Lisbon, April 30, 2026 (Lusa) – The Bank of Portugal has stated that the sale of Novo Banco to the French group BPCE confirms that the central bank’s objectives in defending the public interest have been met.

“The conclusion of the sale to the BPCE group, the integration of Novo Banco into a leading European banking group, and the positive development of Portugal's banking system over the last decade (…) confirm that the Bank of Portugal’s objectives in safeguarding the public interest have been met,” the statement said.

The Bank of Portugal also said that the sale of Novo Banco “concludes the process that began in August 2014, with the application of the resolution measure to Banco Espírito Santo (BES) and the creation of Novo Banco as a bridging bank”.

The sale of Novo Banco was finalised on Thursday, with the bank being sold to the French group BPCE for €6.7 billion, the finance ministry said in a statement.

The shareholders (the US fund Lone Star, with a 75% stake, and Portugal's state, with a 25% stake) announced the sale of Novo Banco to the French banking group BPCE in June 2025 for €6.4 billion.

The government said that following a supplementary agreement in October, the valuation was revised upwards to €6.5 billion by late 2025.

The finance ministry said that a capital increase for Novo Banco took place in 2026, meaning the final acquisition price reached €6.7 billion as of 30 April 2026.

With the sale of Novo Banco for €6.7 billion, the state will receive €1.673 billion (€906 million for the Resolution Fund and €766 million for the Treasury and Finance Department).

AJR/MYAL // ADB.

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