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The Best Emerging Market Banks in Latin America 2009

The Global Finance magazine published the “Best Emerging Market Banks in Latin America” for 2009  in the May issue.This is the sixteenth year the magazine has ranked the top banks in the emerging markets.

These top-performing banks  were selected based on the following factors:

Releasing the list, Joseph Giarraputo, publisher of Global Finance said “We are in a unusually challenging environment for banks and their customers.More than ever, customers are demanding superior competence from their banking partners. These are the banks best providing that competence.”

The following table shows the top banks for 22 countries in Latin America. If the bank is listed the US markets, the ticker is included.

Country Bank Ticker
Argentina Banco Macro BMA
Barbados FirstCaribbean International  
Belize Belize Bank  
Bolivia Banco de Credito de Bolivia  
Brazil Itau Unibanco ITUB
Chile Banco Santander Chile SAN
Colombia Bancolombia CIB
Costa Rica Scotiabank Costa Rica  
Dominican Republic Banco Popular Dominicano  
Ecuador Banco del Pichincha  
El Salvador Banco Agricola  
Guatemala Banco Agromercantil  
Honduras Banco Atlantida  
Jamaica Scotiabank Jamaica  
Mexico Banamex  
Panama Banco General  
Paraguay Interbanco  
Peru BBVA Banco Continental  
Puerto Rico Banco Santander Puerto Rico  
Trinidad & Tobago Republic Bank  
Uruguay Banco Santander Uruguay  
Venezuela BBVA Banco Provincial  

Source: Global Finance Magazine

Banco Macro of Argentina(BMA) has more than tripled since the March lows.Currently it has an yield of 5.21%. Brazil-based Itau Unibanco (ITUB) was formed by the merger of Banco Itau Holding Financeira SA and Unibanco. Itau Unibanco is one of the largest private-sectors in Brazil. Itau Unibanco is one of the few foreign banks that pay a small monthly dividend. ITUB  competes with the other large private-sector   bank Banco Bradesco (BBD).

Banco Santander-Chile(SAN)  operates a network of 477 branches countrywide. The current yield is 4.74%. Bancolombia SA(CIB)’s dividend yield is 3.13%. In addition to 717 branches in Colombia, the bank has operations in El Salvador, the United States, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Panama, Peru and Puerto Rico. Bancolombia is part of Grupo Bancolombia which has many entities in the financial sector in Colombia.

Scotiabank Jamaica and Scotiabank Costa Rica are subsidiaries of the Canadian bank Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS). BBVA Banco Continental & BBVA Banco Provincial are group companies of the Spanish banking giant Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (BBV) and Banco Santander Uruguay and Banco Santander Puerto Rico are subsidiaries of Spain-based Banco Santander group.Banamex, a subsidiary of Citibank, is Mexico’s second largest bank with 1,233 branches.

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