Santander BanCorp Declares Common Shares Dividend

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Aug. 23  /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 3, 2005 to shareholders of record as of September 9, 2005.

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 [phone].

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). 89% of the outstanding common of Santander BanCorp is owned by Banco Santander Central Hispano, S.A (Santander). The Company has three wholly owned subsidiaries, Banco Santander Puerto Rico, Santander Securities Corporation and Santander Insurance Agency. Banco Santander Puerto Rico has been operating in Puerto Rico for nearly three decades. It offers a full array of services through 65 branches in the areas of commercial, mortgage and consumer banking, supported by a team of over 1,600 employees. Santander Securities offers securities brokerage services and provides portfolio management services through its wholly owned subsidiary Santander Asset Management Corporation.  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 9th largest bank in the world by market capitalization and the largest in the Euro Zone. Founded in 1857, Santander has 63 million customers, 9,970 offices and a presence in over 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 it also operates a leading consumer finance franchise in Germany, Italy, Spain and nine other European countries. In 2004, Santander recorded euro 3.6 billion in net attributable profits.

In Latin America, Santander manages over US$130 billion in business volumes (loans, deposits and off-balance sheet assets under management) through 4,000 offices in 10 countries. 

DATASOURCE: Santander BanCorp



CONTACT:  Maria Calero, [phone], or Evelyn Vega, [phone],

both of Santander BanCorp



Web site:  http://www.santandernet.com/ 

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