Finance

Brazil faces a boom in the black market for weight-loss drugs amid GLP-1 demand
The high cost of GLP-1 treatments and prescription restrictions are driving illegal sales in Brazil of tirzepatide from Paraguay and unregulated compounded preparations. Itaú BBA estimates off-pharmacy sales will reach nearly 19 billion reais this year, of which about 6.5 billion would come from Paraguayan products diverted into the country. Anvisa and the Federal Police are investigating the health risks, while pharmacy robberies targeting these drugs worry authorities.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 20AI
Sabadell enables Bizum Pay at more than 340,000 merchants and adds Eroski and Burger King
Sabadell has enabled in-store payment with Bizum Pay at more than 340,000 merchants, a rollout that reaches large chains such as Eroski and Restaurant Brands, the group operating Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons. The bank says all its clients with physical establishments already have terminals ready to accept these payments without replacing their existing card readers. Bizum launched in-store payments in May and by early October counted about 21 million enabled users and more than 1.7 million establishments able to accept them.
FinanceInternationalCinco DíasOct 20AI
Ferrovial makes a high-stakes bet in the US with I-24 as its shares fall nearly 20%
The DriveTN consortium, led by Ferrovial alongside Transurban and Tikehau, won in August the contract to build and operate for 50 years two tolled lanes in each direction along 42 kilometers of I-24, between Nashville and Murfreesboro. The work will cost 9.2 billion dollars and the consortium offered Tennessee a concession value of 24.8 billion, compared with bids from Sacyr and ACS of around 7 billion. The share went from about 55 euros before the award to 44.18 on Friday, nearly 20% lower.
FinanceInternationalEL PAÍSOct 20AI
Davivienda projects 6.9% inflation at end of 2026 and 2.5% growth
Davivienda projects that inflation in Colombia will close 2026 near 6.9% and fall to 5.1% in 2027, according to Germán Cristancho, the bank's director of Economic and Financial Market Research, presented at the launch of the Visión 2027 book. The analyst said the El Niño phenomenon could pressure energy tariffs and agricultural production. For economic activity, the bank estimates growth of 2.5% in 2026 and 2.3% in 2027.
FinanceColombiaEmisora AtlánticoOct 20AI
Mynt, parent of GCash, closes flat after raising US$967 million in its IPO
Mynt, parent of the Philippine digital wallet GCash, closed unchanged on its first trading day on the Philippine Stock Exchange after raising about US$967 million in the largest initial public offering in the history of the Philippine market. Shares traded at 6.60 Philippine pesos, the same as the offer price, after briefly reaching 6.76 pesos. The deal raised about 60.9 billion Philippine pesos and surpassed Monde Nissin's 2021 IPO.
FinanceInternationalDiario del SurOct 20AI
Dollar and euro rise in Cuba's informal market, hitting 30-day highs
The U.S. dollar and the euro rose again on Tuesday, October 20, in Cuba's informal currency market, closing at 818 and 908 Cuban pesos (CUP) respectively, according to CiberCuba's exchange rate reference as of 8:00 p.m. local time. Both currencies reach their highest values in the last 30 days. The Freely Convertible Currency (MLC) stands at around 587 CUP, with limited data making its quote indicative.
FinanceInternationalCiberCubaOct 20AI
Analysts expect Banxico to hold the rate at 6.50% despite three members' openness to a cut
The Citi Expectations Survey, published on October 20, showed that the analyst consensus expects Banco de México to keep the interest rate at 6.50% through the end of 2027, with no change at the November 5 meeting. Of 37 specialists, 25 do not foresee changes for the rest of 2026 or in 2027. Banxico's minutes from October 8 revealed that three of the five Board members opened the door to evaluating a cut. The consensus also raised its exchange rate forecast to MXN$18.20 per dollar by the end of 2026.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 20AI
Wells Fargo sees a buy signal for US stocks for the first time since 2025
Wells Fargo & Co.'s confidence indicator is issuing a "buy" signal for the first time since June 2025, according to analysts led by Ohsung Kwon, after a drop in US stocks driven by concerns over AI and high oil prices. Previous signals lifted the S&P 500 by an average of 6.5% over the following three months in 89% of cases. The bank expects big tech and infrastructure software to lead the advance, while remaining cautious over slowing earnings and negative liquidity.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 20AI
Prudential sells Brazil and Mexico units to CNP for US$4 billion
Prudential Financial agreed to sell its operations in Brazil and Mexico to Grupo CNP Assurances for US$4 billion, as part of its strategy to reduce its presence in emerging markets. The proceeds will go toward strengthening its asset management business, particularly in private alternative assets, and its group insurance business, as well as investing in certain pension markets in Europe, according to CEO Andrew Sullivan. Prudential has already exited nearly 60% of the emerging markets it intends to sell; India, Ghana and China remain.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 20AI
Five digital banks hold 200,009 million pesos in assets in Mexico, 1.2% of the sector
Five digital-origin financial institutions now operate as banks in Mexico: Openbank (early 2025), plus Revolut, Hey, Plata and Nu during 2026. According to CNBV figures for August, they hold 200,009 million pesos in assets, 1.2% of the sector total, which exceeds 16.4 trillion pesos. Nu, which began operating as a bank in August, reports 112,638 million in assets and a profit of 396 million. BBVA México, Santander and Banorte still lead by size.
FinanceInternationalEl EconomistaOct 20AI
68% of Colombian households cite inflation as their main concern, according to TransUnion
TransUnion's third-quarter Consumer Pulse survey shows that 68% of Colombian consumers identify inflation as their main concern, followed by employment (59%) and interest rates (41%). Despite this, 69% expect their income to rise over the next 12 months, and the share saying they could not pay at least one financial obligation falls to 28%, from 31% a year earlier. Among those who backed out of a loan, 37% cited the high cost of money.
FinanceColombiaEl País (Cali)Oct 20AI
América Móvil beats estimates despite impact of line registration in Mexico
América Móvil beat market forecasts on its main third-quarter indicators, posting EBITDA of MXN$102 billion (US$5.5 billion), above the average analyst estimate; revenue and net profit also exceeded expectations. The user registration required by the Mexican government hit prepaid, where growth in service revenue in Mexico slowed to 4.3%, from 5.3% in the prior period. Postpaid accelerated to 8%. Mexico began suspending unregistered prepaid lines in August.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 20AI
Presto to keep operating for 20 days while a Colombian businessman studies buying the chain
Colombia's Superintendencia de Sociedades suspended some effects of the liquidation of fast-food chain Presto so its restaurants can keep operating for 20 days, according to Caracol Radio. The measure allows employees to keep their jobs and the outlets to keep selling. Liquidator Mónica Macías said wages and benefits accrued from October 14, 2026 are paid with the operation's revenue, and that a Colombian businessman is interested in acquiring the chain.
FinanceColombiaCaracol RadioOct 20AI
Madrid court blocks extension of restructuring plan for two Mirto subsidiaries to banks
The Madrid Provincial Court upheld the challenge by Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank, Abanca and Ibercaja and ruled that the restructuring plan of two subsidiaries of Spanish textile firm Mirto will not extend its effects to the banks. The court instead dismissed the challenge against the plan of the parent company, Mirto Corporación Empresarial, which becomes final. The four homologated plans envisaged repaying 27 million euros without write-offs, with a four-year grace period. Management is now seeking new solutions, including a consensual plan with the banks.
FinanceInternationalExpansiónOct 20AI
Kite offers payments for AI agents with sub-second routing
Kite (gokite.ai) is an execution and payments infrastructure layer for autonomous AI agents in Web3 that routes transactions in under one second, manages each agent's cryptographic identity and enables cross-chain micropayments with low fees. A review published on Quasa.io, which rewards 1 QUA token to anyone who posts a review, gives it 4.7 out of 5. The text also reviews sector figures: x402 surpassed 100 million agentic payments on Base, and HSBC and Ant Digital tested micropayments with tokenized deposits.
FinanceInternationalEl Ecosistema StartupOct 20AI
Spain's CNMV urges asset managers to create funds for the government's new savings account
Spain's CNMV expects to have ready in less than four months the list of products that can be included in the government's Financia Europa Savings and Investment Account. The regulator will keep the registry where asset managers must register the funds that meet the requirements. Its chairman, Carlos San Basilio, encouraged asset managers to develop more products matching the account's specifications. According to Inverco, fewer than 10% of Spanish funds, around 130 vehicles, meet the requirements.
FinanceInternationalExpansiónOct 20AI
Argentina's central bank buys USD 103 million and logs 16 straight sessions with a positive balance
The Central Bank of Argentina bought USD 103 million on Tuesday and extended its streak to 16 consecutive sessions with a positive balance in the foreign exchange market. In October it has accumulated purchases of USD 1,104 million, more than double the USD 473 million of September. Since January 2026, inside and outside the FX market, it has added USD 15,672 million, above the USD 10,000 million annual target under the IMF agreement. Gross reserves closed at USD 50,201 million.
FinanceInternationalInfobaeOct 20AI
Senate approves Macarena Lobos and Juan Esteban Laval as new CMF commissioners
The Senate approved the appointments proposed by the Executive for Chile's Financial Market Commission (CMF): Macarena Lobos and Juan Esteban Laval, who will replace Bernardita Piedrabuena and Augusto Iglesias. The vote was 31 in favor, 11 against and three abstentions. Before the vote, both lawyers appeared before the Senate Finance Committee. Laval listed financial system stability, broader access to credit and greater competition as priorities.
FinanceInternationalDiario FinancieroOct 20AI
UBS sees real assets as attractive for 2027: property, infrastructure and commodities
UBS says in a report that it likes real assets for 2027 and highlights three categories: real estate, infrastructure such as power grids, telecommunications and digital infrastructure, and commodities. The Swiss bank argues these assets can diversify a portfolio and strengthen its resilience, including preserving purchasing power in high-inflation scenarios. It links its call to AI-driven demand for data centres and electricity, lower real estate development activity and gold's role amid fiscal and geopolitical uncertainty.
FinanceInternationalExpansiónOct 20AI
Caldas bets on the longevity economy with its first Intergenerational Networking Round
On Wednesday, October 28, the first Intergenerational Networking Round of Caldas will take place in Anserma under the motto "Experience does business with the future." The event is organized by the Government of Caldas, through its Secretariat of Integration and Social Development, in partnership with Incubar and Silver Partners. The goal is to position the longevity economy and recognize older people as economically active subjects. It will include showcasing senior-led ventures and B2B business matchmaking.
FinanceColombiaLa PatriaOct 20AI