Americas
Brazil to turn government bonds into stock as ETFs go global
Political scandals are quieting down and commodity prices are rising steadily in the last few months, and Brazil’s economy appears to be gaining traction. However, as real growth is still hard to come by, could bond exchange-traded funds provide the boost that the economy urgently needs?
11 Oct 2016
Paraguay and Peru break trend as LatAm economies slow
In a region where slow or negative growth has been dominant for the past year, Paraguay and Peru have proven to buck the trend. As their economies’ growth again exceeds expectations for next year and with Paraguay now preparing to tap international bond markets, their Latin American neighbours ought to heed their successes to keep investors interested.
6 Oct 2016
Colombian referendum “No” vote leaves investors on hold
Hopes of a long-awaited peace deal with the FARC rebel group were tarnished on Sunday as voters rejected the proposal brokered by Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos by a narrow margin. The referendum, which was widely tipped to go in Santos’s favour, will likely send shockwaves through the country’s financial markets and potentially undermine investment as Colombia prepares for major…
5 Oct 2016
CASE STUDY: Mexico City’s new airport launches debut US$2bn green bond
Mexico City’s New International Airport is the second largest airport under construction in the world, and is the largest infrastructure project Mexico has seen in the last decade, with total construction costs estimated at US$13bn. The airport is a strategic asset for the Mexican government, and aims to meet demand for long-term air travel in the country – being intended to serve as an…
4 Oct 2016
Currency fluctuations could upset telco popularity
The capital intensive and competitive nature of the telecoms industry provides investors with plenty of choice – and the sector continues to attract the interest of the global investor community. However, local-currency cash flows and dollar-denominated technology means that such companies are exposed to a currency mismatch which could hurt investment on rate hikes or fluctuations.
3 Oct 2016
CFO View: Mining Funding Insights with Vale’s Luciano Siani
Luciano Siani Pires was appointed Vale’s Chief Financial Officer in August 2012. Before this, from 2008 to July 2012, he held the positions of Global Director of Strategic Planning and Global Director of Human Resources and Governance at the company. In 2007 and 2008, he was Chief of Staff and Executive Secretary to the President at Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES), where he previously…
30 Sept 2016
Could the peace deal turn Colombia into an investment paradise?
After 52 years of war with the FARC rebel group, negotiations led by President Santos have finally manifested in a potential peace deal. With the upcoming referendum on the deal likely to succeed, all eyes are on how the end of the decades long conflict will impact the real economy.
30 Sept 2016
PDVSA’s improved debt swap deal boosts short-term outlook
After investors were unimpressed by the struggling Venezuelan oil giant’s initial bond swap offer, PDVSA was forced to sweeten the deal with additional perks. While an improved exchange ratio and a stake Citgo refinery thrown in as collateral likely to bolster investor participation, the firm’s long term future is still inextricably linked to Venezuela’s economy – and the outlook is bleak.
30 Sept 2016
An inside look at Mexican investment opportunities
Latin American fundamentals are in general improving; however Mexico still stands out from its neighbours. Juan Manuel Veron, Chief Investment Officer at Principal Financial Group México discusses the best investment opportunities within the country in the current economic climate.
23 Sept 2016
Nurturing the growth of Mexico’s SMEs
Following the introduction of a number of economic and sectoral reforms across Mexico, development banks are playing an important role in enabling the growth operations of SMEs. We speak to Pedro Guerra, CFO at state development bank Nacional Financiera on how the bank sources funding and how it assists in financing the increasing number of Mexican SMEs.
21 Sept 2016