B3 (stock exchange)


The B3 - Brasil Bolsa Balcão S.A., formerly BM&FBOVESPA, is a stock exchange located in São Paulo, Brazil, and the second oldest of the country. At the end of 2011 it had a market capitalization of R$2.37 trillion, making it the 13th largest stock exchange in the world. However, owing to the slump in economic growth in Brazil associated with political problems, in addition to the strengthening of the United States dollar against the Brazilian real, the capitalization shrank to R$2.21 trillion by the end of 2015. On May 8, 2008, the São Paulo Stock Exchange and the Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange merged, creating BM&FBOVESPA. Then at March 30, 2017, BM&FBOVESPA merged with CETIP, creating B3.
The benchmark indicator of B3 is the Índice Bovespa, more commonly known as Ibovespa. There were 381 companies traded at Bovespa as of April 30, 2008.
On January 23, 2020, the Ibovespa index reached its record market closing above 119,527 points.
B3 also has offices in Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, and London.

History

Founded on August 23, 1890 by Emilio Rangel Pestana, the "Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo" has had a long history of services provided to the stock market and the Brazilian economy. Until the mid-1960s, Bovespa and the other Brazilian stock markets were state-owned companies, tied with the Secretary of Finances of the states they belonged to, and brokers were appointed by the government.
After the reforms of the national financial system and the stock market implemented in 1965/1966, Brazilian stock markets assumed a more institutional role. In 2007, the Exchange demutualized and became a for-profit company.
Through self-regulation, Bovespa operates under the supervision of the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários, analogous to the American SEC. Since the 1960s, it has constantly evolved with the help of technology such as the introduction of computer-based systems, mobile phones and the internet. In 1972, Bovespa was the first Brazilian stock market to implement an automated system for the dissemination of information online and in real-time, through an ample network of computer terminals.
At the end of the 1970s, Bovespa also introduced a telephone trading system in Brazil; the "Sistema Privado de Operações por Telefone" or "SPOT". At the same time, Bovespa developed a system of fungible safekeeping and online services for brokerage firms.
In 1990, the negotiations through the Sistema de Negociação Electrônica - CATS was simultaneously operated with the traditional system of "Pregão Viva Voz". Currently, BM&FBOVESPA is a fully electronic exchange.
In 1997, a new system of , known as the Mega Bolsa, was implemented successfully. The Mega Bolsa extends the potential volume of processing of information and allows the Exchange to increase its overall volume of activities.
With the goal to increase popular access to the stock markets, Bovespa introduced in 1999 the "Home Broker", an internet-based trading systems that allows individual investors to trade stocks. The system enables users to execute buy and sell orders online.
In 2000, Bovespa created three new listing segments, the Novo Mercado, Level 2 and Level 1 of Corporate Governance Standards, allowing companies to accede voluntarily to more demanding disclosure, governance and compliance obligations. The new listing segments mostly languished until 2004, when a growing number of newly public companies began to list on the Novo Mercado and other segments as part of a capital-raising effort. From 2004 to 2010, the vast majority of new listings on the Bovespa were made by Novo Mercado, Level 2 and Level 1 companies. The Novo Mercado, Level 2 and Level 1 segments are based on a contractual agreement of the listed company, its controlling shareholder, and its management to comply with specified regulations. In addition, listed companies must submit to arbitration as a method of resolving disputes. The set of protections entailed by a Novo Mercado listing is apparently deemed by market participants to increase the attractiveness of companies. The stock market index of Novo Mercado listed companies has consistently outperformed the broader Ibovespa index since its launch.
The recent success of the Brazilian equity capital markets is attributed to a significant extent to the credibility engendered by the Novo Mercado regulations. In 2007, only the United States and China equity markets had a greater number of initial public offerings. The availability of a "market exit" has also encouraged the development of a private equity industry, a growing Brazilian investment banking market and a thriving asset management industry. Another side benefit of a thriving equity market has been access to equity financing for the international expansion of Brazilian business. Brazilian multinational companies have used the proceeds of equity offerings to fund a growing number of international acquisitions. Vale, Embraer, Gerdau, Brazil Foods, Marfrig Alimentos and JBS have acquired businesses outside Brazil using the proceeds from equity offerings. Attractive valuations of Brazilian subsidiaries have led international companies to list their Brazilian subsidiaries, as was the case of Banco Santander Brasil.
On May 8, 2008, Bovespa Holding announced the merger of the São Paulo Stock Exchange and the Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange, creating the world's second largest stock exchange.
As a result of an early 2008 stock swap, Chicago's CME Group owns a 5% stake in BM&FBovespa, and in turn, BM&FBovespa owns a 5% stake in CME Group. The agreement has also created an order routing trading system between both exchanges.
On June 18, 2012, BM&FBovespa became a founding member of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative on the eve of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
On June 16, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil has approved the change to the corporate name of BM&FBOVESPA S.A. – Bolsa de Valores, Mercadorias e Futuros to B3 S.A. – Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão, which must be used in all formal communications and references to the Company.
The merger of Cetip S.A. – Mercados Organizados into B3 S.A. – Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão was approved both at the Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting held on June 14, 2017 and by CVM, and that the action shall occur on July 3, 2017.

Hours

The exchange has a pre-market session from 09:45am to 10:00am, a normal trading session from 10:00am to 5:30pm and a post-market session from 6:00pm to 7:30pm weekdays and holidays declared by the Exchange in advance.

Tickers and trade names

In the cash market, tickers are composed by four letters, a number, and a suffix in some cases. The letters stand for the listed company and the number disclosed the equity type, as follows:
NumberClassTrade name indication
1subscription right to common shareDO
2subscription right to preferred shareDP
3common shareON
4preferred sharePN
5preferred share class APNA
6preferred share class BPNB
7preferred share class CPNC
8preferred share class DPND
9subscription receipt to common shareON REC
10subscription receipt to preferred sharePN REC

11 and onward, codes may represent many situations, most commonly units, exchange-traded funds, real estate investment funds and Brazilian Depositary Receipts. Nevertheless, they may state other conditions, as debenture subscription rights, special situations, and so on.
It is important to note that "classified" preferred stocks do not have an implicit meaning, i.e., each issuer may attribute different rights and restrictions for a given class. This means it is mandatory to learn individually their characteristics as they are not directly comparable among companies.
The suffix B after the ticker means the equity is traded at the over the counter market.
Here are some examples:
Ex rights conditions are indicated in the equity trade name as a suffix composed by the letter E and a letter or a combination of letters depending on the corporate actions involved:
LetterSignification
DDividend
JInterest on own capital
SSubscription
RIncome, for instance inflation adjustment for a dividend, yields from funds or a capital refund
BBonus stocks or stock split
GReverse split
CCompany split

Trade names may carry another symbols depending on their corporate governance. BM&FBOVESPA has four distinctive listing segments for companies that agree to undertake voluntary corporate rules on each segment:
SymbolSignification
MABOVESPA Mais. Over-the-counter market for companies who desire to gradually access the stock market
N1Level 1 of Corporate Governance
N2Level 2 of Corporate Governance. It appends more obligations to the companies, to those required for Level 1
NMNovo Mercado. It is the topmost level of distinctive corporate governance practices

Equities' trade names are composed by the issuer's name, brand name or abbreviation, equity type, corporate governance level when pertinent and ex rights indication when appropriate.
Here are some examples :
TickerCompany nameClassGovernanceEx statusDescription
BBAS3BRASILONNMEJBanco do Brasil common stock, New market listed, ex interest
FTRX4FAB C RENAUXPNFábrica de Tecidos Carlos Renaux preferred stock
JBDU10J B DUARTEPN RECIndústrias J.B. Duarte preferred stocks subscription receipts
BEEF3MINERVAONNMMinerva S.A. common stocks, new market listed
LATM11LATAM AIRLNDR3LATAM Airlines BDR class 3
BISA1BROOKFIELDDO 3,06NMBrookfield Incorporações S.A. common stocks subscription rights to be exercised for BRL 3.06. New market listed company
TRPL4TRAN PAULISTPNN1EDJCTEEP - Compahia de Transmissão de Energia Elétrica Paulista, preferred share, Level 1 listed, ex dividends and interest

Indices

BOVESPA calculates and discloses several indices:

Broad indices