News of banks

Mercado Libre denounces Argentina's banks for ‘cartelisation’

27-08-2024 11:13 Giant fintech and e-commerce firm files complaint with CNDC competition watchdog accusing 36 banks of acting like a “cartel” with its MODO digital wallet service.

FINANCES & BANKING

Mercado Libre hits back at Argentina's banks for ‘cartel’ tactics

26-08-2024 14:57 Mercado Libre accuses Argentine banks of “illegally concentrating” under one payments platform as an anti-competitive tactic against the company’s fintech arm, Mercado Pago.

SEARCH FOR FUNDS

Argentina discusses raising US$1 billion through Santander

07-08-2024 19:34 President Javier Milei’s government in talks with Banco Santander for potential loan ahead of debt payment.

MARKETS

President Milei proves boon and curse for Argentine bank stocks

02-07-2024 11:30 Argentine banking stocks in New York are tumbling as the government slashes interest rates and crimps new borrowing.

MONETARY POLICY

Central Bank to hold talks over risks from bond puts

14-06-2024 17:18 Argentina’s Central Bank is in talks with executives at commercial banks to reduce the overhang of puts on sovereign peso debts.

MORTGAGE MARKET MOVES

Argentines flock to banks as Milei awakens mortgage market

14-05-2024 15:06 Argentines are rushing to banks to apply for mortgages as interest-rate reductions begin to wake the home-loan market.

BANKS PROBED

Argentina questions three banks on puts, bond transactions

13-05-2024 20:36 Argentina’s Central Bank and regulators are looking into at least three of the nation’s banks – Galicia, BBVA, Banco Supervielle – for potential irregularities in transactions with government bonds and put options.

BANKING & BUSINESS

HSBC sells Argentina division to Banco Galicia for US$550 million

09-04-2024 12:12 HSBC will sell its Argentina operation to Grupo Financiero Galicia for US$550 million, subject to price adjustments. Deal includes all of HSBC Argentina’s business, which ranges from banking to asset management and insurance, as well as US$100 million of subordinated debt.

MARKETS

Argentina seeks breathing room with peso swap worth US$65 billion

11-03-2024 11:46 Government starting a record swap of peso-denominated debt Monday in a bid to roll over almost all of its 2024 maturities into the next four years.

Inflation

Banks warn against inflation bonds as price hikes cool

27-02-2024 11:36 Recession forecasts and a shrinking amount of money in circulation, as well as a narrowing gap between Argentina’s exchange rates and cooling inflation expectations, are driving investors to ease off inflation bonds.

DEBT SWAP OFFER

Government proposes peso debt swap that may top US$71 billion

05-01-2024 14:30 Argentina’s government is proposing a debt swap to banks in the country that could top US$71 billion for peso notes due this year with the aim of postponing maturities and reducing the financial deficit to zero.

NEW GOVERNMENT

Argentina restricts dollar access until Milei unveils policies

11-12-2023 13:59 Argentina’s Central Bank restricts access to dollars at the official exchange rate until President Javier Milei’s administration announces the first measures of a promised shock-therapy programme.

Presidential handover

Argentina stops banks from hoarding dollars ahead of devaluation

07-12-2023 13:34 Central Bank limits amount of foreign currency the nation’s commercial lenders can hold, in a push to discourage US dollar hoarding ahead of an expected devaluation by president-elect Javier Milei.

TRANSITION OF POWER

Argentine banks flee to one-day notes amid government transition

24-11-2023 14:34 Banks are fleeing to short-term notes for even more liquid securities as President-Elect Javier Milei’s vague comments on the debt have stoked concern over how he’ll handle the assets.

Election 2023

Argentina’s banks load up on liquidity before weekend’s election

15-11-2023 13:02 Local banks load up on the most liquid assets to ensure they could accommodate a potential surge in peso withdrawals ahead of run-off vote.

Currency woes

A US$500-million cash pile at Argentina’s main airport unnerves banks

19-10-2023 00:06 Banks have seen a sharp increase in dollar withdrawals at their branches ahead of the election. Forced to import cash to meet the surge in demand, a government move meant to stem “irregularities” in foreign trade has compounded concerns.

BUSINESS

Brazil’s Itaú sells Argentine unit for US$50 million to Banco Macro

25-08-2023 12:59 Itaú Unibanco Holding SA closes binding agreement for the sale of its Argentine unit to Banco Macro for around US$50 million.

BANKING & BUSINESS

Banco Itaú in ‘preliminary’ talks to sell Argentine arm to Banco Macro

06-06-2023 12:07 Banco Itaú, one of the largest banks in Latin America, is considering closing its operations in Argentina; Statement confirms “preliminary negotiations” with Argentina’s Banco Macro.

INTERVIEW / PERIODISMO PURO

Carlos Heller: ‘Lowering inflation is a must, otherwise no success is possible’

20-05-2023 07:00 Banco Credicoop banker and national deputy Carlos Heller on the never-ending battle against inflation, its causes and the impact of the drought on Argentina’s economy.

by Jorge Fontevecchia

BLOOMBERG – ANALYSIS

Central banks use record amount of yuan via PBOC swaps

16-05-2023 10:59 Global central banks tapped a record amount of the Chinese currency in foreign-exchange swap lines in the first quarter, in another indication of the yuan’s growing international status.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Argentines pulled US$1 billion from bank accounts in April rush

05-05-2023 13:31 Citizens across the country withdrew over US$1 billion of US dollar deposits from the banking system from late March to the end of April amid rumours of currency devaluation in official exchange rate.

REGIONAL ECONOMY

Latin America’s policy-makers warn investors of long fight against inflation

17-04-2023 17:08 Battle against inflation will take longer than expected, the region top economic authorities said at IMF Spring Meetings.

DEBT SWAP OFFER

Argentina's officials, analysts disagree on results of debt swap

12-03-2023 08:56 Participation in last Thursday's debt swap may have been less than reported, with government officials and analysts disagreeing on how the results should be counted.

DEBT SWAP

Government swaps US$21.7 billion of debt, easing default fear

09-03-2023 23:11 Argentina exchanges 4.34 trillion pesos (US$21.7 billion) in a local debt swap, alleviating immediate concerns of a potential local debt default.

DEBT SWAP

Argentina to swap peso debt to ease US$35-billion default fear

07-03-2023 11:04 Argentina will give investors the chance to exchange holdings of local debt into new bonds; Government wants to ease fears of a default on US$35 billion of local debt due in second quarter.

DEBT SWAP

Argentina to offer local debt swap to ease default fears

06-03-2023 16:46 Government will offer investors chance to swap local debt holdings for new bonds in a bid to calm fears of a default.

FINANCE & LENDING

Credit agencies disbursed a record amount to Argentina in 2022

10-02-2023 11:26 More than US$5 billion in funds were transferred to Argentina last year from multilateral lenders, declared Economy Ministry in new report.

Bloomberg

Banks need more vault space to store piles of pesos

19-01-2023 03:02 Peso bills are depreciating so quickly that banks are running out of space to store bank notes.

BLOOMBERG

Ghost banks limp along in Argentina, staying open as costly ATMs

10-01-2023 17:44 Ghost branches — no longer serving clients who require anything beyond an ATM, but not technically closed — have become a common sight in Argentina. As customers increasingly do their banking via smartphone apps and online, providers are pushing to close physical locations. But regulators won’t let them.

US-ARGENTINA RELATIONS

Massa seals tax info exchange deal with United States

06-12-2022 22:29 Argentina’s Economy Minister Sergio Massa wins over Washington and signs an agreement with US Ambassador Marc Stanley guaranteeing the exchange of tax information from Internal Revenue Service.

INTERVIEW

Todesca Bocco, Argentina's candidate for IDB chief, calls for its ‘transformation’

17-11-2022 16:17 Cecilia Todesca Bocco, Argentina's Secretary for International Economic Relations and candidate for the presidency of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), outlines her vision for the institution.