Author Archives: LatinFinance Awards

FDI Booster
Uruguay’s Banco de la República, the country’s largest bank in terms of deposits, has started to notch up an excellent performance on the back of firm economic growth. The Uruguayan economy has been roaring ahead at more than 7% a year following the 2002 economic crisis, according to the IMF. At first, expansion in banking did not follow the economic rise, but during the past two years it has started to match it.

Bigger Fish, Shrinking Pond
Worsening global conditions in the past year have done little to shake up the Costa Rican banking landscape. Lenders are taking a conservative stance until the full impact is known, particularly regarding the vital tourism sector.

Minding the Business
Venezuela’s government may meddle in the banking sector, but Mercantil Banco Universal –one of the country’s biggest financial institutions – continues to grow. However, a global economic slowdown threatens continued expansion.

Welcome to the Top
Banco Popular Dominicano is beating its peers in the Dominican Republic in terms of market share by assets, surpassing even the government-backed Banco de Reservas, the previous leader. And although the economy of the Dominican Republic is seeing signs of deceleration, Popular’s non performing loans (NPLs) are at a minimum when compared to those seen in other banks operating in the country. Popular is also seeing a rise in deposits, ROA and ROE.