Mexico’s central bank raised borrowing costs for the third consecutive meeting Thursday as policy makers struggle to slow above-target inflation, Bloomberg News reported. Banco de Mexico, known as Banxico, increased its key interest rate by a quarter-point to 4.75%, in a 4-1 split decision. All but one of 26 economists surveyed by Bloomberg predicted the 25 basis-point hike.
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The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, which is presiding over Aeroméxico's chapter 11 voluntary financial restructuring process, granted the company's request for extensions of the plan exclusivity periods, according to a company press release. The exclusive period for filing a chapter 11 plan now expires on Oct. 8, 2021, subject to further extension as ordered by the court. On Sept. 10, 2021, the company delivered to its DIP Lenders the Final Valuation Materials and the Refinancing Qualification Certificate in accordance with the DIP Credit Agreement.
Mexico's economy expanded by 6.8% in August compared to the same month last year, as the country continued a recovery from a slump induced by the coronavirus pandemic, a preliminary estimate from national statistics agency INEGI showed on Friday, Reuters reported. A breakdown of the agency's initial figures showed that secondary activities, which include manufacturing, increased by 4.1% from August 2020, while tertiary activities, which encompass the service sector, were up by 8.3%. In July, Latin America's no. 2 economy grew by some 9.9% year-on-year, according to a preliminary estimate.
As Mexico’s economy rebounds from its biggest recession in almost a century, investors are piling back into the debt of the worst affected companies, in the worst affected industries, Bloomberg News reported. Defaulted bonds sold by hotel chain Grupo Posadas SAB, broadcaster TV Azteca SAB and flagship airline Grupo Aeromexico SAB are all among the top ten returning notes over the last three months, landing investors gains of at least 13%. Each company is benefiting from the turnaround of Mexico’s fortunes, driven mainly by an economic boom in the U.S., the nation’s biggest trading partner.
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Mexico's government on Wednesday proposed sharply reducing the tax burden for state oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos and forecast economic growth of 4.1% for 2022, as Latin America's second largest economy continues to recover from a COVID-19-induced slump, Reuters reported. The finance ministry's 2022 draft budget, which it presented to Congress earlier in the day, laid out a profit sharing rate (DUC) - effectively a tax paid to the government - of 40% for the oil giant known locally as Pemex.
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Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador highlighted his campaign against government corruption and downplayed the work that remains to be done in the areas of security and reducing poverty in his third state of the nation address on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported. Nearly midway through his six-year term, López Obrador remains popular despite stubbornly high levels of violence and rising inflation in an economy emerging from recession. “The money that was stolen before now gets to those on the bottom,” the 67-year-old leader said.
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Mexico's central bank on Tuesday raised its forecasts for inflation and economic growth this year, and warned that price pressures could be stronger than expected in the months ahead, Reuters reported. Setting out its latest quarterly forecasts, the Bank of Mexico projected annual consumer price inflation would be 5.7% in the final quarter, up from a prior prediction of 4.8%. Mexican gross domestic product (GDP) growth was seen at 6.2% in 2021, up from 6.0% previously, the bank said.
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A business plan that aims to put Mexico’s troubled Interjet back in the skies in 2022 is ready, according to the firm the airline hired to advise on restructuring $1.25 billion in debt, Bloomberg News reported. Argoss Partners submitted the plan to Interjet management at the end of July. It calls for debt forgiveness of over 90%, partial payment to workers, preliminary agreements for new aircraft leases and a management team revamp.
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Mexico's new finance minister Rogelio Ramirez de la O said on Friday that the 2022 budget will not increase taxes, and that the government will instead focus on combating tax evasion, Reuters reported. Speaking to lawmakers in Congress, Ramirez de la O said the budget would not include tax rate hikes, and would be balanced, responsible and realistic. Read more.
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Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday he’ll seek central bank approval to use $12 billion in International Monetary Fund reserves to pay down debt, as he presses ahead with austerity, Bloomberg News reported. Lopez Obrador thanked bank Governor Alejandro Diaz de Leon for being open to the idea of using the windfall, which is being transferred to the monetary authority from the IMF, to prepay liabilities. He declined to comment on Diaz de Leon’s prior remarks that the government must purchase the reserves from the bank.
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