Unicaja restarts merger talks with rival Liberbank

Moving closer: Unicaja confirms preliminary contact with Liberbank, however, there is no final decision on the merger. — Reuters

MADRID: Unicaja Banco SA and Liberbank SA said they have held talks on rekindling a merger abandoned last year as consolidation gathers pace across Europe’s financial industry.

Unicaja “confirms preliminary contact with Liberbank, with the knowledge of the board and without for the moment, the participation of external advisers,” the lender said in a regulatory filing yesterday.