The phony war has been long, but the first real battle has now begun in Brazil’s fintech space.

Lower interest rates point to lower NIMs this year; Growing competition from newly regulated fintech sector will lead banks’ costs to rise.

Q1 2019 data shows severe year-on-year falls in activity; hangover from 2018 blamed: signs of recovery for quarters ahead.

Protectionism is undermining an otherwise moderate global outlook as growth continues, labour markets tighten and geopolitical crises calm.

After so long, private bank clients and even retail investors are no longer happy with the returns from government bonds; instead, they are searching for yield and pushing up the value of risk assets.

The government is pushing structural reforms despite the economic crisis; new tax regulations aimed to bring money onshore.

There are key differences between the growth outlook for Argentina’s banks today and that of Brazil’s banks from 2003 to 2008.

Monetary policy is now much more effective in Brazil and it’s having some interesting consequences.

The 50th anniversary issues of Euromoney are forcing journalists to take a broader sweep of the issues we cover than the usual month-by-month perspective.

Recoveries, reschedulings, crises and scandal: no region’s financial markets have been as turbulent as Latin America’s over the last five decades. Euromoney had a ringside seat for all the booms and busts, and access to some of the colourful characters – from presidents to bank chiefs – that have tried to steer Latin America towards a more sustainable path.

Of all the global corridors of trade and investment, the one between Latin America and the Middle East is among the least travelled.

After decades of trying, have LatAm’s central bankers finally steadied the ship? Mexico's Agustin Carstens, one of the monetary policy stalwarts of the region, takes stock.

While the region has proved its economic and financial resilience in recent years, it’s time to look ahead and become competitive for whatever the next 50 years will bring, says former Colombia finance minister Mauricio Cárdenas.

Argentina is on a precipice, Venezuela has a humanitarian crisis and Brazil is just exiting its worst-ever recession – so far, so Latin America. But some countries have shown a path to sustainable growth and others are now grasping the nettle of reform. In a series of articles to commemorate 50 years of Euromoney, we speak to architects of previous recovery plans and to today's heads of the region's top banks and investment banks and ask: could an end to Latin America's long history of boom and bust finally be in sight?

Since Roberto Setubal became chief executive of Itaú Unibanco in 1994, the bank’s growth has been spectacular – but the next stage is harder to target.

The region’s leading banks produce some of the best numbers in the global industry, and success in retail banking – and a hard-learned approach to risk management – are core; could the growth of digital banking bring a new era of change?

Staying committed to a region where deal flow sometimes stops overnight is tough for an international investment bank. Local firms and the few foreign competitors that have stuck around hope to benefit from any upturn in business. The in-and-outers might find it hard to get back.

The country is now in default on almost all of its foreign currency bonds; investors need to think ahead about the debt renegotiation to come.

Multiple positive factors point to outperformance of Brazil’s banks in EM, but pensions reform risks remain.

They aren’t making headlines – for the right reasons.

I can’t seem to stop worrying about Argentina in its election year.

With its focus on SMEs, the bank is well set to grow with the Brazilian economy

Itaú is performing well, but faces challenges in its corporate banking unit.

Santander’s Brazilian bank took lots of deserved acclaim when Santander released its global third-quarter results, but keep an eye on Mexico.

New president’s move to the left sparks growth fears as banks hit by deteriorating macro outlook as well as fee regulations.

A lower-profile announcement caught Euromoney’s eye after the bluster of the G20 meetings in Buenos Aires.

Capital markets could be in for a bumper year in Brazil in 2019, with bankers hoping that a strong economic inheritance and a market-friendly policy agenda will prompt a jolt of activity.

Buyers and sellers need to show some discipline.

Central bank taking further action to lower credit costs through competition; Banco Inter’s post-IPO growth shows digital banking opportunity.

Santiago Peña helped secure Paraguay’s relentless upward trajectory while minister of finance – now he has switched to the private sector and has the perfect perspective to judge the outlook for the Mercosur countries.