Private Equity And Financial Development In Latin America

Shallow capital markets are a key bottleneck for private sector development in Latin America. Still, there is not a large literature on capital markets and corporate governance, or on the politics of regulatory reform and business associations, focused on this region. To help address this gap, this new book introduces private equity into the financial development debate through a Latin American lens. The author looks at the cases of Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina. And proposes a shift in the financial development discussion from institutional explanations focused only on rules to an actor-based argument centered on the role of institutional investors, in particular pension funds .

"This paper argues that the dominant policy paradigm on financial development is increasingly insufficient to address big emerging issues that are particularly relevant for financial systems in Latin America. This paradigm was shaped over the past decades by a fundamental shift in thinking toward market-based financial development and a complex process of financial crises interpretation. The result has been a richly textured policy paradigm focused on promoting financial stability and the convergence to international standards. It argues, however, that there is a growing dissonance between the current paradigm and the emerging issues, which is illustrated by discussing challenges in three areas: stock markets, small and medium enterprise loans, and defined-contribution pension funds. The paper concludes that the dominant policy paradigm is ill-suited to provide significant guidance in relation to the big emerging issues. It emphasizes the need to take a fresh look at the evidence, improve the diagnoses, revisit expectations, and revise the paradigm. "--World Bank web site.

Capital markets, both for debt and equity securities, have allowed firms to secure funding for productive uses while providing investors with opportunities for portfolio diversification. The importance of capital markets for the development of economies and for the betterment of society cannot be overstated. This is just as true in emerging economies with free markets, such as those found in Latin America, as it is in developed markets. However, capital markets in the region are not being utilized to the fullest. The idea behind this collection of articles is to offer a primer on the development of local capital markets in several select countries in Latin America. We discuss not only their history and current status but also their future. To this end, seven authors contributed to this project, each writing about one of seven countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. Each author decided which issues they believe matter most to the progress of their local capital markets. Some authors chose a qualitative and institutional description of local markets, whereas others adopted a more quantitative approach.

Access to finance is critical in setting the course for development in emerging market economies. In this innovative study, which provides the first book-length analysis of the Latin American financial sector, Barbara Stallings and Rogerio Studart examine the dramatic changes resulting from financial liberalization in the region. The authors begin by discussing the critical transformations taking place in Latin America since 1990—a period marked by acceleration toward a new open, market-oriented development model, and away from a semi-closed model relying heavily on the state. Stallings and Studart examine changes in ownership of the financial sector and government regulation of banking, evaluate the role of capital markets as a source of finance, and compare Latin America's financial sector to that of East Asia. The second section of the book features case studies that demonstrate the changes occurring in Chile, Mexico, and Brazil with particular reference to finance for investment and access to credit. The authors conclude with a set of policy recommendations aimed at strengthening Latin American banks and capital markets so that they can play a greater role in supporting economic development.

This book synthesizes the results of a comprehensive analysis of the status, prospects, and challenges of sustainable financial development in Latin America, as well as the lessons for developed and developing countries.

Back in the early 1990s, economists and policy makers had high expectations about the prospects for domestic capital market development in emerging economies, particularly in Latin America. Unfortunately, they are now faced with disheartening results. Stock and bond markets remain illiquid and segmented. Debt is concentrated at the short end of the maturity spectrum and denominated in foreign currency, exposing countries to maturity and currency risk. Capital markets in Latin America look particularly underdeveloped when considering the many efforts undertaken to improve the macroeconomic environment and to reform the institutions believed to foster capital market development. The disappointing performance has made conventional policy recommendations questionable, at best. 'Emerging Capital Markets and Globalization' analyzes where we stand and where we are heading on capital market development. First, it takes stock of the state and evolution of Latin American capital markets and related reforms over time and relative to other countries. Second, it analyzes the factors related to the development of capital markets, with particular interest on measuring the impact of reforms. And third, in light of this analysis, it discusses the prospects for capital market development in Latin America and emerging economies and the implications for the reform agenda.

Textbook on methods of raising capital resources and the problem of resource allocation to achieve a high level of investment and economic growth in Latin America - focuses on the problem of savings, in both the private sector and public sector, and attempts to explain why such a large proportion of the economic surplus is diverted into relatively unproductive uses. Annotated bibliography pp. 246 to 253 and statistical tables.