(MENAFN- The Rio Times) Banco Pan's stock surged about 26% to R$9.71 ($2) after BTG Pactual proposed swapping each Pan preferred share (BPAN4) for 0.2128 BTG units.

BTG's own units eased to R$46.50 ($9) as investors digested the move. Based on the prior day's closes-BPAN4 at R$7.70 ($1) and BPAC11 at R$47.31 ($9)-the offer gives minority holders a little over a 30% premium and values Pan's free float around R$2.76 billion ($521 million).

After approvals, Pan would delist and become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary; dissenters may have withdrawal rights under Brazilian law . The mechanics are simple: roughly 4.7 BPAN4 shares convert into one BTG unit.

BTG already controls about 77% of Pan and consolidates its results, so this is the final step in a long cleanup of the corporate structure. Executed through BTG's vehicle Banco Sistema, the combination is slated to close in 2025.

The story behind the story is Brazil's post-crisis banking consolidation. Pan-once PanAmericano-imploded in 2010 with an accounting hole of roughly R$4.3 billion ($811 million).



BTG stepped in the following year and, in 2021, bought Caixa's remaining stake for about R$3.7 billion ($698 million). Since then, Pan has become BTG's retail-credit arm, focusing on vehicle finance and payroll-discounted loans, while BTG built out investment banking, wealth, and asset management.

Folding Pan into a single listed group cuts duplicated governance, may lower funding costs, and aligns incentives across the retail and investment franchises.

For investors, the trade-off is clear. Pan holders swap into a larger, more diversified bank with different liquidity and risk characteristics, rather than staying in a smaller, pure-retail vehicle that will soon leave the exchange.

Sell-side models suggest the price embeds expectations of a stronger Pan-roughly low-20s return on equity-while BTG 's capital impact looks limited, with upside if integration delivers cheaper funding and operating efficiencies.

Why this matters beyond Brazil: it's a window into how Latin America's biggest banking market is knitting together retail credit engines with capital-markets scale.

If the bet pays off, BTG could set a template for regional players seeking growth without the cost and complexity of maintaining multiple listed entities.

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