Brazil's BM&FBovespa stock exchange said on Friday it and the Colombian Stock Exchange, BVC, would look into the idea of linking their securities trading platforms to develop the region's capital markets. It said the exchanges signed a memorandum of understanding to pursue the idea but that the details of any interconnection and the start date had yet to be discussed.
Brazil's stock exchange has roughly $1.5 trillion in market capitalisation while Colombia has around $225 billion. Brazil's stock market has been a magnet for investor cash in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis as the country's economy maintains a fast pace of growth compared to most developed nations, providing higher investment returns. Latin America will absorb a record $90 billion from abroad this year in its stock and bond markets, up from $82 billion in 2009, according to estimates by the World Bank.