Latin American economies are expected to grow on average by only 1.3% this year, the second lowest growth rate of the past 12 years, according to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) most recent forecast. This includes data for the Caribbean region, but the worst-affected countries are in the south: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Venezuela, where the IMF’s downward revision since an earlier prediction has been even more severe. Other analyses confirm the unappealing picture of the region, as weakening commodity prices and uncertainty around domestic policies in certain countries depress investor outlook.
Bank results across the board are likely to reflect this. Brazil’s stagnant economy, for example, has already affected the strength and performance of local lenders, as highlighted in The Banker’s list of Top 200 Latin American banks, which ranks lenders according to the size of their Tier 1 capital from their most recent annual financial statements.
