Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange: “Now's The Ideal Time To Invest”

• The Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE) chief executive officer, Eva Mitchell, shared that stock market performance declined in 2024 due to investors shifting from equities to other assets such as bonds.
• Mitchell noted that despite the 12% decrease reported last year, now is an excellent time for investors to explore opportunities in the equity market. She believes the market is at a turning point and encourages both institutional and retail investors to see this as a chance to invest at better prices.
• 'The 2024 stock market performance, as measured by our market indices, has been a year of decline for us. So, the stock market did fall in 2024; as a matter of fact, our major index fell by about 12% year on year, and there were some major headwinds that would have led to that decline. I would say generally, part of the problem is a systemic problem,' said Mitchell at the TTSE head office, Nicholas Tower, Port of Spain.
• To address these issues, Mitchell said the TTSE is working to bring more initial public offerings (IPOs) to the market and is collaborating with the relevant authorities to resolve some of these systemic challenges. She believes that with the right measures and policies in place, these problems can be gradually addressed.
• Mitchell further explained that the decline in stock prices, along with higher short-term interest rates on bonds over the past year, led large investors to favour bonds and fixed markets due to their greater stability and attractiveness.
• Still, Mitchell noted that while the country “did not have a consistent number of IPOs coming into our markets, with only two IPO coming to market last year, this presents an opportunity for investors because, in the face of a declining market or lower prices, it is a perfect opportunity to actually buy.”
• Mitchell also shared that the TTSE has been leading educational initiatives, including those through digital platforms. She added that in addition to more IPOs, the TTSE is working on introducing a US index-based product to local investors, priced in local (TTD) currency. Mitchell mentioned that discussions are underway with regulators and key market stakeholders.

(Source: Trinidad Express Newspaper)