Finance

Colpensiones to raffle 500 BEPS consumption vouchers on November 19
Colpensiones will hand out the remaining 500 consumption vouchers of its BEPS raffle on November 19. To qualify, savings must be credited before October 31; for housing and equipment vouchers the savings deadline closes on December 31. Each COP 120,000 saved through authorized collection networks counts as an entry, and housing requires at least COP 240,000 in own funds. 200 vouchers were already awarded on July 16 and 300 on September 17.
FinanceColombiaEl EspectadorOct 24AI
Metal traders reap extraordinary profits for a second consecutive year
Metal traders are chaining a second exceptional year, with several of the leading trading firms posting record profits. Trafigura made about US$2 billion in metals in its fiscal year ended in September, according to people familiar with the matter, and Glencore also booked some of the largest profits in its history, although its overall results were hit by a US$480 million provision tied to Radiant World. Mercuria is on track to match or exceed last year's US$300 million and IXM is heading for a record year.
FinanceInternationalBloomberg LíneaOct 24AI
Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro clash over economy and corruption in final debate before Brazil's runoff
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro faced off in the final debate before Sunday's runoff at Globo's studios in Rio de Janeiro. They discussed the economy, security and corruption in a more moderate tone than in the previous debate. Flávio criticized inflation, household debt and the 13.75% annual interest rate; Lula defended his record and compared him to Javier Milei. A Datafolha poll puts them tied at 50%.
FinanceInternationalEl TiempoOct 24AI
Banco de la República expects Teatro Amira de la Rosa works to finish in the first quarter of 2029
Banco de la República said the intervention at the Teatro Amira de la Rosa in Barranquilla will finish in the first quarter of 2029, not in 2028 as previously expected. The entity said findings of structural damage forced changes to designs and technical procedures to preserve the heritage building and ensure its stability. Foundation and structural reinforcement work is 90% complete, and the first phase of restoring the folded roof has been finished.
FinanceColombiaEl EspectadorOct 24AI
Moolec Science shareholders approve liquidation with 98.4% of votes
Shareholders of Moolec Science SA, the biotech company that sought to become an agribusiness "unicorn" and at one point exceeded a US$1 billion valuation, approved its voluntary liquidation at a virtual extraordinary meeting, with about 98.4% of votes cast, according to the Form 6-K filed with the SEC. A total of 1,408,171 ordinary shares out of 2,080,437 entitled to vote were represented (67.686%). Cassandra Ronaldson and Amiel Gottlieb, of Interpath (Cayman) Limited, were also appointed as joint voluntary liquidators.
FinanceInternationalLa NaciónOct 24AI
High chocolate prices put a scare into US Halloween candy sales
Halloween candy sales in the United States fell 6.7% in the month ended October 17 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to NielsenIQ, which also recorded an 11.7% drop in mid-September. High living costs, chocolate prices and gasoline at $4.29 a gallon explain the slowdown. Candy and gum prices rose 44% over five years, versus 22.5% for at-home food.
FinanceInternationalUnivisionOct 24AI
Energy inflation in Latin America and the Caribbean hits 8.33% as diesel matches gasoline prices for the first time
Annual energy inflation in Latin America and the Caribbean rose to 8.33% in August 2026, its highest level in 12 months, while overall annual inflation stood at 4.43%, according to OLACDE. For the first time, the average diesel price matched gasoline at US$1.41 per liter. The increase is attributed to the resumption of the conflict in the Middle East in late July, after the ceasefire between Iran and the United States broke down.
FinanceInternationalDiario del SurOct 24AI
Trump and World Liberty Financial sued over alleged "public corruption" in crypto deals with the United Arab Emirates
J. Benjamin Greenberg, a shareholder of Circle Internet Group, sued Donald Trump and cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial in a federal district court in Washington. The suit challenges transactions between the company tied to the president and entities in the United Arab Emirates, including deals linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and alleges a violation of the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause. Greenberg asks the court to rule on whether Trump's earnings breach that clause and to order the return of any profits deemed illegal.
FinanceInternationalPrensa LatinaOct 24AI
Unilever cuts operational emissions by 77% and targets 100% by 2030
Unilever said that by the end of 2025 it had cut greenhouse gas emissions from its own and leased sites —factories, offices and R&D centers— by 77% compared with 2015, under its Climate Transition Action Plan. The company keeps its goal of a 100% reduction in those emissions by 2030 and structures its strategy around three levers: transforming its operations, innovation in products and processes, and collaboration with suppliers.
FinanceInternationalValencia PlazaOct 24AI
Inbound tourism generated $5.619 billion in foreign currency in the first half of 2026
According to ANATO figures presented on October 22, 2026, inbound tourism generated $5.619 billion in foreign currency for Colombia in the first half of the year, a 4.9% increase over the same period in 2025. The guild also reported about 3.3 million non-resident visitors through July and a 20% rise in international arrivals to Nariño between January and September. ANATO submitted proposals to the Government to improve business competitiveness and international promotion.
FinanceColombiaDiario del SurOct 24AI
Corficolombiana warns El Niño could pressure food prices in Colombia toward 2027
A Corficolombiana report says a possible El Niño phenomenon with very high temperatures would pressure food prices in Colombia, with a stronger effect on meat, milk, vegetables, fruit and rice. Although no significant impact is evident yet, the phenomenon's growing intensity suggests its effects could pass through to these prices toward the end of the year. The forecast indicates inflation would moderate to 5.5% in 2027, with a slow convergence to the target.
FinanceColombiaPulzoOct 24AI
Colombia's dollar TRM falls to 3,158.43 pesos on Saturday, October 24
The Representative Market Rate stood at 3,158.43 pesos per dollar on Saturday, October 24, a drop of 26.58 pesos (0.83%) from Friday, when it was 3,185.01. The foreign exchange market is closed over the weekend, so the published rate remains in force. The TRM is a reference indicator and does not necessarily match the buy and sell prices of banks and exchange houses.
FinanceColombiaDiario del SurOct 24AI
October 28 is the last day to buy Santander and Inditex shares and collect their dividends
Inditex and Banco Santander, the two largest companies on the Ibex 35 by market capitalization, pay dividends on Monday, November 2, so investors must have bought shares by Wednesday, October 28 at the latest. Inditex will pay 0.88 euros gross per share, close to a 1.60% yield at current prices, and Santander will distribute 0.13 euros gross, a 1.1% yield. Both will trade ex-dividend from October 29.
FinanceInternationalEl EconomistaOct 24AI
Company of a Venezuelan Silicon Valley entrepreneur signs contract with Pdvsa for the Budare-Elotes block
Manuel Iribarren, a 28-year-old Venezuelan entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley, co-founded Primavera Infinita, which signed a Productive Participation Contract with Pdvsa on September 2 to develop the Budare-Elotes block, at an event at Miraflores with Delcy Rodríguez and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. According to Bloomberg, the company was incorporated in 2026 and its partners include Fred Ehrsam, co-founder of Coinbase and Paradigm, and Dheeraj Verma, former president of Quantum Energy Partners. The company aims to produce 100,000 barrels per day in the short term.
FinanceInternationalEl NacionalOct 24AI
Red Eléctrica builds eight synchronous condensers to strengthen Spain's grid after the April 2025 blackout
After the blackout that left the Iberian peninsula in the dark on April 28, 2025, Red Eléctrica is building eight synchronous condensers approved by MITECO. They are rotating machines that do not produce electricity: they spin and provide mechanical inertia to curb sharp frequency variations and supply short-circuit power during faults, giving stability to a grid with high renewable penetration. They will be installed at transmission grid substations, at a cost of about 100 million euros each, paid through electricity bill tolls.
FinanceInternationalXatakaOct 24AI
BancoEstado to raffle 100 prizes among RutPay users who pay in October
BancoEstado launched a promotion that will raffle 100 prizes among those who use RutPay to pay between October 1 and 31, 2026. Each valid payment adds one chance, with additional options for QR Passage and transfers. Winners will receive refunds on purchases at participating supermarkets during 2027, of up to $200,000 per month and up to $2,400,000 accumulated over the year, credited to their CuentaRUT. Each participant can win only one prize.
FinanceInternationalEl MostradorOct 24AI
Evercore flags four indicators that could signal a correction in the AI market
Evercore strategists led by Julian Emanuel identified four indicators that could signal a correction in the artificial intelligence bull market: investment-grade CDS spreads exceeding their March high of 68.33; high-yield spreads surpassing 411.04; a reversal of the upward trend in earnings-per-share estimate revisions; and the 10-year Treasury yield rising above 5.62%. The firm kept its 7,750 target for the S&P 500 at the end of 2026.
FinanceInternationalRevista ADVFNOct 24AI
Corficolombiana adds solar energy with batteries and Bogotá's new stadium to its portfolio
Corficolombiana, part of Grupo Aval, bet on solar generation with storage after buying 100% of Zelestra Latam in late May 2026 through Promigas, a platform with projects in Colombia, Chile and Peru. The deal multiplied Promigas's renewables presence twentyfold, to about 3,500 megawatts. In January 2026 it signed the purchase of 51% of Sencia, concessionaire of the El Campín stadium. In 2025 it allocated 1.4 trillion pesos to its four business lines and its net profit was 471,667 million.
FinanceColombiaRevista SemanaOct 24AI
A Meta agreement ties Zuckerberg to California ahead of a vote on the wealth tax
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will receive a new stock package in exchange for keeping the company's headquarters in California, under an agreement aimed at preventing him from losing control of the company if a temporary tax is approved in the November elections.
FinanceInternationalSWI swissinfo.chOct 24AI
PlanVital CEO defends Fund E's long durations and use of rate swaps
José Joaquín Prat, CEO of PlanVital, defended in an interview the investment decisions of the AFP system's Fund E, which fell 4.92% in September and is down 10.39% so far this year in real terms. Prat said the long durations and use of rate swaps aim to match the pension liability and are not a risk bet. Chile's Pensions Superintendency opened a sanctioning process against all seven AFPs in the system.
FinanceInternationalLa TerceraOct 24AI