Colombian equities finished higher on Wednesday, with the COLCAP benchmark gaining 0.77% at the close. The market advance was driven in part by strength in the Industrials, Services and Agriculture sectors, which contributed to the broader uptick in share prices.
Leaders and laggards
The strongest performers on the COLCAP were Grupo Argos SA Pref (BVC:PFGRUPOARG), Ecopetrol SA (BVC:ECOPETROL) and Interconnection Electric SA ESP (BVC:ISA). Grupo Argos SA Pref rose 4.38% or 700.00 points to finish at 16,700.00. Ecopetrol added 3.76% or 100.00 points to close at 2,760.00, while Interconnection Electric SA ESP gained 3.29% or 940.00 points to end the session at 29,480.00.
On the downside, Etb (BVC:ETB) registered the steepest decline, falling 7.69% or 7.00 points to close at 84.00. Bolsa De Valores De Colombia (BVC:BVC) dropped 2.38% or 380.00 points to finish at 15,620.00, and Mineros SA (BVC:MINEROS) was down 2.00% or 380.00 points to 18,600.00.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Colombia Stock Exchange by 0 to 0.
Commodities and currencies
Commodities trading showed mixed moves during the session. US coffee C for December delivery declined 3.91% or 12.10 to $297.35. US cocoa for December delivery fell 4.28% or 281.00 to $6,290.00. By contrast, the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.86% or 37.90, settling at $4,434.30 a troy ounce.
Currency pairs involving the Colombian peso moved slightly. USD/COP was down 0.03% at 3,162.75, while BRL/COP fell 0.03% to 621.28. The US Dollar Index Futures eased 0.11% to 99.53.
Market takeaways
The session was characterized by selective strength among several large-cap Colombian names that supported the index gain, while other notable issuers experienced notable declines. Commodity price fluctuations and modest currency moves accompanied the equity activity.