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By Anthony Termini, Benzinga
In December 2023, Argentina elected Javier Milei to the presidency after he pledged fiscal balance, zero budget deficits, and pro-market reforms. Almost a year into his term, the impact is starting to become evident. The World Bank says his policies will likely bring in some “$10 billion in net international reserves by the end of 2024.”
Investors have taken notice. The Global X MSCI Argentina ETF (ARCA: ARGT) is up about 44% since Milei took office. Milei’s policies have helped to make him quite popular, and executives at Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: VINO) believe all of this could increase opportunities for investors seeking to participate in the country’s expected growth.
Gaucho Group Holdings Expanding In Argentina
Gaucho Holdings is a diversified real estate and luxury brand holding company with assets in hospitality, wine making and fashion. The company also operates a growing collection of e-commerce platforms focused on fine wines, luxury real estate and leather goods and accessories.
In May, Gaucho Holdings announced a new mortgage lending division intended to serve as the company’s self-financing option for buyers of its luxury vineyard real estate project, Algodon Wine Estates.
Gaucho Holdings says it plans to expand the unit beyond its own properties in a move targeted to benefit from the Argentine government’s recent tax amnesty program. The program seeks to repatriate some $204 billion in untaxed wealth held by Argentinians outside the country.
The company believes the tax amnesty measures could create an improved investment environment and a revival in mortgage lending. It says it believes the move could invite heightened confidence among Argentine citizens and the global investment community. The company argues that the Argentine real estate market is “now more promising than ever, as real estate values across the country reflect growing stability and demand.”
Argentina’s Economic Landscape Is Evolving
For many analysts, Argentina appears to be entering a new era of optimism. In his 2025 draft budget proposal, Milei estimates that his administration’s economic reforms will expand the economy by 5% in 2025.
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) (NYSE: BBVA) expects a 6% rebound in 2025. BBVA also expects the country’s GDP to grow by 4.5% in 2026 and to see inflation decline by nearly 38%. Since Milei became president, monthly inflation has dropped rapidly and recently hit a 31-month low, Gaucho Holdings reports.
According to Doug Casey, a leading advisor to Gaucho Holdings, “If Milei’s reforms stick, within a decade, Argentina could become the most prosperous country in the world.” He attributes this to what he says is Argentina’s potential for substantial economic renewal, which he says has set the foundation for long-term growth and increasing the appeal for business travel and investment.
In October, the World Bank announced over $2 billion in new loans to Argentina. About the same time, Argentina’s Central Bank said that it was working with banks and credit card companies to enable debit cards denominated in U.S. dollars. The move is part of the government’s push to adopt the U.S. dollar as Argentina’s official currency.
Also in October, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced that it would grant $3.8 billion in aid to the country to be used for both public and private sector projects. Ilan Goldfajn, president of the IDB said that Milei’s reforms had “achieved remarkable progress in restoring much needed fiscal balance” to Argentina’s economy. Milei announced the country’s first quarterly budget surplus in 16 years in April.
The changing economic landscape has prompted Argentina’s leading private bank, Grupo Financiero Galicia, to foresee a surge in lending. It expects new business and consumer loans to make up 40% of its total assets by the end of this year.
Economic Reforms May Benefit Gaucho Holdings
One possible sign that President Milei’s reforms are reshaping Argentina’s economy is that rental supply in Buenos Aires has surged since deregulation. And Gaucho Holdings says the promising signs of sustainable growth like this align with its strategic vision.
The company believes such reforms may help reinforce its position across luxury real estate, hospitality, and fashion markets – each of which it expects to benefit from what it calls Argentina’s economic revival. Gaucho Holdings says that it is establishing itself as the “premier vehicle for investment in Argentina.”
The company’s recent announcement said it is creating “a distinctive gateway for global investors who seek to participate in and benefit from Argentina's economic resurgence.” The company notes that its assets are strategically aligned with the country's “advancing market dynamics.”
For Gaucho Holdings, capital infusions from the World Bank and the IDB enhance Argentina’s investment landscape and support the company’s growth initiatives in real estate, wine and luxury markets. It notes that stability attracts global interest. The company also says that deregulated markets enhance investment opportunities, and that the latest reforms facilitate smoother transactions and “enhance investor confidence.”
The revival in consumer credit and home financing strengthens the market outlook, which could support Gaucho Holdings’ initiatives in real estate and position it to benefit from Argentina’s strengthened economic landscape, the company argues.
It points out that real estate values in Argentina’s prime wine regions continue to offer substantial discounts per square foot compared to the world’s leading wine centers. Gaucho Holdings believes this presents an “unmatched opportunity” for growth.
To align its commitment to promote Argentina’s growth and to connect with international investors, Gaucho Holdings recently hosted an exclusive wine tasting event in partnership with the Argentine Consulate in New York City. The event featured the latest releases of Malbec varietals from Algodon Fine Wines and was a platform for discussions about Argentina’s economic potential and the avenues for growth that international investment can support.
Featured photo of Algodon Wine Estates in San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina, courtesy of Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc.
Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders.
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