Santiago Stock Exchange (SSE)

What Is the Santiago Stock Exchange (SSE)?

The Santiago Stock Exchange (SSE) is the premier stock exchange of Chile. Located in Santiago, the SSE trades more than $2 billion each day in stocks, bonds, investment funds, and derivatives, along with gold and silver Chilean coins. Its goal is to provide the nation with growth in the securities market in order to help boost the country's development. Founded in 1893, it is one of the largest stock exchanges in Latin America. The exchange is part of the World Federation of Stock Exchanges.

Learn more about the Santiago Stock Exchange and its recent history.

Understanding the Santiago Stock Exchange (SSE)

Founded in 1893, the Santiago Stock Exchange is one of two exchanges that trade in the country along with the Chilean Electronic Stock Exchange (Bolsa Electronica de Chile). A third exchange, the Valparaiso Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de Valparaiso), was shut down in 2018. The SSE's stated mission is to provide exemplary service for the growth of Chile’s securities market.

The exchange holds itself to the following pillars:

• Confidence
• Sustainability
• Commitment
• Collaboration

How the Santiago Stock Exchange Works

The SSE, also called Bolsa de Comercio de Santiago, runs between 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time. The SSE has several markets that trade in equities, money market instruments, fixed-income securities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), derivatives, and foreign securities. Some of the companies that trade on the SSE include Chilectra, Sintex, and Axxion. The exchange also has an electronic trading platform called Telepregon. Roughly $2 billion worth of trades are executed on a daily basis on the exchange.

There are three indexes published that attempt to mirror the SSE's performance. The first one is called the General Stock Price Index, or Indice General de Precios de Acciones (IGPA). This is a market capitalization-weighted index. The Selective Stock Price Index, also called Indice de Precios Selectivo de Acciones (IPSA), is made up of the SSE's 40 most heavily traded stocks. The final index is the Inter-10 Index, which consists of 10 major national stocks listed through American Depository Receipts (ADRs) on foreign markets.

History of the Santiago Stock Exchange

As noted above, the exchange was founded in 1893. Construction on the building where the exchange is located began in 1913. The Santiago Stock Exchange became a member of both the Iberoamerican Federation of Exchanges in 1973 and the World Federation of Stock Exchanges in 1991. The SSE was voted the Best Stock Exchange in Latin America by financial magazine Euromoney in 2014.

Here are a few other milestones for the exchange:

• 1977: The Selective Stock Price Index (IPSA) is created.
• 1988 to 1989: The Telepregon system launches the electronic trading of stocks and debt instruments.
• 1990: Chilean companies start trading in international markets.
• 2000: The exchange initiates the foreign market for the listing and trading of foreign securities.
• 2012: The exchange concludes the bidding process for the IPSA, IGPA, and INTER-10 indices, which creates ETFs in Chile.