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* S&P Global Ratings lowered its long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Ecuador to B- from B, with a stable outlook. The downgrade reflects an erosion of the country's financial and external profile over the last year due to large fiscal deficits, resulting in a higher interest payment burden, and increased sovereign external debt.
* The four member countries of the Pacific Alliance trade bloc -- Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru -- reached an agreement to eliminate double taxation on investment returns for pension funds, Portafolio reported. The trade bloc has also agreed to admit Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Canada as associate members, Reuters reported.
MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA
* The delinquency rate for Mexican community financial institutions, or sofipos, grew to 10% in March from 8.9% a year ago, El Financiero reported, citing data from banking and securities commission CNBV.
* Principal AFORE SA de CV Grupo Financiero paid a fine of around 75 million Mexican pesos to Mexican federal competition commission COFECE for engaging in monopolistic practices, El Economista reported.
* UNIFIN Financiera SAB de CV said it redeemed the full outstanding amount of its 6.250% senior notes due 2019, totaling about $50.6 million.
* Mexico's finance ministry said it will lower its local currency debt by 5.62 billion Mexican pesos in the third quarter of 2017 and reduce foreign currency debt by 74.48 billion pesos in 2018 using the central bank's surplus funds from 2016, Reuters reported.
* The presidents of Mexico and the U.S. will meet at a G20 summit in Germany next week to evaluate progress in the two countries' bilateral ties, Reuters reported, citing a Twitter post by Mexico's foreign ministry.
* The growth of digital...