Best bank 2025: Santander
Santander Argentina has reinforced its position as the country’s top-performing bank, delivering exceptional results across all key financial metrics in 2024.
Net income surged by 209% year-on-year, while return on equity climbed to 28.8%, supported by a 115% increase in total assets and a 201% rise in private sector lending. The bank also maintained its leadership in deposits, with a 119% increase and an 11.5% market share.
With a presence in 22 of Argentina’s 23 provinces, Santander operates 308 branches and serves over 5 million customers, including 3.1 million digital users. Santander’s corporate and investment banking division leads the corporate and institutional banking space, managing relationships with over 1,400 companies and holding a 15% market share in the large corporate segment.
Santander continues to innovate across all segments. In retail, it remains the top bank for affluent individuals, while its SME division supports over 100,000 businesses with tailored financial solutions. The bank also launched Supermovilidad, a digital vehicle marketplace, and reintroduced its UVA mortgage loan line with competitive terms.
With strong financials, a broad footprint, and a commitment to digital transformation, Santander Argentina remains the benchmark for excellence in the country’s banking sector.
Best investment bank 2025: Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs continues to lead Argentina’s investment banking landscape, delivering strategic advisory and financing solutions across a dynamic and evolving market.
In 2024, the firm played a pivotal role in several landmark transactions, including advising Rio Tinto on its $6.7 billion acquisition of Arcadium Lithium – the largest mining M&A in Argentina’s history and a transformative deal for the country’s lithium sector.
Goldman Sachs also served as exclusive financial adviser to Despegar on its $1.7 billion sale to Prosus, one of the most significant global online travel agency transactions to date. These deals underscore the firm’s ability to execute complex, cross-border transactions with precision and insight.
On the financing front, Goldman Sachs supported Mercado Libre with a $400 million revolving credit facility extension and expanded warehouse facilities in Brazil and Mexico. The firm also led the upsizing of ACI Airport Sudamerica’s standby letter of credit, enabling continued investment in critical infrastructure.
Goldman Sachs remains the trusted partner for global and local clients seeking high-impact outcomes. Its deep sector expertise, global reach, and commitment to excellence continue to shape Argentina’s financial future.
Best bank for ESG 2025: Santander
Santander has emerged as Argentina’s foremost institution in sustainable finance, combining innovation, governance and measurable impact to lead the ESG agenda.
In 2024, the bank expanded its ESG financing portfolio by 262% year-on-year, with ESG assets now representing 4.9% of its total portfolio, with 14 transactions exceeding $250 million.
The bank’s ESG strategy spans all segments. In retail, over 249,000 individuals benefited from inclusive financial products and green lending initiatives. For SMEs, Santander introduced preferential pricing for green loans and partnered with solar energy providers to facilitate access to renewable energy.
Among large corporates, the bank provided tailored ESG advisory and financing solutions, supporting decarbonisation and sustainable supply chains.
Santander reinforced its ESG governance by launching a new sustainable finance taxonomy aligned with global standards and deploying SFCSaaS, a centralised ESG operations platform ensuring transparency and compliance. The bank also integrated ESG training into leadership KPIs and hosted its second ESG Summit, convening over 100 stakeholders to drive systemic change.
With a data-driven, cross-sectoral approach, Santander Argentina continues to set the benchmark for ESG leadership, driving the country’s transition toward a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable financial system.
Best investment bank for financing 2025: Citi
Citi has reaffirmed its position as Argentina’s premier investment bank for financing, delivering a series of transformative transactions in 2024 that revitalised the country’s access to international capital markets.
With a legacy dating back to 1914, Citi leveraged its global expertise and deep local presence to lead over a dozen high-profile bond issuances and financing deals across sectors.
Among the standout transactions, Citi acted as joint bookrunner and manager on YPF’s $800 million secured bond – the largest corporate deal in Argentina since 2017 – and followed up with a $500 million unsecured issuance, marking YPF’s return to the unsecured market.
Citi also led Pampa Energía’s $410 million bond, achieving the lowest coupon for an Argentine credit since 2018, and Vista Energy’s $600 million debut bond – the first 10-year issuance by an Argentine issuer in five years.
Citi’s role extended beyond corporates, advising the Central Bank of Argentina on a $1 billion repo transaction to support FX market normalisation. From energy to banking, Citi’s financing leadership enabled clients to refinance debt, extend maturities, and access global liquidity under favourable terms.
Through strategic execution, market insight and client trust, Citi continues to shape Argentina’s financial future with innovative, high-impact financing solutions.
