Colombia: Staggering but Solid

In less than a year, Colombia went from having the most encouraging large economy in Latin America to reeling from a triple threat of low oil prices, plummeting currency, and a beleaguered stock market. But while current news is mostly bleak, Matthew Winkler of Bloomberg writes that there is still plenty of reason to love the Andean nation. Its bond market is strong, and financial companies have had “the fastest-growing interest income, loan, and mortgage growth during the last four quarters” in the region while boasting the lowest debt-to-assets ratio. And despite a rough year, Winkler writes that the stock market overall looks promising. “Colombian companies are expected by analysts to have the greatest return during the next 12 months.” (Photo: Alejandro Cortés)