Dividend Declaration

Banco Santander Central Hispano SA
25 February 2005

MATERIAL FACT

Banco Santander Central Hispano, S.A. hereby notifies that as of 1st May next it
will pay a fourth dividend on the earnings obtained in the 2004 financial year,
for a gross amount of 0.0842 euros per share.

With the payment of this dividend (which will be the final dividend if the
proposal to be submitted to the General Shareholders' Meeting is approved), the
total dividend paid on the earnings for the past financial year amounts to
0.3332 euros per share, which is 10% higher than that received in respect of the
2003 financial year.

On Monday, 2nd May, the Bank's share will already trade ex-dividend.

Boadilla del Monte (Madrid), 25th February 2005.




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