Leading European banks ranked by return on assets 2019

Return on assets (ROA) is a ratio used to measure how well a company is using its assets to generate income. The ratio is calculated by dividing the Net Income by the average total assets over a given period. As of the end of 2019, the Banco Santander had the highest return on assets of Europe’s largest banks, ranked by tier 1 capital. Banco Santander was also the leading bank in Europe when ranked by total assets, followed by HSBC.

Return on capital

Another aspect where Banco Santander flourished was in terms of return on capital (ROC). Return on capital is used by financial companies such as banks not only as a measurement of profitability, but also as an indication of the banks' ability to create value on the amount invested by the shareholders.

European banking sector

To discover much more on Europe's leading banks and the European banking sector in-depth, you can read our DossierPlus ‘European Banking Sector”. The dossier looks in depth at the health of Europe’s banks, the fall in high street banking as well as the rise in online only banks, and how incumbent banks are meeting the demands of a digital future.