Latin Trade

LT CFO Events-São Paulo, Brazil, July 22, 2010

Mark Ludwig — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:52:58 +0000

BRAZIL AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC OUTLOOK EXPORTING EXCELLENCE: THE BRAZILIAN CFO PERSPECTIVE LEADING HIGH PERFORMING FINANCE OPERATIONS IN BRAZIL: THE FOREIGN MULTINATIONAL EXPERIENCE KEYNOTE ADDRESS: U.S. – BRAZIL: TAKING BILATERAL RELATIONS GLOBAL LT CFO Event, São Paulo, Brazil, July 22, 2010 Panelist: Fabio Akira Hashizume, Executive Director & Chief Economist, J.P. Morgan Brazil Key Points: » Receiving an investment grade rating in 2008 was a critical point in Brazil’s modern economic history, validating the orthodox economic and monetary policies implemented more than a decade earlier.

Panorama

LT — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:03:45 +0000

No business as usual while Latin America’s national teams dribbled and punted their way through this year’s World Cup.

E-Readers: The Digital Dilemma

Mary Sutter and Paul Lefton — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:51:45 +0000

The runaway success of the Apple iPad in the United States has prompted the makers of e-readers to lower prices for the devices that store the text of thousands of books. More manufacturers are launching tablet computers that, like the iPad, will similarly straddle the territory between smart phones and notebooks and feature e-reading applications. The monochromatic e-readers tout their easier-to-read type, particularly in bright sunlight, and longer-lasting batteries (provided the WiFi is off) that can hold up on a business or leisure trip. Small, slim and light, they slip readily into a coat pocket or purse. For avid readers, particularly those on the go and those who don’t need – or want – a multipurpose, heavier tablet, a dedicated e-reader may be the best option.

Ask the Concierge – Hilton Mexico City Reforma

Mary Sutter — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:37:37 +0000

A native of Mexico’s bustling capital, José Parra joined what is now the Hilton Mexico City Reforma in 2002 and rose to chief concierge a year later. Parra remained on his post after last year’s renovation and reflagging of the former Sheraton property. The five-star hotel, in front of Alameda Park, is walking distance to the colonial downtown district and close to the Paseo de la Reforma business area.

Chile: 2,600 Miles of Discoveries

Mark Chesnut — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:17:19 +0000

Visitors will find everything from colonial grandeur to modern efficiency in South America’s economic powerhouse, where most tourist areas emerged unscathed from the February earthquake.

Cash Flow Financiers

Ricardo Castillo Argüello — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:14:15 +0000

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — One of the biggest challenges for a pioneering Nicaraguan factoring firm was overcoming resistance from business owners who distrusted the idea of exchanging receivables for cash.

Flying High

Adam Jacobson — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:05:27 +0000

Latin America represents one of the hottest growth opportunities for airlines, as competition makes mergers and alliances the new name of the game. Travelers flying around Latin America today are enjoying options that were unimaginable just a few years ago. Given the bevy of new routes, direct access to more cities and the entry of scrappy, [...]

Google Strikes Gold in Latin America

Jane Bussey — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:52:02 +0000

A mere five years after formally launching localized services in Latin America, Google dominates the regional search engine market. Its name has entered the popular lexicon – as a verb – in Spanish, just as it has in English. Its social networking site Orkut is wildly popular in Brazil, besting competitors like Facebook.

Corporate Banking Comes of the Global Age

Gregg Fields — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:34:38 +0000

Thomas D. Avazian was part of a local management committee for Bank of America in Mexico City when the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect more than 15 years ago. “We opened the full banking subsidiary in 1994,” said Avazian, now senior vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean at Bank of America Merrill [...]

Latin 500: Big Means Really Big When it Comes to the Top Companies in Latin America

LT — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:19:55 +0000

Taking into account a presumed drastic revenue decline at Petróleos de Venezuela in 2009 — whose official financial report had not been released at press time and therefore is not ranked — the top three state-run oil companies generated some $264 billion in sales. This figure equals the combined revenue of the next 18 companies on the Latin 500 list of largest corporations in Latin America. And no private-sector company is likely to come close to these oil firms in the near future.

Latin 500: Brazil Keeps Automakers Rolling

Mary Sutter — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:06:12 +0000

[ Auto Industry ] By Mary Sutter MIAMI — For automakers in Latin America, Brazil was a rare bright spot in 2009, and sustained momentum there will underpin the sector’s regional recovery this year. As sales dropped in every other Latin American market last year, Brazilians bought more than 3 million vehicles, a jump of 11 percent compared [...]

Latin 500: End of An Era for Mexico’s FEMSA

David Agren — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:45:32 +0000

MEXICO CITY — Mexicans slaked their thirsts during the World Cup with plenty of beer – even though the initial matches kicked off at 6:30 in the morning local time and the national squad exited early on in the contest.

Latin 500: Brazil’s Homebuilding Stimulus Program Marks Boon to Construction Firms

Thierry Ogier — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:33:21 +0000

SÃO PAULO — For much of the construction sector — especially in Brazil — the year 2009 could be summed up with the question: Crisis? What crisis?

Latin 500: Mining Companies Dig Out from Global Downturn

Lisa K. Wing — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:48:33 +0000

[ Mining Industry ] By Lisa K. Wing LIMA, Peru — Mining companies across Latin America took a pounding in 2009 as the worldwide economic storm battered the prices of copper, iron and other metals. Two-thirds of the 36 mining companies on the Latin 500 corporate ranking saw their revenue and earnings drop, one of the worst [...]

Latin 500: A Study in Contrasts

Thierry Ogier — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:32:15 +0000

[ Oil industry ] By Thierry Ogier São Paulo — Buoyed by huge, new potential oil reserves and a stellar financial performance, the Brazilian energy company Petrobras in 2009 bolstered its regional dominance as the No. 1 company in Latin America. The oil giant’s double-digit increases in both revenue and earnings further underscored the growing distance [...]

Latin 500: Walmart Revs Up Regional Presence

Jane Bussey — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:05:59 +0000

MEXICO CITY — When storm clouds began to gather over the global economy, the largest retailer in Latin America – and one of the region’s 10 largest companies overall – hunkered down to weather the downturn.

Latin 500: Convergence Ushers in Integration

Marisol Rueda — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:12:06 +0000

MEXICO CITY — When the economic crisis came calling, it went straight to voicemail for the region’s biggest telecom players. Both Spain’s Telefónica (No. 3) and Mexico’s America Móvil (No. 4) posted big increases in revenue and profits in 2009 and are outranked only by the big three state-owned oil companies in Latin America.

Latin 500: Success Seeds Philanthropy

Alejandra Labanca — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:46:52 +0000

Latin America’s homegrown corporations and wealthy families hold out prospects for a golden age of giving because the region’s philanthropic levels still fall short of the rest of the world.

Latin 500: Private Money Takes Over Development

Alejandra Labanca — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:22:57 +0000

In a high-profile ceremony in Mexico City in early June, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carlos Slim Health Institute, the government of Spain and the Inter-American Development Bank rolled out a groundbreaking initiative to provide health services to the poor in parts of Central America and southern Mexico.

The China Syndrome

Kevin P. Gallagher — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:04:37 +0000

The rise of China has created an unprecedented demand for Latin American and Caribbean exports, which has helped boost the region’s growth for almost a decade. But ultimately, such export growth may not be sustainable. Perhaps even worse, Chinese manufactured goods are more competitive than those from Latin America in both home and world markets. These twin trends may jeopardize prospects for long-term growth in the region.

The Case for Free Trade with Panama

James Bacchus — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:26:56 +0000

Canada has just signed a free trade agreement with Panama. So has the European Union. Both deals are moving toward ratification, perhaps as early as this fall. Other countries are moving quickly to conclude lucrative trade deals with the small Central American country whose canal is a busy crossroads of world commerce.

Vox Populi

Mary Sutter — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:53:37 +0000

The worst of the global economic crisis may be retreating, but governments, businesses and other institutions seeking to regain public esteem have their work cut out for them.

Heavyweights endure

Jane Bussey — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:03:20 +0000

If there is a phrase to describe the evolution of our list of top companies from a decade ago, it would be mergers and acquisitions. Top corporations in Latin America have changed hands and changed names, but most of the biggest companies have withstood the trials and tribulations of local, regional and global economic dislocations.

Latin Trade CFO Forum / Mexico City

LT — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:56:06 +0000

Mexico now boasts a $1 trillion economy that has weathered one of its worst crises in the past century. Despite recent improvement in the Mexican and world economies, executives who manage company finances still face challenges ranging from lack of liquidity to price volatility.

BRAVO Council / Panama

LT — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:48:21 +0000

BRAVO Council meeting focuses on the future of the most recent Latin American country to achieve an investment grade rating

BRAVO Council / Cartagena

Joachim Bamrud — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:36:36 +0000

The New South: Latin America Offers Trade for Asia and Opportunities for Global Companies By Joachim Bamrud CARTAGENA, Colombia – The rising influence of Brazil in the hemisphere, the continuing improvement in Colombia’s economy and the growing clout of Asia in the region dominated the discussion during a recent Bravo Council held in Colombia’s largest Caribbean city. Regional [...]

LT CFO Events-Mexico D.F., June 16, 2010

Mark Ludwig — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:16:47 +0000

ECONOMY AND LIQUIDITY: MANAGING IN TODAY’S CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT PROCUREMENT BEST PRACTICES FINANCIAL OPTIMIZATION IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN LT CFO Event, Mexico D.F., June 16, 2010 Panelists: Gabriel Casillas, Vice President and Chief Economist – Mexico, J.P. Morgan Ricardo Rivera, Deputy Director of Treasury and Finance, América Móvil Key Points: » Mexican economic growth in 2010 will reach about 4.5 percent, driven primarily by external demand and helped by low interest rates and a cheap peso.

Statistics, Logistics and the Rebound

Rick Eyerdam — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:04:24 +0000

Latin America leads the way as global trade picks up from its steep decline in 2009

Wine Time in Mendoza

LT — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:54:17 +0000

Diageo, the world’s largest drinks company, shrugged off the downturn in global wine sales and upped its long-term bet on Mendoza, with its ideal climate and hit varietal Malbec, Juan Pedro Tomás reports from the Argentine province.

Green is Good

Mary Sutter and Elaine De Valle — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:47:09 +0000

For a growing number of regional companies and multinationals, being a good corporate citizen means monitoring environmental impact and adopting sustainable business practices.