The first sovereign sustainability-linked bond has been announced, and it is no surprise that it is coming from Latin America. Investors and bankers will follow Chile’s transaction carefully, but is the issuer’s decision to enter war-spooked markets a sign of confidence or recklessness?

Beny Podlubny, head of XP Private, talks to Euromoney about the metaverse, risk appetite, international expansion and why Brazilian clients like to keep things close to home.

Itaú’s Argentinian firm is its smallest. Nevertheless, innovation in its retail segment could be a game-changer in the country – and potentially the region.

Calling time on the virtual meeting room

The chance to acquire Citi’s Mexican business could attract some unexpected bidders.

Citi’s decision to withdraw from consumer banking in Mexico demonstrates the extent to which fintech players have transformed this market. How prepared are the other incumbents to take on the competition?

The decision to sell Citibanamex ends the ‘Mexican exception’.

It took all of six days of the new year before the tone was set: XP Inc’s announcement of its acquisition of Banco Modal. The deal will need regulatory approval, but is being warmly endorsed by the target’s management and its minority shareholder, Credit Suisse.

German lender renews focus on LatAm after 2015 withdrawal.

The momentum behind the loss-making bank’s IPO had become unstoppable by year-end, even as the range was eventually cut. It now faces intense scrutiny as a public firm.

The CEO and CFO aren’t about to abandon the physical in the chase for digital business.

Rebooting the financial system with a new currency could be what’s needed to give Argentina’s economy a way forward.

The recent appearance of a golden bull outside the São Paulo's B3 stock exchange was something of a red rag to the city’s populace.

The Peronist playbook is back in force: Argentina’s monetization of fiscal deficits relies on the banking system buying central bank and government securities. This time around the movie has a new subplot: credit growth in both the corporate and retail sectors is increasingly taking place outside the traditional banking sector.

The fiscal deterioration of Latin America’s former totem has more than just the pandemic behind it.

Banco Pan’s turnaround has taken another step forward with its acquisition of ecommerce platform Mosaico. Chief executive Carlos Eduardo Guimarães talks to Euromoney about the importance of growth with profitability.

Ricardo Lacerda launched a boutique investment bank in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Having finally succeeded in IPOing his firm at the third attempt, he now looks to navigate it through Brazil’s turbulent waters.

Amazonia Impact Ventures says that financing sustainable agricultural production can reduce deforestation rates.

The world has been pressuring Brazil about the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest within its borders for decades. New ESG-style initiatives are being adopted by Brazilian banks and businesses, but it could be the climate impact closer to home that’s creating the impetus for real change.

Gustavo Montezano has been president of BNDES since July 2019. He is on a mission to get Brazil’s state development bank to adapt to the new financial reality of ESG. How the resultant tensions play out will be crucial to the development of Brazil and the world.

Brazil’s central bank attempts to redress the country’s woeful environmental reputation with climate-related stress tests.

Other Latin American countries watch with interest as El Salvador’s bitcoin experiment gets off to a faltering start.

Chilean corporates can now sell through Euroclear, following the sovereign’s successful experience.

Bank CEOs do not like it, but the regulators are fostering competition.

Private sector investment led to a Q1 GDP surge, with drought and energy shortages the main threat to economic revival.

Payments company prices above range as it shrugs off regional valuation constraints on Nasdaq debut.

Founder and former chief executive Guilherme Benchimol was keen to stress the mould-breaking attributes of his chosen successor as he passed the reins of XP Inc to Thiago Maffra in May.

The Swiss bank’s move onshore comes as other foreign players are leaving.

BBVA is relying more on its Latin America business. And the countries in that region are relying more and more on the global bank in turn. BBVA’s global head of country monitoring, Jorge Sáenz-Azcúnaga, explains how he expects this symbiosis to evolve.

In recent years, Brazil has endured famine, flood and pestilence. What’s next?