The institute for the protection of Mexican bank savings has preferred Spanish BSCH to British HSBC for acquisition of 100% of the capital of SERFIN, the third largest Mexican bank, after a call for tenders. BSCH will pay $1.56 billion for this acquisition which, together with its Mexican subsidiary GRUPO FINANCIERO SANTANDER MEXICANO, will give it 16% of the market shares in Mexico with 2.2 million clients, 927 branches, and assets totalling $24.1 billion.