Result of Meeting

Banco Santander Central Hispano SA
18 January 2000

EXTRAORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS MEETING OF BANCO SANTANDER CENTRAL HISPANO APPROVES
CAPITAL INCREASE

The operations are to finance acquisitions in Portugal and part finance the
Royal Bank of Scotland bid for NatWest

Madrid January 18, 2000 - An extraordinary shareholders of Banco Santander
Central Hispano today authorized the Board to carry out increases in share
capital that will be utilized for previously announced operations in Europe.

The first is a capital increase of up to 125 million euros, equivalent to 250
million new shares or 6.82% of the Bank's existing capital.  It is envisaged
that this will be used to part finance the bid that has been launched by The
Royal Bank of Scotland for NatWest.

Once this operation has been concluded, Banco Santander Central Hispano will
maintain a significant shareholding in the new RBSG group.  Banco Santander
Central Hispano's final stake would come to around 7% of the new banking entity,
which would become the second largest in the United Kingdom.

The other two capital increases, for a maximum of 75.9 million euros, and 73.1
million euros respectively, involve the issue of a maximum 298 million new
shares, equivalent to 8.13% of the Bank's capital.  Both operations are to
implement the agreements signed on November 11 between Banco Santander Central
Hispano Grupo Champalimaud, and Caixa Geral for the acquisition of Banco Totta &
Acores and Credito Predial Portugues, as a result of which Banco Santander
Central Hispano will increase its market share in Portugal to 11%.

The Shareholders Meeting also approved the appointment of Antonio Champalimaud
as Board member.