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* Zurich Brasil Seguros SA said it has combined its corporate and commercial insurance segments into its new middle market business in order to improve efficiency for both its partners and customers. Glaucia Asvolinsque Smithson, who has served as the company's head of corporate insurance for casualty, life and pensions, was tapped to be the middle market head.
* S&P Global Ratings affirmed Colombia's long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings at BBB and BBB+, respectively, with a negative outlook. The affirmations and negative outlook balance countervailing trends as on the one hand, a tax package recently passed by Congress should bolster the government's tax base and facilitate a decline in the fiscal deficit. On the other hand, S&P has observed a worsening of the government's interest burden and of the country's external balance sheet.
MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA
* Citigroup Inc. CFO John Gerspach said the company has no plans to sell Mexican unit Banco Nacional de México SA Integrante del Grupo Financiero Banamex, and Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. elections has not altered the company's strategy in Mexico, El Economista reported.
CARIBBEAN
* The Dominican Republic set initial price thoughts in the low 6% area for a new 10-year bond offering denominated in U.S. dollars, IFR reported, citing "two market sources."
BRAZIL
* Banestes SA - Banco do Estado do Espírito Santo said its recently appointed CEO, Michel Neves Sarkis, has also been selected to serve on the bank's board. Sarkis will replace outgoing CEO Guilherme Gomes Dias, who will step down from both his executive and board positions on Jan. 31.
* Aon Plc said it closed its acquisition of Brazil-based health and benefits brokerage Admix, which boasts more than 1.4 million beneficiaries across about 6,700 companies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
* French insurer AXA is in talks to possibly acquire a health insurer in Brazil, O Estado de S. Paulo reported. Three Brazilian companies are under consideration, though negotiations are more advanced with one of them,...