This ranking of Latin American banks was compiled by Moody's Investors Service from commercial banks' annual reports and financial statements. Where possible, figures are presented in consolidated form. Banks owned by other financial institutions are not listed separately. Subsidiaries and branches are not shown either.
Definitions
Shareholder equity: the sum of issued common stock, capital surplus/premium, statutory reserve, legal reserve, revaluation reserve, contingency reserves, retained earnings, net profit for the year and minority interest. Where consolidated data are used, shareholder equity includes group equity attributable to minorities.
Total assets: as reported in financial statements.
Net income: as reported in financial statements before appropriation.
Return on equity, period-end: net income divided by equity at fiscal year end.
Moody's ratings: Ratings on August 13 2002 on long-term deposits, short-term deposits, and financial strength respectively. Where there is no deposit rating on the group, the rating refers to the major bank within the group.
Rankings indicated are in descending order to the nearest US dollar. Shareholders' equity has been rounded up, for presentational reasons, to the nearest million dollars.