Only two foreign banks – Spain’s Santander Central Hispano and ABN AMRO of the Netherlands – have gained enough bulk to qualify as meaningful competitors in the domestic retail banking market. Most […]
Category: 2004
Posted inMagazine
Team Brazil
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his finance minister, Antônio Palocci, pulled Brazil back from the brink last year. Now, they face the even greater challenge of accelerating growth and keeping their promise to end Brazil’s social injustices.
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Foreigners’ Modest Market Share
As one would expect, some of the world’s biggest financial firms – Citigroup and Bank of America of the US and London-based HSBC – have subsidiaries in Brazil. Citigroup first opened an […]
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The Country’s Engine
Paulistas like to say that if the state of São Paulo were an independent country it would be the second-largest economy in South America. As the most populous and most […]
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Gridlock in the Bond Market
Demand from institutional investors in Mexico’s bond market outstrips supply. There are just not enough high-quality bonds around, but this could be changing.
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The Going Gets Tougher
Latin American stock markets posted their best results in years in 2003 because interest rates and political risk fell. That is unlikely to be repeated again this year.
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Hardline and Realistic
Brazil’s Finance Ministry wields tremendous power. The ministry is responsible for designing and executing economic policy, and oversees a constellation of agencies and departments such as tax collection and insurance […]
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The Next Frontier
Mexico’s nascent private equity industry is picking up as investors identify promising opportunities. All they need now is to find an exit.
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In Need of a Lifeline
A strong, independent media is an important part of any modern democracy, but there is reason to be concerned about the health of Brazil’s publishing and broadcasting industry. The Marinho […]
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The Private Sector’s Big Three
Brazil’s three largest private sector banks together control 30% of the Brazilian banking system’s $437 billion in assets. Banco Bradesco, Banco Itaú and Unibanco are large by regional standards, but […]