Equipment leasing volume in Brazil almost doubled and in Latin American countries in general it increased by more than 50 percent on average in 2005. This according to a report by The Alta Group Latin American Region (LAR).
The Alta LAR 100 report, which includes the firm’s second annual ranking of the Top 100 leasing companies in Latin America, has expanded with new information revealing the region’s fastest-growing businesses, key multinationals, and growth in each country.
"Our most interesting finding is the impressive growth in leasing throughout Latin America in 2005," said Rafael Castillo-Triana, principal for The Alta Group LAR. The firm provides consulting, legal and research services to manufacturers, banks, leasing companies, associations and organizations working in Latin America.
"Brazil, which has the largest leasing industry in the region, experienced tremendous growth and almost doubled in size," he added. "The report also shows that Argentina’s leasing industry is recovering from the downturn following the country’s economic crisis of 2002."
Alta believes equipment leasing has grown in Latin America because it has proven to be an effective tool to funnel capital investment into emerging economies, and because the prevailing macroeconomic conditions in Latin America have favored the increasing demand of capital investment, Castillo- Triana noted.
"However, the industry still needs to be prepared to be sustainable and continue growing, even in periods of macroeconomic downturns. Alta’s sense is that most of the large players are intending to do so, but this requires a lot of adjustments and a willingness to abide by best management practices for the leasing industry," he said.
The report’s ranking of the Top 100 leasing operations in Latin America is based on each company’s reported portfolio of leased assets in 2005. Alta LAR developed the rankings from data published by the corresponding country leasing associations, Central Banks of regulatory entities, rating agencies and in some cases from data provided by individual companies.
The 10 leading companies in the Alta LAR 100 this year are, in order:
1. Cia Itauleasing de Arrendamento Mercantil (Brazil)
2. Safra Leasing S/A Arrendamento Mercantil (Brazil)
3. Banco Santander-Santiago – leasing portfolio (Chile)
4. Leasing Colombia CFC + Suleasing (Colombia)
5. Bradesco Leasing S/A Arrendamento Mercantil (Brazil)
6. Banco de Chile – leasing portfolio (Chile)
7. Popular Auto (Puerto Rico)
8. Leasing de Occidente CFC (Colombia)
9. Banco IBM S/A Arrendamento Mercantil (Brazil)
10. Banco Itaú S/A Arrendamento Mercantil (Brazil)
Founded in 1992, The Alta Group supports clients in North America; Latin America; Western, Central and Eastern Europe; Australia and China. The complete Alta LAR 100 report can be found in English and Spanish in www.thealtagroup.com.