MEX BOLSA Index (IS)

The MEX BOLSA Index (ticker - IS) is Mexico's biggest stock index. It includes 35 companies listed on the Mexican stock exchange and its composition is updated semi-annually. The components of the index are all weighted by market capitalization.

The Mex Bolsa came into being on 30 October 1978 and, as of 2009, it has included shares traded on the Mexican stock exchange.

It is composed of stocks from a wide variety of sectors, including telecoms, heavy industry, services, consumer goods, construction, healthcare, and finance. As such, it is essentially a Broad Market Index — Mexico's answer to the S&P500, if you will.

Investment opportunities

Mexico is heavily dependent on both the price of oil and its neighbor to the North, which accounts for 80% of its entire export market. The Mexican stock market and, by extension, the MEX BOLSA are extremely reactive to these two influences.

Just like the majority of indices, the MEX BOLSA also experiences protracted trends. That said, it exhibits frequent periods of high volatility, too. Back in 2009, for instance, it grew 80% in the space of 11 months. During periods of growth, it typically rises by 3% per month.