Banco do Brasil

Banco do Brasil S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides banking products and services for individuals, companies, and public sectors in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through Banking, Investments, Fund Management, Insurance (Insurance, Pension, and Capitalization), Payment Methods, and Other segments. The Banking segment offers various products and services, including deposits, loans, and other services to retail, wholesale, and public sector markets, as well as to micro-entrepreneurs. The Investments segment engages in the structuring and distribution of debts and equity instruments in primary and secondary markets; and provision of financial services. The Fund Management segment is involved in the purchase, sale, and custody of securities, as well as the management of portfolios, and investment funds and clubs. The Insurance, Pension and Capitalization segment provides life, property, and automobile insurance products, as well as private pension and capitalization plans. The Payment Methods segment is involved in the capturing, transmission, processing, and financial settlement of for electronic payment transactions. The Other segment engages in the provision of credit recovery and consortium management services; development, manufacturing, sale, rental, and integration of digital electronic systems, peripherals, programs, inputs, and computing supplies; sale of airline tickets; and lodging and organization of events. Banco do Brasil S.A. was incorporated in 1808 and is headquartered in Brasília, Brazil.

Banco do Brasil was founded in 1808 by then prince regent John to finance the kingdom's public debt when he moved from Europe to Brazil. "As a mixed institution under state control, the Banco do Brasil served as a commercial bank, the government's fiscal agent, and Brazil's first bank of issue." It went bankrupt two times in history: once during independence in 1821, when John VI returned to Portugal taking with him some of the bank's assets, and a second time in 1898.

From 1821 to 1964 Banco do Brasil occasionally performed tasks that exceeded its role as a traditional commercial bank: issuing currency, having the monopoly of currency exchange transactions and serving as National Treasury holder for the government. Such tasks were gradually given to other governmental institutions, mainly with the creation of the Central Bank of Brazil in 1964 and the separation from the National Treasury in 1987.

From 1992 onwards it was restructured as a commercial bank, using its huge geographic distribution and credit assets to leverage its redesign as a "normal" bank. In the process, tens of thousands of workers were laid off.

After decades of losses due to being used to finance some of the Brazilian Federal Government public policies, the bank became very profitable across the years. The bank is one of the key structures used by Brazilian government to restabilize the market . The institution also is used to finance public programs such as the DRS - Sustainable Regional Development initiatives.

In November 2013, The Banker ranked Banco de Brasil as the top bank in Brazil based on Tier 1 capital.