Participação em Matéria do Wall Street Journal

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24/10/13 Santander's Brazil Unit Set to Boost Lending Again - WSJ.com online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304069604579155830018979744#printMode 1/2 See a sample reprint in PDF format. Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com Order a reprint of this article now MARKETS Santander Brazil Unit Set to Increase Lending Bank Plans to Emphasize Less Risky Lending to Keep Bad Loans Under Control, CEO Says Oct. 24, 2013 3:43 p.m. ET Related Santander's Net Surges as It Gears Up for Growth SÃO PAULO—The Brazilian unit of Spanish bank Banco Santander SA plans to start picking up the pace of lending once again as the Brazilian economy shows signs of life. Santander wants to emphasize less risky loans, such as those to large corporations, while keeping bad loans under control, the first meaningful change of strategy at Banco Santander Brasil SA since Chief Executive Jesus Zabalza took over the Brazilian bank's operations in June. "My task in Brazil is first, to grow, then to grow profitably," Mr. Zabalza told reporters on Thursday. It is a move full of trade-offs, but one that is designed to boost profits. Loans with less risk mean the Brazilian bank is accepting a lower profit on each loan, but will try to make up for that with a larger volume of loans. Santander Brasil suffered more than most of its private-sector peers with the recent sharp increase in nonperforming loans, as rivals such as Banco Bradesco SA and Itau Unibanco Holding SA took a much more conservative approach as the economy slowed. "Santander is reaping the pros and cons from a strategy of risk reduction that was late compared to its peers," said Andre Riva, a senior analyst in São Paulo who covers Brazilian banks for Grupo Bursatil Mexicano SA de CV. On Thursday afternoon, the bank's shares were down 1.63% at 15.07 reais ($6.8), in line with the local index, the Ibovespa, which was down 1.33%. Santander Brasil is the largest single overseas contributor to profits of the Spanish parent company, which has been buffeted in recent years by the financial crisis in Spain and Europe. Santander owns 75% of the Brazilian unit's shares. The bank, the third-largest private-sector bank in Brazil in terms of assets, on Thursday said its net profit declined 6.8% to BRL1.41 billion ($648 million) in the third quarter, the first full quarter under Mr. Zabalza's management. The bank's credit portfolio grew 7.1% in the third quarter to BRL222 billion; Santander expects 11% growth for 2013 as a whole, and a little bit more than that next year. Santander Brasil's default rate has declined, but remains high compared with its peers. The By ROGERIO JELMAYER and MATTHEW COWLEY

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24/10/13 Santander's Brazil Unit Set to Boost Lending Again - WSJ.com

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MARKETS

Santander Brazil Unit Set to Increase LendingBank Plans to Emphasize Less Risky Lending to Keep Bad Loans UnderControl, CEO Says

Oct. 24, 2013 3:43 p.m. ET

Related

Santander's Net Surges as It Gears Up forGrowth

SÃO PAULO—The Brazilian unit of Spanish bank Banco Santander SA plans to start picking up

the pace of lending once again as the Brazilian economy shows signs of life.

Santander wants to emphasize less risky loans, such as those to large corporations, while

keeping bad loans under control, the first meaningful change of strategy at Banco Santander

Brasil SA since Chief Executive Jesus Zabalza took over the Brazilian bank's operations in June.

"My task in Brazil is first, to grow, then to grow

profitably," Mr. Zabalza told reporters on Thursday.

It is a move full of trade-offs, but one that is

designed to boost profits. Loans with less risk mean the Brazilian bank is accepting a lower profit

on each loan, but will try to make up for that with a larger volume of loans.

Santander Brasil suffered more than most of its private-sector peers with the recent sharp

increase in nonperforming loans, as rivals such as Banco Bradesco SA and Itau Unibanco

Holding SA took a much more conservative approach as the economy slowed.

"Santander is reaping the pros and cons from a strategy of risk reduction that was late compared

to its peers," said Andre Riva, a senior analyst in São Paulo who covers Brazilian banks for

Grupo Bursatil Mexicano SA de CV.

On Thursday afternoon, the bank's shares were down 1.63% at 15.07 reais ($6.8), in line with the

local index, the Ibovespa, which was down 1.33%.

Santander Brasil is the largest single overseas contributor to profits of the Spanish parent

company, which has been buffeted in recent years by the financial crisis in Spain and Europe.

Santander owns 75% of the Brazilian unit's shares.

The bank, the third-largest private-sector bank in Brazil in terms of assets, on Thursday said its

net profit declined 6.8% to BRL1.41 billion ($648 million) in the third quarter, the first full quarter

under Mr. Zabalza's management. The bank's credit portfolio grew 7.1% in the third quarter to

BRL222 billion; Santander expects 11% growth for 2013 as a whole, and a little bit more than that

next year.

Santander Brasil's default rate has declined, but remains high compared with its peers. The

By ROGERIO JELMAYER and MATTHEW COWLEY

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24/10/13 Santander's Brazil Unit Set to Boost Lending Again - WSJ.com

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default rate on loans that are more than 90 days overdue was at 4.5%, down from 5.1% a year

ago. Bradesco's default rate stood at 3.6% at the end of the third quarter.

Bradesco and Santander are the only Brazilian banks to have published third-quarter results so

far. On Monday, Bradesco, the second-largest private-sector bank, reported a 7.1% rise in profit,

largely due to lower provisions for bad loans. Itau Unibanco and state-run Banco do Brasil SA are

scheduled to report in coming weeks.

Santander's shift to lend more reflects a broader move in the Brazilian market, as bad loans

appear to have peaked in the first half of this year, Mr. Zabalza said.

As Brazil's economy slowed over the last three years, private-sector banks pulled back on

making new loans while nonpayment rose. Public-sector banks, meanwhile, expanded their

lending as part of a government-led strategy to gain market share and counteract some of the

slower economic growth.

Economists expect the Brazilian economy to grow faster this year than last, although growth still

comes in bursts. After a surge in the second quarter, growth in the third quarter is expected to be

close to zero. For the full year, economists expect around 2.5% growth, up from 0.9% last year.

"For next year, we're not expecting an enormous growth in credit for the country," he said.

Write to Rogerio Jelmayer at [email protected] and Matthew Cowley at

[email protected]

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