Restructured Grupo Security Q1 2003 profits soar 152%

Chilean financial services group Grupo Security comprising a bank, a factoring unit, a stock brokerage, and a mutual fund announced first quarter profits up 152% to 2.55bn pesos due to restructuring, Silva said.

Chilean unit of Coface reports increase in income

The Chilean unit of French credit insurance company Coface saw its premiums grow 34% during 2002 and booked net income for the year of 2.4bn pesos (US$3.3mn), said Coface Chile CEO, Louis des Cars.

Local banker plans to buy into US

Chilean banker Odde Rishmague, who is engaged in factoring, financial advisory, and real estate in his home country, is planning to buy a bank in the US next year to merge it with his Miami-based Union Credit Bank (UCB), Rishmague told Chilean fin

Fast growth as factoring gets wider acceptance.

Factoring companies have increased their business by 8.2% from January to September to Pesos$1,228,287 million (US$1,820 million), according to estimates from the factoring industry association ACHEF.

Inverlink to open bank targeted at SMEs

Chilean financial group Inverlink plans to file for a banking license before year-end with a view to opening a bank in 2003.

The bank will focus on middle-class individuals and small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).