The Mexican Stock Exchange (MEX) is one of the largest stock exchanges in Latin America and the only such exchange in Mexico. Traders, brokers, and other participants in the market arrange to buy and sell a wide variety of economic products through the electronic trading systems at the Mexican Stock Exchange. Like other stock exchanges around the world, its performance is used as an indicator of economic health.
People have been trading stocks in Mexico since 1850, when the first mining stocks were bought and sold. In 1933, a modernized version of the Mexican Stock Exchange was organized. Until 2008, the Bolsa Mexicana De Valores, as it is known in Spanish, was a privately held company controlled by brokerage firms. With an initial public offering, the exchange became a publicly owned company and a tradeable commodity.
At the Mexican Stock Exchange, people can buy and sell financial products like stocks, treasury certificates, commercial paper, and mutual fund shares. There are several indexes that the exchange uses to monitor performance of similar financial products, as well as the exchange as a whole. The rises and falls in fortune for these indexes are reported in the financial media, along with data on the volume of trading at the exchange.
Located in Mexico City, the Mexican Stock Exchange is open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. There are periodic closures for holidays. Visitors can take tours by appointment and the stock exchange also provides classes and orientation tours to traders who are new to the environment. Activities at the exchange are regulated by government agencies charged with keeping the financial industry transparent, honest, and healthy. The Mexican Stock Exchange contributes to the Mexican economy by providing a local venue for financial transactions and investment opportunities.
To be listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange, companies must meet a set of listing requirements that demonstrate their level of healthiness. People who are interested in trading on the market must apply, or can choose to work through a broker or agent who executes trades on behalf of clients who do not want to be personally involved in trading activity. Violations of the law or the standard accepted practices at the exchange can be reported to stock market officials, who are empowered to investigate accusations, report to government regulators, and suspend members who are no longer meeting the requirements for participation.