Banco Agromercantil may not be Guatemala’s biggest bank and claims less than 10% market share, but it is one of the healthiest and most profitable institutions in the country.

Guatemala’s growing banking sector needs to consolidate to remain competitive, especially as foreign banks are eyeing up the country. Monica Campbell reports from Guatemala City.

Luis Ernesto Derbez, Mexico’s foreign minister, tells Karina Robinson of the lessons learned by the outgoing administration of Vicente Fox.

Foreign correspondent banks will be major losers as a result of further anti-money laundering regulation in the form of Section 312 of the USA Patriot Act, writes Michael Imeson.

On the surface, the latest annual results for the top five banks in the US seem to continue the trend established in previous years: strong pre-tax profit growth on the back of strong growth in consumer and commercial loans and good deposit growth.

All signals point to the Latin American economic recovery being sustainable, as governments have increasingly demonstrated fiscal responsibility, argues Luis A Moreno.

Panama’s dominance of the Top 100 has grown and the country is proving attractive for group headquarters.

Argentine companies are yet to enjoy the benefits of the country’s economic upturn as banks are wary of lending. This may change with the launch of an SME stock market, while bigger enterprises are turning to foreign debt. By Jason Mitchell in Buenos Aires.

Strong domestic retail banking performance has been the key to the continuing profitability of the top five Canadian banks ranked by Tier 1 capital (see table download).

Barbadian bankers are of one mind that a light touch regime combined with transparency is better than a ‘no-tax and secrecy’ culture. Tom Blass explains.