Brazil's past battles with hyperinflation have left the legacy of a payment system whose efficiency assists its economy's stability to such an extent that it has garnered a host of global admirers. Writer John Rumsey
Latest articles from John Rumsey
Santander's Brazilian IPO: Around the world in 18 days
November 27, 2009The Credit Suisse team working on the Banco Santander Brasil initial public offering - the largest in the world this year - travelled to four continents in two and a half weeks to secure the deal, a hectic schedule that reaped dividends. Writer John Rumsey
Downturn plays into regional hands
October 28, 2009The economic downturn has temporarily alleviated the pressure on Brazil's regional banks. They are using that breathing space to seek efficiencies, including cost cutting, improving customer service and seeking capital from new sources. They need to move fast: as national banks recover, acquisition of regional banks will once again become an attractive expansion strategy. Writer John Rumsey
Banco do Brasil rattles cosy credit markets
October 5, 2009State-owned institution Banco do Brasil has dethroned Itaú-Unibanco to once again become the country's biggest bank. Now there is a debate about whether such rapid growth is sustainable. Writer John Rumsey
Back on song
June 4, 2009With the panic subsiding fast, Brazil's equity markets have staged an astonishing turnaround allowing canny investment banks to find their feet in the country again. Writer John Rumsey
CSR: Plenty of scope for improvement?
April 7, 2009As corporate social responsibility increases in prominence within business models, new strategies for implementation are being tried and tested across the banking industry. In Brazil, corporate governance has progressed significantly in recent years, yet it still has a long way to go, as The Banker's round table revealed. The round table is sponsored by Bradesco but independently edited by The Banker.
Latin America’s uphill struggle
March 10, 2009Short-term trade finance has come apart in Latin America but banks and governments are focusing on home markets to the detriment of a global solution. The effects are reverberating hard in emerging markets and a dependence on devalued commodities and over-aggressive hedging by exporters are exacerbating the situation. Writer John Rumsey.
Searching for a revival
March 10, 2009The worsening global financial outlook combined with a troubled economic environment at home have shaken Argentina’s government, and stalling over its debt negotiations has isolated the country further from international markets. Writer John Rumsey.
Silence deafening in Mexican markets
February 2, 2009Mexico’s equity markets have succumbed to global malaise and recovery will depend less on commodity prices, as is the case for most of Latin America, and more on improved debt markets and a US recovery. Writer John Rumsey.
André Esteves
February 2, 2009The former UBS banker talks about his solo venture to create BTG, a Brazilian trading house-cum-merchant bank based in São Paulo. Writer John Rumsey.