Approval has been given to the start of operations of Casa de Bolsa de los Trabajadores, a subsidiary of Grupo Financiero de los Trabajadores.
The stock broker will focus on both corporate and individual clients , and in a first stage, "... in electronic repo transactions, but will also venture into the sale of treasury bonds on the secondary market."
The National Stock Exchange will implement a system of mass placement of securities in order to encourage the registration of emissions from private companies and the arrival of more investors.
The strategy will focus on standardizing the securities that are issued in the primary market so that they can then be traded in the secondary market and in this way give them greater marketability and encourage the participation of more investors.
The reduction in interest rates generated by increased liquidity in the market lowers the cost of financing for the private sector.
Representatives from the banking sector in Guatemala assert that the reduction in interest rates generated by the increased liquidity in the market, lowers the cost of financing for the private sector.
"La National Stock Exchange (BVN) indicates that during the last negotiations for Treasury bonds the yield curve reflects a change, mainly because of financial liquidity in the domestic market as well as an exemption from income tax on the interests of those certificates. "
In 2013 $334 million were traded in the primary market in bond debt securities issued by Guatemalan companies.
Figures from the National Stock Exchange (BVN) reveal that during 2013 $334 million worth of bonds were traded. Of that total, 25% were in dollar bonds, the rest were denominated in quetzals.
"... the volume of trade covering activities by industry, banking, agriculture, trade and finance, is growing," said Rolando San Román, CEO of the BVN.
Holders of government bonds will no longer pay 10% tax on the returns generated.
This was established after the reform of the Budget Code of Guatemala, which regulates share certificates of the Republic.
"The tax was an obstacle to developing the secondary market because banks, which are major holders of these securities, could not sell to individuals, because rather than making money they could lose them some," said Rolando San Román , general manager of the National Stock Exchange (BVN).
The total amount of stock transactions increased by 33.6% in 2012 compared to the previous year.
Elperiodico.com.gt reports that "According to Paulo de León, consultant at the Central American Business Intelligence (CABI), the volume of transactions is reaching a significant amount, and is evidence of a recovery after several very difficult years. '
During 2011 operations on the National Stock Exchange (BNV In Spanish) grew by 65% compared to the previous year, with participation from all sectors: government debt, corporate bonds and repos.
The general manager of the BVN, Rolando San Román, said trading volumes denote a significant increase in all markets, from corporate to government debt or repurchase and resale agreements (repos).
The National Stock Exchange was designated to issue ISIN codes (Securities Identification Number) and CFI (Classification of Financial Instruments).
Notes and shares issued by local companies will now be visible for global investors after the country obtained an international identification code for securities.
So far, Guatemala had not been authorized to designate such codes, so Standard & Poors assigned the codes for securities in the country.
A new regulation will allow Guatemalans to buy international securities directly.
The Guatemalan Registry of Securities and Goods published regulations for the International Quotes System (SIC) which is part of the amendments to the Securities Act (Ley de Valores).
The Manager of the National Stock Exchange told the Prensa Libre that "the regulations will allow Guatemalans to buy shares in developed markets," and that for the International Quote System to start operating, “systems, contract, agreement and regulation infrastructures will have to be developed; and it will be operational in several weeks."