Key Facts
- The COLCAP fell 0.95% to 2,585, Colombia’s benchmark share index closing lower on Friday, September 25.
- The peso firmed about 1.1% to 3,312 per US dollar, from 3,349.30 per US dollar on Thursday, after touching 3,377 per US dollar during the session.
- Financial stocks were among the losers, with Grupo Cibest’s preferred shares down 2.03% and its ordinary shares down 1.23%.
- The S&P 500 rose 0.51% to 7,743, showing that the fall in Colombian shares was local rather than part of a global risk-off session.
- The dollar index slipped 0.25% to 101.035, and Brent crude fell 2.1% to about US$104.37 a barrel, a mixed backdrop for Colombian assets.
Today’s Focus
Colombia’s equity market had a soft final session of the week, with the COLCAP stock benchmark closing at 2,585, a fall of 0.95%. The peso went the other way, firming about 1.1% to 3,312 per US dollar.
This was not a global sell-off. The S&P 500 gained 0.51% and the US dollar index eased, which means the pressure on shares was chiefly Colombian.
The domestic triggers are the ones local readers already know: renewed worry about public borrowing costs and uncertainty over the fiscal adjustment. Local government bond (TES) yields rose across the curve, and a 2.1% drop in Brent weighed on the oil-linked economy.
For foreign investors, the takeaway is simple: the currency recovered on the day, while equities are still looking for a reason to catch a bid.
What matters today. Colombian shares are pricing fiscal anxiety, not a broad emerging-market retreat.
01 The session in one read
Colombia’s market ended Friday on the back foot. The COLCAP, the benchmark that tracks the most actively traded shares on the Bogotá exchange, closed at 2,585, down 0.95%.
The peso did better in foreign-exchange trading. The dollar closed at 3,312 pesos per US dollar in the local market, down from 3,349.30 per US dollar, a gain of about 1.1% for the peso.
The session was volatile. The rate ranged between about 3,278 and 3,377 per US dollar before the peso settled near the stronger end of the day.
What makes the session notable is that this was not a day of broad global stress. The S&P 500 added 0.51% and the dollar index slipped, so the selling in shares came from home.
The evidence points to a local move in equities. The COLCAP fell 0.95% while Wall Street advanced, and the peso firmed about 1.1% as the US dollar index slipped 0.25%.
The next variable to watch is whether Bogotá can deliver a concrete fiscal signal. That is what would lower the risk premium that has lifted government borrowing costs.
02 The day’s numbers
| Measure | Level | Change | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| COLCAP | 2,585 | −0.95% | Colombia’s main stock index closed lower |
| USD/COP | 3,312 per US dollar | −1.11% | Peso firmed against the dollar |
| Brent crude | US$104.37 | −2.1% | Weaker oil weighed on the energy-linked economy |
The currency move ran against the equity move. A firmer peso on a day when shares fell shows that the pressure sat in the stock market, not in the currency.
The S&P 500’s advance shows the divergence clearly. Colombian shares were moving to their own rhythm, not to a global beat. Rio Times · Live Market Intelligence
Live Market IntelligenceColombia — Live Market Board
Colombia — Live Market Board
Instrument Last Change YoY Prev. High Low Volume
COLCAP
2,528.01
-1.88%
—
—
—
—
—
USD/COP
3,297
+5.67%
-12.13%
3,120
3,297
3,296
—
BRENT
92.10
-0.51%
+43.77%
92.57
92.30
91.73
656
WTI
86.40
-0.52%
+43.69%
86.85
86.66
86.12
4,077
ECOPETROL
15.26
-2.24%
+50.05%
15.61
15.44
15.01
1,511,409
BANCOLOMBIA
91.15
-3.96%
+42.80%
94.91
92.37
85.88
911,922
GRUPO AVAL
4.45
+2.53%
+1.60%
4.34
4.47
4.30
110,621
TECNOGLASS
45.45
-3.48%
-1.81%
47.09
46.78
45.04
364,422
CREDICORP
367.80
+3.34%
+42.47%
355.90
373.48
336.20
792,613
BUENAVENTURA
27.08
-6.30%
+15.83%
28.90
28.45
26.95
929,886
SOUTHERN COPPER
170.36
-3.22%
+29.00%
176.02
174.01
168.50
930,785
03 Why it moved — fiscal jitters and oil’s drag
Local coverage focuses heavily on the cost of government borrowing. Colombian media reported that the country is paying more to finance itself while the market waits for concrete signs of fiscal adjustment.
That matters for equities because higher sovereign borrowing costs ripple through the cost of capital for banks, utilities and industrial names alike. TES yields rose by between 3 and 13 basis points on Friday, according to Acciones y Valores.
The energy complex added another layer of pressure. Oil is the macro anchor for Colombia’s external accounts, and Brent fell 2.1% on the day.
There is also political and corporate news. President Abelardo de la Espriella said at the swearing-in of new Ecopetrol chief Joaquín Gutiérrez that new exploration contracts, including fracking, would return.
04 The day’s movers
| Driver | Level / Move | Change | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grupo Cibest (preferred) | −2.03% | −2.03% | Financial name under pressure |
| Grupo Cibest (ordinary) | −1.23% | −1.23% | Bank shares lagged the market |
| Ecopetrol ADR (New York) | US$16.58 | +1.28% | Rose in US trading despite weaker oil |
| S&P 500 | 7,743 | +0.51% | US backdrop was actually positive |
| USD/COP | 3,312 per US dollar | −1.11% | Peso recovered on the day |
Grupo Cibest, Colombia’s largest banking group, stood out among the losers. Its preferred shares fell 2.03% and its ordinary shares 1.23%, in line with a weak day for financial stocks.
Ecopetrol’s US-listed shares rose 1.28% to US$16.58 in New York. The oil major remains sensitive both to crude and to the national policy debate around its strategy.
05 The regional scoreboard
| Index | Country | Change |
|---|---|---|
| COLCAP | Colombia | −0.95% |
| Merval | Argentina | −1.57% |
| IPC | Mexico | +1.13% |
| IPSA | Chile | −0.39% |
| Ibovespa | Brazil | −0.27% |
Latin America traded without a single shared direction. Colombia’s 0.95% drop was the second-largest fall among the region’s major boards after Argentina’s 1.57% decline.
Mexico bucked the trend with a gain of 1.13%. A live market board above carries the full closing detail for these and other global indices.
06 The technical picture
The peso’s recovery took the dollar rate back to 3,312 per US dollar. That sits in the stronger part of a 52-week closing range of about 3,044 to 3,925 per US dollar.
The COLCAP closed at 2,585, extending the week’s soft tone for Colombian shares.
For chart-watchers, the vital question is whether the peso can hold near current levels after Friday’s swing. The next home-market catalyst will be any concrete fiscal announcement strong enough to alter the borrowing-cost narrative.
07 What to watch
- Fiscal signals: Any concrete adjustment measure could lower the risk premium that is weighing on Colombian assets.
- Oil prices: Crude remains the external anchor for Colombia’s currency and for Ecopetrol’s share price.
- Government borrowing costs: Local media say Colombia is paying more to finance itself, a pressure point for banks and equities.
- Peso stability: Traders are watching whether the 3,312 per US dollar level holds after an intraday swing between about 3,278 and 3,377 per US dollar.
Background: Colombia’s COLCAP Jumps 1.03% as the Peso Slides to 3,166.69 per Dollar.
More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the COLCAP?
It is Colombia’s main stock index, tracking the most actively traded shares on the Bogotá exchange.
How did the peso close on September 25?
At 3,312 pesos per US dollar, a gain of about 1.1% for the peso.
Why did Colombian shares fall?
Investors focused on fiscal uncertainty, higher government bond yields and a 2.1% drop in Brent crude. The peso, by contrast, firmed.
Was this part of a global sell-off?
No. The S&P 500 rose 0.51% and the US dollar index slipped, so the pressure was largely domestic.
Market data: RT live market data; exchange figures from BVC
In depth
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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