Banco De Chile (BCH) Stock Price & How to Invest
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
BCH is the NYSE-listed ADR of Banco de Chile, one of the country's largest and most profitable full-service banks, controlled by a Quiñenco and Citigroup joint venture. It is generally viewed as a high-return-on-equity, high-dividend-yield way to hold Chilean banking exposure, with the tradeoff being sensitivity to Chilean inflation, interest rates, and the peso.
BCH stock price
As of 2026-07-24, Banco De Chile (BCH) last closed at $40.72, up 47.3% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $27.32 and $46.36.
Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or Banco De Chile's investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
What does Banco De Chile (BCH) do?
Banco de Chile (NYSE: BCH) is one of Chile's largest banks, founded in 1893 and operating roughly 400 branches with about 14,000 employees. It is a full-service commercial bank spanning large corporations, small and medium enterprises, consumer finance, personal banking, international banking, and capital markets, and it has historically ranked at or near the top of the Chilean industry by net income, with a net-income market share around 26% in recent years. The bank is controlled by LQ Inversiones Financieras, a joint venture between Chile's Quiñenco holding group and Citigroup, which gives it a stable, concentrated ownership structure.
The investment picture centers on quality and income rather than fast growth. Banco de Chile has posted a return on equity in the low-20s percent (about 22% for 2025) and pays a large dividend, with a forward yield near 5.6% and trailing yield reported as high as roughly 6%. The ADR carries a market capitalization of roughly $19.5 billion (July 2026) and trades around 15 to 16 times trailing earnings and a premium to tangible book value. Recent quarters have softened: first-quarter 2026 net income fell about 18% year on year as a lower-inflation environment compressed margins and credit loss provisions rose, a reminder that BCH's results are tightly linked to Chilean inflation, rates, and the peso.
What's driving Banco De Chile (BCH)?
1. High return on equity and profitability
Banco de Chile has delivered ROE in the low-20s percent, among the strongest in the region, supported by a large low-cost deposit base and scale across corporate, SME, and retail segments. This structural profitability is a core part of why the ADR trades at a premium to book value. Sustaining it depends on funding costs and credit quality staying favorable.
2. Dividend income
The bank has a track record of large annual distributions, producing a forward dividend yield in the mid-5s percent and trailing figures reported near 6%. For income-oriented holders this is a central attraction. Payout size can vary year to year with Chilean earnings and regulatory capital requirements.
3. Market leadership and stable ownership
As one of Chile's top banks by net income and loans, Banco de Chile benefits from brand strength, a wide branch and digital footprint, and control by the Quiñenco and Citigroup joint venture. That leadership gives it pricing power and access to prime corporate relationships. It competes head to head with Santander Chile, BCI, Scotiabank, and Itaú.
4. Chilean macro and inflation linkage
A meaningful share of the bank's margin comes from inflation-indexed (UF) assets, so periods of higher Chilean inflation have historically boosted net interest income. As inflation eased into 2026, margins compressed and profit fell. The direction of Chilean inflation and the central bank policy rate is a key swing factor for near-term results.
What are the risks to Banco De Chile (BCH)?
BCH is a single-country emerging-market bank, so results are exposed to the Chilean economy, interest-rate cycle, and inflation, all of which move net interest margins and loan demand. First-quarter 2026 showed net income down about 18% year on year with credit loss expenses up roughly 27%, illustrating provisioning and margin sensitivity. As an ADR, returns to US holders are exposed to the Chilean peso versus the dollar, which can swing sharply. Chile also carries political and regulatory risk, including periodic debate over pension, tax, and banking rules. Finally, the ADR has recently traded at a premium to sector and historical valuation averages, leaving less cushion if earnings disappoint.
How is Banco De Chile (BCH) valued? (approximate, July 2026)
A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Banco De Chile's investor relations page or your broker.
- Market cap: ~$19.5B
- Revenue (TTM): ~$3.1B
- Net income (TTM): ~$1.2B
- P/E (TTM): ~15.6x
- Dividend yield (forward): ~5.6%
- Return on equity (2025): ~22%
BCH trades at roughly 15 to 16 times trailing earnings and about 3 times tangible book value, a premium that reflects its high ROE and market leadership. The mid-5s percent forward dividend yield is a large part of the total-return case. Recent quarters have been softer, with first-quarter 2026 net income down about 18% year on year on lower inflation-linked margin and higher provisions.
Who competes with Banco De Chile (BCH)?
Large Chilean banks
Banco Santander Chile (BSAC), the largest Chilean bank by loans and deposits, plus BCI, Scotiabank Chile, and Itaú Chile are the direct competitors across retail and wholesale banking, all fighting for the same corporate, SME, and consumer relationships.
State and specialty lenders
BancoEstado, the government-owned bank, is a major competitor in mass-market retail and lower-income lending, while smaller players like BICE and Consorcio compete in specific segments such as UF-indexed deposits and private banking.
Other Latin American bank ADRs
For US investors seeking regional bank exposure, BCH is often compared with other Latin American bank ADRs such as Banco Santander Chile, Itaú Unibanco, Banco Bradesco, and Grupo Financiero Galicia, which offer different country and currency mixes.
How to invest in Banco De Chile (BCH)
There are three common ways to get BCH exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it, which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic basket, so BCH sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.
Walnut takes the basket route. Describe a thesis where BCH fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.
New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.
The bottom line on Banco De Chile (BCH)
BCH offers exposure to a dominant, well-capitalized Chilean bank with a strong dividend and high ROE, packaged with the macro and currency risk of a single emerging-market country.
More on Banco De Chile (BCH)
Whether BCH is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is BCH a buy?, and where the stock could go from here in the BCH stock forecast.
For income investors, whether BCH pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does BCH pay a dividend?
Build a basket around BCH with Walnut
Use Banco De Chile as one constituent in a thematic basket Walnut's AI helps you assemble. Describe a thesis you believe in, the AI proposes the holdings and weights, and you approve before any broker order.
FAQ
What is BCH?
+
BCH is the New York Stock Exchange listed American Depositary Receipt (ADR) of Banco de Chile, one of Chile's largest full-service commercial banks. Each ADR represents a set number of the bank's underlying Chilean shares.
Is BCH the same as Banco Santander Chile?
+
No. Banco de Chile (BCH) and Banco Santander Chile (BSAC) are two separate Chilean banks with different owners and separate NYSE listings. They are direct competitors, and Santander Chile is generally the larger bank by loans and deposits.
Who owns Banco de Chile?
+
Control sits with LQ Inversiones Financieras, a joint venture between Chile's Quiñenco holding group and Citigroup. This gives the bank a concentrated and relatively stable ownership structure, with the remaining shares trading publicly in Chile and via the ADR.
Does BCH pay a dividend?
+
Yes. Banco de Chile has a history of large annual dividends, producing a forward yield of roughly 5.6% and trailing figures reported near 6% as of mid-2026. The exact payout varies year to year with Chilean earnings and capital rules.
How profitable is Banco de Chile?
+
It is one of the more profitable banks in the region, with a return on equity around 22% for 2025 and a leading share of Chilean banking net income. Profitability is tied to net interest margins, which benefit from inflation-indexed assets.
Why did BCH profit fall in early 2026?
+
First-quarter 2026 net income dropped about 18% year on year, mainly because a lower-inflation environment compressed the bank's inflation-linked margins and because credit loss provisions rose roughly 27%. Both factors are common swing drivers for Chilean banks.
What are the main risks of owning BCH?
+
Key risks include Chilean macro and interest-rate cycles, inflation swings that move net interest margins, credit quality and provisioning, Chilean peso versus dollar currency movements for ADR holders, and political or regulatory changes. A premium valuation adds sensitivity to earnings misses.
How does currency affect BCH returns?
+
Because BCH is an ADR of a Chilean company, the shares and dividends are ultimately based in Chilean pesos. When the peso weakens against the US dollar, dollar-based returns and dividend values can fall even if the bank performs well in local terms, and vice versa.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with Banco De Chile's investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.