Shares in Peru Chile, Colombia Have all gained over 30 % this year

Size matters, so middle Latin America teams up

You could forgive Latin America’s hottest three stock markets for being complacent. Shares in Chile, Colombia and Peru have all gained over 30 per cent this year – beating their Brazilian counterparts seven times over. But exchange chiefs know scale is crucial if their indices are to keep flying – and so the three countries are integrating their markets as of next month.

Brokers are understandably excited: within Latin America, the exchanges’ combined market capitalisation is second only to Brazil’s. And the move shows how it’s sometimes easier for the middle-sized guys to team up than to rely on a regional giant.

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