Spanish
The Dominican Republic has steadily strengthened its securities market, making it an increasingly relevant complement to the traditional financial system and a key engine for attracting national and international investment. This was stated by Superintendent Ernesto Bournigal during his participation in the meeting "Frontier Markets: Unlocking Investment Opportunities in the Dominican Republic", organized by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (AMCHAMDR), in collaboration with Primma Advisors.
Bournigal pointed out that the development of the capital market is not solely based on the existence of financial instruments, but is built on macroeconomic stability, clear regulatory frameworks, and an institutional framework that offers certainty to investors. He assured that, under these principles, the Dominican Republic has evolved consistently, overcoming its initial phase and advancing towards institutional consolidation.
Before leaders of the international financial system, institutional investors, and key players in the national and global capital market, the superintendent highlighted that the Dominican market has reached an unprecedented level of development, citing figures that reveal its growing relevance within the financial system.
"In 2025, our market mobilized more than 195 billion dollars, equivalent to one and a half times the size of our economy. Custody reached nearly 49 billion dollars, approximately 75% of the assets of the banking system. More than 249 thousand investment accounts carried out more than 863 thousand transactions, with an average annual growth of over 23% in the last five years," he detailed.
Regarding international positioning, Bournigal indicated that the Dominican Republic stands out with a spread of 1.69 against the United States Treasury, below the regional average. He added that the main rating agencies have consistently recognized the resilience of the Dominican economy, its growth capacity, and institutional strength.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the strategic goal is clear: to achieve investment grade. "Not as an isolated symbol, but as a natural consequence of macroeconomic discipline, institutional strength, and the maturity of our financial market. Investment grade would expand the universe of institutional investors, sustainably reduce the cost of financing for the State and companies, and generate greater liquidity, depth, and financial stability," he stated.
Frontier Markets allowed participants to analyze how global capital is being redistributed and the growing interest in economies with robust fundamentals. In this context, topics such as the evaluation of the global financial landscape, the perception of Dominican risk, and the performance of sovereign bonds in international markets were addressed, as well as opportunities in corporate credit, both through the appetite for bond issuances, and through private equity solutions and other innovative financial structures.
The program brought together global banks and top-tier portfolio managers, such as Citi, Bank of America, JP Morgan, Banco Santander, Blackstone, among other leading financial institutions, who shared their vision on the role of frontier markets in the current economic environment and the criteria that institutional investors evaluate when considering opportunities in the region.
