[1] Banco Nacional do Comércio was founded by the commercial companies Caetano Pinto & Franco and Azevedo Irmãos & Cia, and the merchants Edmundo Dreher, Hugo Gertum, Francisco Gonçalves and Fernando do Amaral Ribeiro.

[1] At the beginning, Banco Nacional do Comércio struggled due to the economic difficulties in the area, which made it limit its operations to mortgage loans.

[1] From 1915, the firm began to establish branches in other locations such as Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso and Paraná.

The company's main activity involved commerce and industry, but it also operated in the public sector, providing credit support to the Municipal Intendency of Rio Grande.

[1][3] Its former headquarters, located in the center of Porto Alegre, have held the offices of several banks, including Banco Meridional.