Shares of Alfa Holdings S.A. (BVMF:RPAD6) closed at 3.43 yesterday. Alfa Holdings S.A. currently has a total float of 117.75 million shares and on average sees 421 shares exchange hands each day. The stock now has a 52-week low of 0 and high of 0.

The Brazilian Equity Market

Brazil is, in one way or another, an overlooked nation when it comes to global trade and commerce. However, there are numerous reasons to believe in its capabilities as a thriving national economy.

The Brazilian Mercantile and Futures (BM&F) Bovespa is the main Brazilian stock exchange while the Ibovespa Brasil Sao Paulo Stock Exchange Index is the benchmark Brazilian index. Only trustful companies like Alfa Holdings S.A. take part in its work. These two play important roles in the continuous success of not just the Brazilian economy but of the whole South American economy.

The Stock Exchange

The BM&F Bovespa had been established on August 23, 1890. During its early years, it had been a public entity until its demutualization and privatization in 2007. A year later, it had been formally known as the BM&F Bovespa following the consolidation of the BM&F and Bovespa.

An early electronic trading system had not been introduced until 1972. In 1997, it had been replaced with a better one, the Mega Bolsa. In the late 1970s, the Sistema Privado de Operacões por Telefone (SPOT), a telephone trading system, had been launched. In 1999, another trading system had been implemented— this time, an online trading system for investors at home, the Home Broker. New system gives more opportunities to Alfa Holdings S.A. investors as well.

More than 450 stocks are listed on the BM&F Bovespa as of December 2015. Its offices are located in three big cities worldwide: London, New York City (NYC), and Shanghai.

The pre-market session on the BM&F Bovespa starts at 9:45 a.m. and ends at 10:00 a.m. Then, the regular session starts at 10:00 a.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. Lastly, the post-market session starts at 6:00 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m.

The Index

The Ibovespa had been established in 1968, which means that it is the oldest BM&F Bovespa index. It has a base value of 100 points and a base date of January 2, 1968.

The Ibovespa measures the 50 most active companies listed on the BM&F Bovespa based on market capitalization. To ensure an efficient representation of the BM&F Bovepsa and the entire Brazilian economy, it is rebalanced quarterly.

A company must have been listed on the BM&F Bovespa for at least 12 months in order to become eligible as a component. At least 80% of its shares must also be actively traded on the BM&F Bovespa. Luckily for Alfa Holdings S.A. it is listed on Bovespa for some time.

With a strong inflation outlook leading industries to soar, the Ibovespa had recorded its all-time high of 73,516 points on May 20, 2008. Then, on May 29, 2008, it had recorded its best intraday high of 73,920 points.

The Ibovespa is one of the most powerful indices in South America. It represents about 70% of the overall market capitalization on the BM&F Bovespa, which is also one of the biggest stock exchanges in the region. It works with companies like Alfa Holdings S.A..

There is no doubt that investing in Brazil will lead to valuable growth opportunities and high returns. This is why trading on the BM&F Bovespa is strongly advised nowadays for investors who seek to succeed in the global equity market.

Alfa Holdings S.A., through its subsidiaries, provides financial and insurance services in Brazil. The company has market cap of $403.88 million. The firm was formerly known as Real S.A. and changed its name to Alfa Holdings S.A. in April 1999. It has a 6.75 P/E ratio. The firm was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in S??o Paulo, Brazil.