Market close overview
Colombian equities ended Wednesday's trading session under pressure, with sector-level declines in Financials, Investment and Public Services contributing to a slide in the benchmark. At the close, the COLCAP index was down 2.29%.
Top movers
The day's strongest performers on the COLCAP included Mineros SA (BVC:MAS), which climbed 4.00% - a gain of 720.00 points - finishing at 18,720.00. Grupo Cibest SA (BVC:CIBEST) also advanced, adding 1.79% or 1,460.00 points to close at 83,160.00. Financial name Corporacion Financiera Colombiana SA (BVC:CFV) rose 1.72%, a 340.00-point increase, to end the session at 20,100.00.
On the downside, Grupo Nutresa SA (BVC:NCH) led declines, slipping 3.61% or 11,000.00 points to finish at 293,500.00. Bolsa De Valores De Colombia (BVC:BVC) dropped 2.96% - down 500.00 points - to close at 16,400.00, while Grupo Argos SA (BVC:ARG) fell 2.72% or 500.00 points to 17,860.00.
By the close, falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Colombia Stock Exchange by 1 to 0.
Commodities and FX
In commodities trading, US coffee C for March delivery decreased 2.29% - down $7.25 - to $309.85. US cocoa for March delivery recorded a larger drop, falling 6.02% or $259.00 to $4,041.00. Precious metals saw gains: the April Gold Futures contract rose 0.85% - up $41.94 - to trade at $4,976.94 a troy ounce.
On the foreign exchange front, the Colombian peso strengthened versus some peers: USD/COP was down 0.72% at 3,630.04, while BRL/COP moved lower by 0.86% to 692.10. The US Dollar Index Futures was firmer, up 0.23% at 97.52.
Context and note
The session's declines were driven by losses in key domestic sectors named above. Select equities bucked the trend with modest gains, while commodity and currency moves reflected mixed pressures across markets.