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I♥UY: The PR Gods Are Smiling on Uruguay

On July 27, 2010, In real estate, tourism, uruguay, by InvestBA
I Love Uruguay

So far, 2010 has been a media lovefest for Uruguay. (Pictured: Oceanfront developments in Punta del Este)

If we could dole out awards for the best and worst PR campaigns in the Americas for 2010, the loser by an oily nautical mile would be BP. On the other hand (and hemisphere), the winner would be the Republic of Uruguay. When InvestBA originally launched, we coined the phrase The Tango Coast to encompass opportunities on both sides of the Río de la Plata. For every four stories about Argentina, we would unearth a gem about our Mercosur neighbor; however, pro-Uruguay, pro-investment content has been so fast and frequent this year, we had to finally create our own Uruguay channel. 2010 got off to a good start with a Top 20 ranking in the International Living Quality of Life Index, then Spear’s Wealth Management Survey sized up the tax advantages and dubbed Uruguay, A good place to visit your money. The I♥UY parade continued this spring with two new airline deals (Buquebus and Jazz/Pluna) further linking Uruguay with the world, while The New York Times touted the country as an attractive retirement destination for Americans and other foreign buyers. Then the World Cup kicked into high gear where Diego Forlán & Co. put together an odds-defying performance and silenced the skeptics, including a Miami Herald reporter. Now it seems we’ve come full circle with another glowing International Living piece naming Uruguay, “The New Tourism Leader in Latin America.” Bottom line: If the last six months of 2010 are anything like the first six, Uruguay can look forward to more positive press and an influx of foreign buyers.

For more information about Uruguay investment opportunities and premier luxury properties, download the July edition of InvestBA Privada.

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Santander Sees the Future in Latin America

On July 19, 2010, In foreign investment, franchises, visionaries, by InvestBA
Santander

With 37 million clients and 5,800 branches, Santander is the leading bank franchise in Latin America.

If you had any doubts about where the smart money is moving globally, you might want to take a look at Grupo Santander, the largest bank in the Euro-zone and one of the largest banks in the world. In recent interviews with everyone from Bloomberg to El País, Santander officials are understandably bullish on Argentina, Brazil and Latin America in general…so much so bank executives feel the region will outperform Asia in the coming years. Santander’s Director for the region Francisco Luzon sees the XXI century as Latin America’s inflection point: “In this century, Latin America will move beyond being a ‘developing’ region. Latin America has talent and structural competitive advantages that will make it a winner in the XXI century.” Luzon believes Latin America is the region best positioned to benefit from the process of globalization, while banks like Santander are well positioned to capitalize on the continued bancarización of LatAm. Santander estimates the financial systems of the seven core Latin countries—Brasil, México, Argentina, Chile, Perú, Colombia y Uruguay—have a current valuation of US$500 billion and could reach $1 trillion by 2015. If full-year projections for 2010 are any indication of what’s to come, it’s easy to understand why a bank like Santander sees the future in Latin America. According to Bloomberg, the region will account for 45% of the bank’s profit this year, up from 39% in 2009.

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Hook ‘Em: Texas Billionaire Long on Argentina

On June 1, 2010, In foreign investment, real estate, visionaries, by InvestBA
El Desafio Mountain Resort

Legendary golfer Greg Norman walks the scenic ground at Tom Hicks' (inset) El Desafío Mountain Resort.

Texas and Argentina have some wonderful things in common: good people, great beef, authentic cowboys and wide open spaces just to name a few. Maybe that’s why Dallas billionaire Thomas Hicks set his sights on the Pampas and Patagonia in the 1980′s. His now legendary private equity firms completed billions in leveraged acquisitions in the years that followed, including several deals in Latin America. Admittedly, the Dallas Morning-News points out, there have been highs and lows; yet, Hicks has proven his resilience over three decades of business cycles. He also has an eye for real estate. “He has land in Frisco and Cedar Park (near Austin),” writes the Morning-News, “plus substantial acreage in Argentina, where he is developing residential and resort projects and maybe even a winery someday.” While some investors may have given up on Argentina after the 2001/02 financial crisis, Hicks persevered and is currently unveiling one of the country’s true signature developments, El Desafío Mountain Resort. El Desafio will feature the first Greg Norman course in Argentina, a course which Norman himself describes as “absolutely stunning…amongst some of the most scenic terrain in the world.” At age 64, Hicks isn’t slowing down, while sons Tommy and Mack are managing much of the day-to-day operations. Looking forward, Hicks describes his real estate holdings as “stable and not under stress.” In Texas as in Argentina, there are advantages to being in the Deep South.

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Zapping: DIRECTV Wins Converts in Argentina

On May 6, 2010, In arts & entertainment, foreign investment, technology, us companies, by InvestBA
batigol-directv

BatiGol & DirecTV: Legendary striker Gabriel Batistuta promotes DirecTV's World Cup coverage.

Channel surfing in many parts of Latin America is often referred to as “zapping.” If yesterday’s quarterly earnings release is any indication, subscribers across the region—especially in Argentina and Brazil—are “zapping” their local cable provider in favor of DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV). The California-based satellite television provider reported double-digit growth in revenue ($5.6 billion) and free cash flow ($1.03 billion), and record subscriber growth in Latin America played a critical role. The Company added a record 221,000 net new LatAm subscribers in the first quarter of 2010 “primarily due to strong growth in Brazil, Colombia and Argentina” raising the total number of regional subscribers to over 7 million. New subscriber growth has been aided by an aggressive regional marketing campaign promoting DIRECTV service and HD picture quality for the upcoming World Cup. The Company offers Latin consumers a variety of packages including bundled Internet and local calling services starting around US$50 per month while non-HD, basic packages cost closer to $30/month. Average monthly revenue per subscriber in Latin America is $55 compared to $85 in the U.S. With only 35 days until the World Cup, it’s likely DIRECTV will post strong Latin American subscriber growth this quarter as well, especially in Argentina, Brazil and the other five Latin countries sending teams to Johannesburg. And even though Colombia didn’t qualify this year, odds are those Caracol telenovela actresses look even better in HD too.

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Carpe Pasaporte: Living the Dream in BA

On March 26, 2010, In lifestyle, tourism, wine & vineyards, by InvestBA
"Just livin' the dream": When the economy has everyone down, sometimes living abroad makes sense.

"Just livin' the dream": When the economy has everyone around you down, BA might make sense.

While some of our home countries are drowning in debt, others lack optimism regarding job prospects and the economic outlook. It’s times like this when many begin to re-prioritize and ponder quality of life, a common narrative thread here on InvestBA. Whether it’s the annual International Living ranking or a wine expert lauding the “wonderfulness” of BA, or a foreign investor branding Argentina “the best place in the world,” these sources bring added credibility considering they have all scoured the planet looking for the best of whatever it is they are searching for: places to retire, food & wine, or prime real estate. For the uninitiated, these articles fuel the imagination but don’t necessarily show you how to connect the dots and make the leap. Shelter Offshore to the rescue. The expat resource which touts Wealthier Living Abroad, fills in the dream-to-reality canvas for readers with some back-of-the-envelope calculations and a carpe pasaporte-inducing headline, “Live Your Dream Life Abroad for Less than £1,000 a Month.” ($1,300 USD). Argentina is one of four Latin American countries mentioned in the article and Buenos Aires neighborhoods like Palermo SoHo are singled out for their abundance of dining, educational and cultural offerings. Once you’ve made the leap, Shelter Offshore recommends a minimum six-month commitment at whatever “wealthier” destination readers may choose. (Full article)

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