LATAM Debt capital markets: Merrill’s not so steady ship

What’s going on at Merrill Lynch? The investment bank has posted impressive overall first-quarter results, as revenues hit the $8 billion mark, but the Latin American debt capital markets desk seems to be lagging.

The bank has fallen dramatically in the league tables and uncertainty seems to surround the identity of the person leading the origination business for the region. Dan Vallimarescu, who was head of Latin American debt capital markets for a number of years, left in September – he has just resurfaced at Banco Santander – and it now appears that the role of his successor, Michael Lucente, will change.

No official decision has been announced but a source at the bank suggests that Lucente will move from being head of debt capital markets to a role with more involvement in proprietary trading.

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