Economy
Costa Rica
The Banco Central de Costa Rica (BBCR) held its policy rate at 5.0% in December for the seventh straight month. This decision was based on dynamic, but stable growth in credit to the...
2012-01-10Nicaragua
Inflation came in at 7.3% y-o-y in November, though it slowed slightly from 7.7% y-o-y in October, continuing to moderate from its August 2011 high. Inflation was driven by food prices,...
2012-01-10Panama
Panama's economic activity index (IMAE) continued to perform strongly in October 2011, growing by 8.4% y-o-y. The index averaged growth of 8.7% y-o-y between January and October. This...
2012-01-10Panama
We see Panama's balance of payments position as precarious in 2012, with a widening current account deficit funded increasingly by short-term financial inflows rather than more stable...
2012-01-10El Salvador
BMI View: We expect that expenditure will continue to outstrip revenue in El Salvador in 2012, as increased spending on security will offset any additional gains from recent reforms...
2011-12-29Guatemala
BMI View: We expect Guatemala's current account deficit to widen substantially in 2012 on the back of a sharp deterioration in the country's goods trade account. While the financial...
2011-12-23Nicaragua
We believe Nicaragua's economic growth will remain modest in the coming years, in line with our forecasts for real GDP growth to come in at 3.3% y-o-y in 2011 and 2012. This will come...
2011-12-13Guatemala
BMI View: Credit conditions in Guatemala continue to tighten, with the average lending rate climbing to 13.5% as of October. Thus far September's policy rate hike from 5.0% to 5.5%...
2011-11-28
