Bank of Nova Scotia is pushing deeper into Latin America with a US$2.2-billion bid for control of a Chilean rival, looking to ignite its growth as the bank's fourth-quarter profit edged higher but missed expectations.
Banking giant Santander said on Monday that it will absorb two of its Spanish offshoots, closing 700 branches in the latest stage of Spain's great banking shake-up. The biggest bank in the Euro zone by market value, said it could save 520 million Euros a year by absorbing the offshoots, Banesto and Banif.
The slowdown in Latin America’s once booming economies could take a heavy toll on profits for Spanish and Portuguese companies whose two-decade investment spree abroad has provided a lifeline during a deepening crisis at home.
Ratings agency Moody's has cut the credit ratings of 16 Spanish banks, a further blow to a country that is struggling to deal with the bad debts of its banking sector. It also cut the debt rating on Santander UK, a subsidiary of the Spanish banking giant.
Europe's banks must increase their capital by 114.7 billion Euros, more than predicted two months ago, to make them strong enough to withstand the Euro zone debt crisis and restore investor confidence, Europe's banking watchdog said.
Interest for Uruguayan ten-year bonds in Yens more than doubled the issue equivalent to 490 million US dollars. The bonds are guaranteed by Japan Bank for International Cooperation with a 1.6% yield.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said that he has no plans to nationalise the Banco Provincial, the Venezuelan affiliate of Spain's Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, or BBVA.