Colombia’s benchmark COLCAP index declined 0.09% at the close on Tuesday, as declines in the financial, investment and public services sectors offset gains in select blue chips.
The index, which tracks the 20 most liquid stocks on the Bogotá exchange, ended lower after trading activity in heavyweight financial and utility names weighed on sentiment. Nutresa SA, a major food producer, led decliners with a 2.21% drop, shaving 6,940 points to close at 306,900. Grupo Argos SA followed with a 2.00% decline, ending down 420 points at 20,580.
Ecopetrol SA, the state-controlled oil major, slipped 0.19% to 2,645, paring earlier gains as crude benchmarks softened late in the session.
Gainers were led by Corporacion Financiera Colombiana SA, which rose 6.67% to 22,400 after reporting stronger-than-expected half-year earnings. The investment firm’s BVC-traded share added 1,400 points. Grupo de Inversiones Suramericana SA advanced 5.23%, closing up 3,140 points at 63,140, while Corporacion Financiera Colombiana’s secondary listing gained 5.49%, ending at 18,840.
The Colombian peso held steady against the dollar, with USD/COP last at 3,094.41. The U.S. Dollar Index futures fell 0.09% to 98.84, while gold futures rose 0.39% to $4,715.90 per troy ounce. Coffee and cocoa contracts for December delivery fell 1.99% and 1.70%, respectively, to $334.85 and $5,844.00.
