Building out Latin America's bond markets

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Building out Latin America's bond markets

The region’s local debt markets are at a crucial point. International interest is growing. Investment banks are building up. But with one exception, domestic supply and demand remains limited. Can other countries follow Mexico’s lead? Euromoney investigates the dynamics of Latin America’s main bond markets.

More in-depth coverage of the key Latin American local bond markets:

LATAM

 

Currencies’ depreciation will test local appetite

International investors are increasingly looking at Latin America’s local currency markets, but foreign exchange volatility makes the buyside wary of losing any potential gains, as has happened with some recent deals. The mixture of currency and credit risk may be too heady a cocktail for some.


Brazil’s local markets brace to take the strain – free to access

The troubles at Petrobras have hurt all of Brazil’s borrowers but bankers in the country think the worst is now over and that the bad news has been priced in. The proof will come when issuers return to the markets, but who wants to go first – and can the local markets produce the goods?


Mexico – the standard bearer – free to access

For many reasons Mexico is the envy of its emerging market peers. The next step in its development will require attracting more international investors, but there are big challenges ahead.


Argentina: A question of politics – free to access

Argentina’s relative seclusion from the international capital markets has meant a lot of volume has built up in the local markets. Chile: Financing their own – free to access

Bring up the topic of Chilean financial markets to a financier with a regional role and more often than not the adjective they use is 'sophisticated'. However, while the country has the longest-standing investment-grade credit rating and has strong, well-capitalized banks, that isn’t synonymous with sophistication.

Colombia: New issuers needed – free to access

Having a buyside full of risk-averse investors is a common theme among Latin America’s local debt capital markets but Colombia takes this to the highest level. Unless you are locally-rated AAA or AA+ then forget about the debt markets – bank debt is for you.

Peru: Ready for a big leap forward – free to access

Peru’s economy has been averaging more than 5% growth a year for the last 10 years but that growth has not, as yet, been matched by corresponding growth in the volume of bonds issued in its local debt capital markets.

HSBC – building from debt

HSBC is pushing hard in its drive into Latin America’s markets. From a DCM foundation, it is moving into other areas, though competition will be fierce.





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