Pérez Bermejo (KPMG): "La banca está en el mejor momento de las dos últimas décadas"

Pérez Bermejo, a KPMG partner specializing in the financial sector in Spain, spoke at the XVII KPMG Expansion Encounter alongside American Express and Cunef University. He stated that the banking sector is experiencing its best period in the last two decades, driven by clearly superior returns to capital costs, increasingly diverse business models with strong future prospects, high-quality assets, stock valuations exceeding book values, and capital and liquidity levels well above regulatory minimums.

However, he cautioned about geopolitical volatility, rising sovereign debt costs, and the secondary impact of interest rate fluctuations on the economy. The report highlights that over 85% of banks already incorporate AI to personalize customer service and optimize internal processes, but human involvement remains crucial for responsible, ethical, and efficient AI use.

Perez Bermejo also emphasized the critical priority of strengthening AI governance and cyber-resilience amid increasing cyberattacks. He noted that the banking sector plays a pivotal role in Europe's transformation agenda, with estimated annual investment needs between 800 billion and 1.2 trillion euros, primarily from traditional banking credit.

Since 85% of corporate credit originates from the traditional banking system, he asserted that banking cannot be omitted from Europe's progress and success. Regarding potential cross-border integrations in Europe, where Spanish banks have extensive experience and tradition in integration processes post-financial crisis, Perez Bermejo suggested they should play a significant role when strategic fit and suitable regulatory conditions arise.

Lastly, he stressed that banking is a trust business, built on customer service, solvency, risk management, and an irreplaceable human component.