Santander issues 10% more loans Q3

The loan portfolio of Mexican financial group Santander Serfin rose 10% during the third quarter of this year, local press reported. The bank experienced growth in all segments during the third quarter including mortgage, small- to medium-sized enterprises, corporate and credit cards, a segment in which the bank posted a record two percentage point increase in market share. According to Emilio Botin, president of Serfin's parent group Spain's SCH (NYSE: STD), Mexico and Brazil are the group's most important markets in the Latin American region with Mexico providing 15% of SCH's total revenues. Santander Serfin is the third largest bank in Mexico with 970 branches and 1,800 ATMs nationwide. Parent company SCH is Latin America's largest financial group, with a leadership position in most of the region's markets.