Category: Companies
-
Blackstone denies seeking to acquire Brazil mall operator
Investment firm Blackstone Group LP (BX.N) on Sunday said it is not considering an acquisition of Brazilian shopping mall operator BR Malls Participacoes SA (BRML3.SA), denying a report published early in the day by newspaper O Globo.”We are not actively engaged in acquisition discussions for BR Malls,” Blackstone said in an emailed statement. The Brazilian…
-
Brazil Considers Raising Foreign Investment Limit On Airlines
Brazil plans to propose to Congress in the first half of the year an increase in the foreign ownership of local airlines, in a move to help the struggling sector.The government continues to discuss the percentage increase in foreign ownership, but believes an increase from the current 20 percent limit is key to bolster investment…
-
Brazil’s Vale Will Draw $3 Billion From Credit Lines
Brazilian mining giant Vale SA on Tuesday said it would borrow $3 billion in emergency financing, a sign of distress from the world’s largest iron-ore producer.Vale said the revolving credit line would “increase liquidity and bridge potential cash flow needs.” It didn’t disclose the interest rate it received and said another $2 billion was available.…
-
BTG Pactual Sells Distressed Debt Unit to Itau Unibanco
Brazil’s largest private sector banking group said on Thursday that it had agreed to acquire the distressed debt unit of the troubled investment firm BTG Pactual for about 1.2 billion reais, or about $307 million.The banking group, Itau Unibanco, will acquire 82 percent of the distressed debt unit, Recovery do Brasil Consultoria, for 640 million…
-
Europe’s Top Banks Are Cutting Losses Throughout Latin America
European banks are on the retreat all across Latin America.Societe Generale SA announced in February that it’s dismissing more than 1,000 workers while exiting the consumer-finance business in Brazil. In August, HSBC Holdings Plc sold its unprofitable Brazilian unit, with more than 20,000 employees. Two months later, it was Deutsche Bank AG’s turn. The German…
-
Shares Drop As Commodity Saga Continues, Finance Minister Out?
Some headlines from Brazil, with the iShares MSCI Brazil Capped exchange-traded fund (EWZ) down 2.4% Local press reports in Brazil Wednesday said Brazil’s Finance Minister Joaquim Levy could be replaced within months as the economy and currency collapse. Brazil President Dilma Rousseff may choose Henrique Meirelles, a former central bank president. Brazil’s government says it…
-
Oil Workers Strike in Brazil for Wages, Investments, Assets
Twelve oil work unions which are part of the Oil Workers Federation (FUP) in Brazil began on November 1st, a strike at Petrobras refineries all over the country. According to union officials, strikers are protesting against Petrobras’ asset sales, investment cuts, project suspensions, and reduction of some workers’ rights. “The strike was agreed upon more…
-
Brazil Says Any Oi-TIM Deal Would Be Studied Closely
The Brazilian government would study any potential merger or acquisition agreement between telephone companies Oi SA and TIM Participações SA closely to avoid too much concentration in the sector, Communications Minister André Figueiredo said Tuesday.Oi announced Monday that LetterOne, an investment firm led by Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman, is planning to invest $4 billion in…
-
New investments signal turnaround in Brazil ethanol industry
Improved returns from sales at home and abroad are unleashing the first major flurry of investment in Brazil’s struggling ethanol industry in nearly a decade, with at least nine companies expanding or building new capacity. Medium-sized private mill Rio Verde said it would double ethanol output over the next two years to capture resurgent biofuel…
-
Mikhail Fridman Proposes $4 Billion Investment in Oi of Brazil
The Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman may spend as much as $4 billion to expand his telecommunication holdings into South America.On Monday, the Brazilian telecommunications company Oi said that Mr. Fridman’s investment group, LetterOne, had given it a proposal to invest in a possible merger of Oi with Telecom Italia’s local operator, TIM Participações. “In accordance…