Strict regulation, high capital and reserve requirements, and low levels of debt mean Brazil's banks are flourishing and in a good position to capitalise if their US and European competitors should pull back. Writer Brian Caplen
Cover stars: Brazilian bankers are still feted rather than reviled, unlike their colleagues in the US and Europe
Americas
Latest articles from Americas
Brazil's giants stand ready to pounce
May 5, 2009A combined effort to tackle the crisis
May 5, 2009The countries of the Caribbean have so far avoided the worst of the global slowdown, in part due to the region's steadfast regulatory discipline, but also because of the conservative approach adopted by the Canadian banks that dominate the area's financial sector. Writer Jane Monahan
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.
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.
Robust chile hopes for the best
March 10, 2009A conservative fiscal approach has left Chilean banks well placed to ride out the global financial downturn. However, opinion is divided on just how tough things are likely to get in the immediate future. Writer Jason Mitchell in Santiago.
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.
The CAF's quiet ascent
March 10, 2009The Andean Development Corporation (CAF), set up by various Latin American governments, is proof of the benefits of partnership between developing nations. Enrique García, the bank’s president, discusses the reasons behind its success. Writer Hugh O’Shaughnessy.
Partnership married with pragmatism
March 10, 2009The president of the Inter-American Development Bank explains how it will be working to help Latin American and Caribbean countries to help themselves in 2009.
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.
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.