Financial Services

Insurance penetration is comparatively limited and is estimated to range between 0.7% and 1.2%. The sector has a combined total of 29 firms in life and non-life, with an asset base of roughly $6.71bn. Non-life policies have shown steady growth in recent years, rising from $870m in the 2009/10 fiscal year to $954m in the 2010/11 fiscal year. Motor insurance is compulsory and represents the...

Egypt has a vibrant capital market, with 212 listed companies on the Egyptian Exchange, alongside a primary and secondary bond market with 60 listed bonds, and a dedicated small-cap market for small and medium-sized enterprises, the Nilex, with 20 listings. Four indices track the performance of the domestic market, but the political unrest of 2011 led to declines in all of them by the end of the...

While global insurance markets have been showing lower levels of growth in recent years, Peru’s insurance sector has expanded apace, averaging 15% annual growth in premiums over the past five years. There are 14 insurance companies providing a variety of plans and services. Life in particular has performed particularly well by global standards: while life insurance sales dropped by 4.3% globally...

Strong economic growth in recent years has enabled Peru’s capital markets to remain relatively unscathed by the global economic crisis that devastated many exchanges around the globe. While the Lima Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de Lima, BVL), with market capitalisation of around $135bn, is one of the region’s smaller exchanges, it is likely to attract interest based on its recent successes....

As banks in the US and Europe faced buyouts and nationalisation, Peru’s banking sector held firm in the wake of the financial crisis. With a sound regulatory body, hefty capital reserves and limited exposure to complex financial instruments, no Peruvian banks were forced to close their doors. The country currently has 15 banks and 59 financial institutions, including 34 microfinance institutions...