Agency and Island Insurance Corporation. Banco
Santander Puerto Rico has been operating in Puerto Rico for nearly
three decades. It offers a full array of services through 63
branches in the areas of commercial, mortgage and consumer banking,
supported by a team of over 1,400 employees. Santander Securities
offers securities brokerage services and provides portfolio
management services through its wholly owned subsidiary Santander
Asset Management Corporation. Santander Financial Services offers
consumer finance products through its network of 70 branches
throughout the Island. Santander Insurance Agency offers life,
health and disability coverage as a corporate agent and also
operates as a general agent. For more information, visit the
Company's website at http://www.santandernet.com/. Santander
(SAN.MC, STD.N) is the largest bank in the Euro Zone by market
capitalization and one of the largest worldwide. Founded in 1857,
Santander has euro 815,000 million in assets and euro 975,000
million in managed funds, 66 million customers, 10,300 offices and
a presence in 40 countries. It is the largest financial group in
Spain and Latin America, and is a major player elsewhere in Europe,
including the United Kingdom through its Abbey subsidiary and
Portugal, where it is the third largest banking group. Through
Santander Consumer Finance, it also operates a leading consumer
finance franchise in Germany, Italy, Spain and nine other European
countries. As of the second quarter of 2006, Santander recorded
euro 1.493 million in net attributable profits, 26% more than in
the same period of the previous year. In Latin America, Santander
manages over US$200 billion in business volumes (loans, deposits,
mutual funds, pension funds and managed funds) through 4,170
offices. As of the first quarter of 2006, Santander recorded in
Latin America US$743 million in net attributable income, 35% higher
than in the prior year. This news release contains forward-looking
statements that are based on current expectations, estimates,
forecasts and projections about the industry in which the Company
operates, its beliefs and its management's assumptions. Words such
as "expects," "anticipates," "targets," "goals," "projects,"
"intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates" and variations
of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such
forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of
future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and
assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual
outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed
or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise
required under federal securities laws and the rules and
regulations of the SEC, the Company does not have any intention or
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in
assumptions or otherwise. DATASOURCE: Santander BanCorp CONTACT:
Maria Calero, +1-787-751-6640, or +1-787-777-4437, or Evelyn Vega,
+1-787-777-4546 Web site: http://www.santandernet.com/
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