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Latin America 100: The region’s biggest banks

Brazilian banks continue to dominate our annual ranking of Latin America's biggest banks. But some smaller institutions top the ranking by capital, assets and profit growth, while Banespa has by far the highest return on equity. Data for the Latin 100 is supplied by Fitch IBCA.

September 1, 1998

Latin America 100: Capital growth year-on-year

Latin America 100: Asset growth year-on-year

Latin America 100: Profit growth year-on-year

Latin America 100: ROE growth

Latin America 100: Definitions and methodology

98 97 Bank Country Fiscal period Shareholder equity ($m) Equity growth (%) Total assets ($m) Asset growth (%) Net income ($m) Income growth (%) ROAE (%) $ rate differential
1 1 Banco Bradesco Brazil 1997 5,479 9.32 55,286 59.22 783 3.12 14.92 7.41
2 2 Banco do Brasil Brazil 1997 5,377 7.35 97,560 31.81 514 -107.62 9.90 7.41
3 4 Banco Itaú Brazil 1997 3,971 10.27 41,553 44.66 641 18.80 16.92 7.41
4 – Banco do Estado de São Paulo (Banespa) Brazil 1997 3,521 60.99 52,310 -7.00 1,825 59.93 63.96 7.41
5 6 Banco Nacional de Mexico (Banamex) Mexico 1997 2,896 – 35,602 – 254 – – 0.00
6 5 Banco Hipotecario Nacional Argentina 1996 2,767 5.27 4,394 3.85 281 -13.47 10.43 -0.05
7 7 Unibanco (União de Bancos Brasileiros) Brazil 1997 2,758 42.08 25,205 7.12 387 51.03 16.48 7.41
8 10 Bancomer Mexico 1997 2,276 – 27,228 – 294 – – 0.00
9 8 Banco de la Nación Argentina Argentina 1996 1,934 3.29 13,468 -5.92 71 -408.52 3.72 -0.05
10 9 Banco Real Group Brazil 1997 1,581 10.07 16,824 20.71 195 -35.41 12.94 7.41
11 11 Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires Argentina 1996 1,360 12.14 10,311 15.59 147 43.31 11.46 -0.05
12 12 Banco Mercantil de São Paulo Brazil 1997 1,005 9.60 5,534 11.88 103 -32.53 10.75 7.41
13 14 Banca Serfín Mexico 1997 921 – 18,297 – -228 – – 0.00
14 20 Banco Rio de la Plata Argentina 1997 885 36.64 8,866 43.97 285 215.58 37.19 -0.05
15 24 Banco de Galicia & Buenos Aires Argentina 1997 874 44.32 10,911 40.34 111 44.49 15.05 -0.05
16 19 Banco Inbursa Mexico 1997 842 20.53 2,435 -7.99 120 -39.15 15.57 2.35
17 22 Banco Santiago (Proforma) Chile 1997 820 52.34 10049 8.32 138 11.39 20.34 3.49
18 – Nossa Caixa Nosso Banco Brazil 1997 782 14.94 11,723 26.11 144 179.86 19.74 7.41
19 15 Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay Uruguay 1996 760 20.06 4,244 34.18 – – – 22.52
20 * BanColombia (Proforma) Colombia 1997 756 32.23 5,163 35.54 84 13.55 12.63 28.67
21 18 Banco Safra Brazil 1997 753 13.11 13,186 35.06 140 -12.08 19.67 7.41
22 16 Banco Ganadero Colombia 1997 690 16.26 3,525 25.93 49 11.81 7.61 28.67
23 – Mercantil Servicios Financieros Venezuela 1997 672 24.59 4,586 11.65 87 -24.19 14.32 5.82
24 35 Banco do Nordeste do Brasil Brazil 1997 659 61.92 4,750 21.07 60 58.49 11.30 7.41
25 26 Banco de Comercio Exterior de Colombia (Bancoldex) Colombia 1997 655 17.67 1,577 14.81 40 8.05 6.58 28.67
26 25 Banco del Estado de Chile Chile 1997 647 2.77 9,780 8.76 64 0.43 10.08 3.49
27 17 Banco de Chile Chile 1997 638 7.29 8,999 14.52 167 4.01 27.08 3.49
28 31 Banco Bozano Simonsen Brazil 1997 609 30.76 11,188 135.14 143 -7.79 26.66 7.41
29 23 Banco de Bogotá Colombia 1997 603 34.23 2,765 43.90 98 3.38 18.57 28.67
30 60 Banco de Investimentos Garantia Brazil 1997 574 4.23 4,757 -19.63 12 -89.41 2.21 0.00
31 30 Banco Inversión & Comercio Exterior Argentina 1997 515 1.88 898 6.60 23 100.72 4.51 -0.01
32 36 Banco de Crédito del Perú Peru 1997 502 23.20 5,617 9.42 91 -8.35 20.05 5.00
33 29 Banco Excel Económico Brazil 1997 476 0.09 10,415 168.08 -38 -283.26 -8.05 7.41
34 21 Banco Internacional (Bital) Mexico 1997 460 – 9,213 – 34 – – 0.00
35 33 Banco do Estado do Paraná (Banestado) Brazil 1996 453 4.25 5,969 18.57 12 -67.91 2.80 6.82
36 43 Banco Bansud Argentina 1997 422 10.84 3,643 31.42 43 191.80 10.64 -0.05
37 52 Banco Provincial Venezuela 1997 412 52.36 4,100 40.49 154 23.48 45.15 5.82
38 40 Banco do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul Brazil 1996 410 -4.97 9,562 -18.88 -26 -321.77 -6.28 6.82
39 48 Banco Mercantil do Brasil Brazil 1997 376 5.71 1,672 12.41 31 -23.96 8.46 7.41
40 39 Bancafé Colombia 1997 355 12.84 2,459 17.54 4 -64.41 1.27 28.67
41 53 Banco de A Edwards Chile 1997 324 16.87 4,445 22.46 54 17.57 17.95 3.49
42 59 Banco Mercantil del Norte (Banorte) Mexico 1997 322 – 3,698 – 94 – – 0.00
43 62 Banco de Crédito & Inversiones Chile 1997 310 18.21 5,813 8.63 0 557.14 0.00 3.49
44 46 Banco America do Sul Brazil 1997 307 -27.84 4,243 -0.13 -122 -332.59 -33.35 7.41
45 82 Banco Mercantil Venezuela 1997 287 86.60 3,353 52.19 105 51.39 47.53 5.82
46 61 Banco Industrial de Venezuela Venezuela 1997 287 16.07 1,080 21.41 40 -72.63 14.87 5.82
47 50 Banco Popular Colombia 1997 285 20.11 1,650 31.70 37 63.44 14.08 28.67
48 65 Banco Wieseo Peru 1997 263 18.76 3,916 33.89 30 -19.46 12.59 5.00
49 64 Banco do Estado de Santa Catarina Brazil 1997 256 5.69 2,504 13.32 25 -0.35 10.17 7.41
50 – Banco Votorantim Brazil 1997 246 91.04 2,954 64.87 16 22.45 8.60 7.41
51 71 Banco Icatú Brazil 1997 235 19.21 1,598 -56.74 53 32.96 24.57 7.41
52 66 Banco Pactual Brazil 1997 231 8.62 1,911 20.56 61 35.19 27.40 7.41
53 58 Banca Promex Mexico 1997 230 – 4,756 – 7 – – 0.00
54 75 Banco de Occidente Colombia 1997 226 44.23 1,354 29.43 50 28.69 26.36 28.67
55 45 Banco Bandeirantes Brazil 1997 222 -33.33 4,251 -7.23 -100 -420.00 -36.19 7.41
56 69 BanCrecer Mexico 1996 218 18.34 6,518 44.27 -95 358.74 -47.07 2.98
57 70 Banco de la Nación Peru 1997 217 5.08 2,703 -11.51 0 100.00 0.07 5.00
58 – Banco Davivienda Colombia 1997 208 – 2,358 – 43 – – 0.00
59 74 Banco Sud Americano Chile 1997 204 3.54 3,139 -3.47 8 -70.52 4.07 3.49
60 68 Banco BMC Brazil 1997 203 -4.59 1,710 -17.14 14 -58.42 6.81 7.41
61 76 Banca Confía Mexico 1996 201 2.07 4,262 26.10 -53 -11.11 -26.75 2.98
62 47 Banco Boavista Interatlántico Brazil 1997 199 -37.43 4,519 -11.48 -346 -780.63 -134.24 7.41
63 – Banco General Motors Brazil 1997 196 43.50 1,039 -20.59 59 66.33 35.68 7.41
64 78 Banco de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires Argentina 1997 194 2.61 2,326 -10.74 12 -113.10 6.33 -0.05
65 77 Banco Industrial & Comercial Brazil 1997 194 6.64 3,390 5.12 25 -21.61 13.47 7.41
66 – Banco Cidade Brazil 1997 177 19.98 1,833 9.01 28 49.52 17.33 7.41
67 83 Banco BHIF Chile 1997 175 17.29 3,034 10.01 34 12.94 21.14 3.49
68 49 Banco del Atlántico Mexico 1996 175 -21.00 6,041 1.53 3 -109.70 1.65 2.98
69 88 Banco Credicoop Cooperative Argentina 1997 174 21.58 1,575 44.15 30 438.22 19.21 -0.05
70 76 Banco Popular del Ecuador Ecuador 1997 170 1.70 1,521 12.83 23 -64.87 13.62 21.82
71 99 Banco del Pichincha Ecuador 1997 169 53.73 1,547 87.75 36 40.37 25.58 21.82
72 84 Banco del Pacífico Ecuador 1997 167 41.27 1,666 25.29 8 -15.63 5.58 21.82
73 63 Banco do Estado de Minas Gerais Brazil 1996 164 -32.26 2,637 -1.11 -79 52.79 -38.99 6.82
74 97 Banco del Progreso Ecuador 1997 162 83.00 1,288 48.04 22 19.12 17.40 21.82
75 – Banco Central Hipotecario Colombia 1996 161 – 2,021 – 10 – – 0.00
76 – Corp Banca Venezuela 1997 159 25.14 923 -1.74 49 -31.26 34.14 5.82
77 85 Filanbanco Ecuador 1997 149 27.71 1,294 33.87 3 14.95 2.08 21.82
78 – Banco Rural Brazil 1996 148 15.43 1,088 25.98 33 -1.45 23.75 6.82
79 – Banco BMG Brazil 1997 144 15.3 1380 27.93 25 10.55 18.89 7.41
80 90 Banco Bice Chile 1997 143 10.16 1,894 15.24 15 -22.22 11.10 3.49
81 87 Banoro Mexico 1996 143 -3.77 3,182 41.67 -3 -74.43 -2.06 2.98
82 – Banco Pontual Brazil 1997 135 -6.46 1,447 -18.68 -6 -130.19 -4.11 7.41
83 – Banco da Amazônia Brazil 1997 133 14.42 1,215 31.35 17 -53.81 13.52 7.41
84 – Banco Volkswagen Brazil 1997 132 31.38 877 -19.71 44 -13.76 38.03 7.41
85 – Banco Multibanco Brazil 1996 132 238.61 828 74.27 21 587.50 24.83 6.82
86 93 Banco Mayo Argentina 1997 131 8.95 1,317 13.62 7 -2.79 5.90 -0.05
87 – Banco Geral do Comércio Brazil 1996 129 4.35 1,111 23.98 1 -95.15 0.84 6.82
88 88 Banco República Argentina 1997 127 -6.25 855 -35.68 -5 -177.54 -4.14 -0.01
89 96 Banco Internacional del Perú (Interbank) Peru 1997 127 22.38 1,604 29.93 26 9.31 22.80 5.00
90 – Corpbanca (formerly Banco Concepción) Chile 1997 126 63.03 2,095 20.72 -10 829.17 -9.99 3.49
91 94 Banco del Suquía Argentina 1997 125 5.32 1,305 28.10 8 -16.17 6.29 -0.05
92 92 Banco Bisel Argentina 1997 122 0.85 990 13.51 10 -134.54 8.58 -0.05
93 – Banco General Panama 1997 118 16.75 1,340 15.54 – – – 0.00
94 – Banco do Estado da Bahia Brazil 1996 117 -30.89 1,914 22.48 -45 -1025.49 -31.70 6.82
95 – BAC International Bank (Panama) Panama 1997 117 5.81 1,809 41.90 13 -42.48 11.46 0.00
96 – Banco General de Negocios Argentina 1997 111 59.26 645 14.81 8 3.74 9.31 -0.01
97 95 Banco del Desarrollo Chile 1996 111 – 1,869 – 14 – – 0.00
98 – Banco del Centro Mexico 1997 109 42.87 2,655 10.58 23 255.90 24.62 51.27
99 98 Banco Security Chile 1997 108 15.14 1,322 11.46 17 44.71 16.62 3.49
100 – Banco Istmo Panama 1997 105 31.66 1205 26.15 23 32.16 24.42 0
* Created following Banco Industrial Colombiano’s acquisition of Banco de Colombia, effective 6/98
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