Itau Unibanco (BVXB) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q4, 2020
Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Dec 31, 2020, filed Apr 30, 2021
Risk Change Over Time
No filing history is available.
- Regulation - Risk 1We are subject to Brazilian antitrust legislation and that of other countries in which we operate or will possibly operat
We are in a dominant position in certain Brazilian banking markets and, therefore, may be subject to the Brazilian antitrust laws including No. 12,529/11, which address, among other matters, violation of the economic order. Accordingly, we may be subject to penalties from Brazilian antitrust authorities, especially administrative fines and divestiture of assets. Additionally, we are subject to the antitrust legislation in the jurisdictions where we operate, such as the antitrust laws of the U.S. (Sherman Act and Clayton Antitrust Act) and of the European Union (Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). Consequently, we cannot assure that Brazilian and foreign antitrust regulations will not adversely affect our business in the future.
- Regulation - Risk 2Our insurance operations are subject to oversight by regulatory agencies, such as SUSEP and ANS. Therefore, we may be affected negatively by the penalties applied by such regulators.
Insurance companies are subject to SUSEP intervention and/or liquidation. In case of insufficient resources, technical reserves, or poor economic health with respect to a regulated entity, SUSEP may appoint an inspector to act within the relevant company. If such intervention does not remedy the issue, SUSEP will forward to CNSP a proposal to withdraw the applicable insurance license. In addition, insurance companies are subject to pecuniary penalties, warnings, suspension of authorization of activities and disqualification to engage in business activities as set in Law. Health insurance companies are subject to ANS regulations. With respect to companies that are deemed to have financial imbalances or serious economic, financial or administrative irregularities, ANS may order the disposal of the applicable health insurance company’s portfolio, or take other measures, such as fiscal or technical direction regime for a period not exceeding 365 days, or extrajudicial liquidation. The penalties established for violations committed by health insurance companies and their directors and officers are: (i) warnings; (ii) pecuniary penalties; (iii) suspension of company’s activities; (iv) temporary disqualification for the exercise of management positions in health insurance companies; (v) permanent disqualification for the exercise of management positions in health insurance companies as well as in open private pension funds, insurance companies, insurance brokers and financial institutions; and (vi) the cancellation of the company’s authorization to operate and sale of its portfolio. Accordingly, our insurance operations may be affected negatively by any penalties applied by SUSEP or ANS, as described above.
Risk Highlights Q4, 2020
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 50
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1Our controlling stockholder has the ability to direct our business.
As of December 31, 2020, IUPAR, our controlling stockholder, directly owned 51.71% of our common shares and 26.15% of our total share capital, giving it the power to appoint and remove our directors and officers and determine the outcome of any action requiring stockholder approval, including transactions with related parties, corporate reorganizations and the timing and of dividend payments. In addition, IUPAR is jointly controlled by Itaúsa, which, in turn, is controlled by the Egydio de Souza Aranha family, and by Cia. E. Johnston, which in turn is controlled by the Moreira Salles family. The interests of IUPAR, Itaúsa and the Egydio de Souza Aranha and Moreira Salles families may be different from the interests of our other stockholders. Certain of our directors are affiliated with IUPAR and circumstances may arise in which the interests of IUPAR and its affiliates conflict with the interests of our other stockholders. To the extent that these and other conflicting interests exist, our stockholders will depend on our directors duly exercising their fiduciary duties as members of our Board of Directors. Notwithstanding, according to Brazilian Corporation Law the controlling stockholders should always vote in the interest of the company. In addition, they are prohibited from voting in cases of conflict of interest in the matter to be decided.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2The preferred shares underlying our ADSs do not have voting rights, except in specific circumstances.
Pursuant to our Bylaws, the holders of preferred shares and therefore of our ADSs are not entitled to vote in our general stockholders’ meetings, except in specific circumstances. Even in such circumstances, ADS holders may be subject to practical restrictions on their ability to exercise their voting rights due to additional operational steps involved in communicating with these stockholders, as mentioned below. According to the provisions of the ADSs deposit agreement, in the event of a general stockholders’ meeting, we will provide notice to the depositary bank, which will, to the extent practicable, send such notice to ADS holders and instructions on how such holders can participate in such general stockholders’ meeting, and ADS holders should instruct the depositary bank on how to vote in order to exercise their voting rights. This additional step of instructing the ADS depositary bank may make the process for exercising voting rights longer for ADS holders.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3Holders of ADSs may be unable to exercise preemptive rights with respect to our preferred shares
We may not be able to offer the U.S. holders of our ADSs preemptive rights granted to holders of our preferred shares in the event of an increase of our share capital by issuing preferred shares unless a registration statement relating to such preemptive rights and our preferred shares is effective or an exemption from such registration requirements of the Securities Act is available. As we are not obligated to file a registration statement relating to preemptive rights with respect to our preferred shares, we cannot assure that preemptive rights will be offered to you. In the event such registration statement is not filed (or in case filed, not declared effective) or if the exemption from registration is not available, the U.S. holders of our ADSs may not receive any value from the granting of such preemptive rights and have their interests in us diluted.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4The surrender of ADSs may cause the loss of the ability to remit foreign currency abroad and of certain Brazilian tax advantages
While ADS holders benefit from the electronic certificate of foreign capital registration obtained in Brazil by the custodian for our preferred shares underlying the ADSs, which permits the depositary bank to convert dividends and other distributions with respect to the preferred shares underlying the ADSs into foreign currency and remit the proceeds abroad, the availability and requirements of such electronic certificate may be adversely affected by future legislative changes. If an ADS holder surrenders the ADSs and, consequently, receives preferred shares underlying the ADSs, such holder will have to register its investment in the preferred shares with the Central Bank either as (i) a Foreign Direct Investment, subject to Law No. 4,131/62, which will require an electronic certificate of foreign capital registration, the Electronic Declaratory Registration of Foreign Direct Investment (RDE-IED), or (ii) as a Foreign Investment in Portfolio, subject to Resolution CMN No. 4,373/14, which among other requirements, requires the appointment of a financial institution in Brazil as the custodian of the preferred shares (except in case the foreign investor is a natural person) and legal representative of the foreign investor in the Electronic Declaratory Registration of Portfolio (RDE – Portfolio). The failure to register the investment in the preferred shares as foreign investment under one of the regimes mentioned above (e.g. RDE – IED or RDE – Portfolio) will impact the ability of the holder non-resident in Brazil to dispose of the preferred shares and to receive dividends. Moreover, upon receipt of the preferred shares underlying the ADSs, Brazilian regulations require the investor to enter into corresponding exchange rate transactions and pay taxes on these exchange rate transactions, as applicable. The tax treatment for the remittance of distributions on, and the proceeds from any sale of, our preferred shares may be less favorable in case a holder of preferred shares obtains the RDE-IED instead of the RDE-Portfolio. In addition, if a holder of preferred shares attempts to obtain an electronic certificate of foreign capital registration, such holder may incur expenses or suffer delays in the application process, which could impact the investor’s ability to receive dividends or distributions relating to our preferred shares or the return of capital on a timely manner.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5The holders of ADSs have rights that differ from those of stockholders of companies organized under the laws of the U.S. or other countries
Our corporate affairs are governed by our Bylaws and Brazilian Corporate Law, which may have legal principles that differ from those that would apply if we were incorporated in the U.S. or in another country. Under Brazilian Corporate Law, the holders of ADSs and the holders of our preferred shares may have different rights with respect to the protection of investor interests, including remedies available to investors in relation to any actions taken by our Board of Directors or the holders of our common shares, which may be different from what is provided in U.S. law or the law of another country.
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