Shares of Banco Santander fell as much as 5% after the Spanish lender announced a proposal to acquire Webster Financial, a US-based commercial bank, for $12.2 billion. Analysts are flagging short-term execution risks despite the deal’s potential to boost US profitability. Chairman Ana Botin pledged to halt further acquisitions for three years to focus on integrating the new assets and delivering $800 million in cost savings.
