Financial Services

The insurance sector has experienced significant growth in recent years as a rise in disposable income, an expansion of the formal economy, falling unemployment and gradual advancement on major infrastructure projects have helped expand demand across the spectrum of general and life insurance products. The number of insured has doubled between 2008 and 2011 and, at an average growth rate of 9.6%...

Colombia’s increasingly deep, diverse and sophisticated capital markets suggest a coming of age for the sector, which in 2012 saw total annual traded volume reach $36bn and a record total market capitalisation of $270bn. Well-established sovereign fixed-income and foreign exchange markets have been complemented in recent years by a developing derivatives market, increased domestic corporate debt...

Characterised by strong supervision and relatively conservative lending policies, Colombia’s banking sector is among the most stable and profitable in the region, with a return on assets of 1.97% across all credit entities and a return on equity of 13.56% in 2012. Although the sector is dominated by large domestic conglomerates, conditions are ripe for investors. Consumer, microcredit and...