The listing of D&S will help Latibex to further broaden its sectorial diversification, thus providing investors with the opportunity of investing in a key sector such as retail. Also, the listing will increase to four the number of Chilean companies admitted to trading on the market, namely, Endesa Chile, Enersis, Banco de Chile and D&S.
After D&S's listing, Latibex will comprise 27 stocks from 6 Latin American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico), thus consolidating itself as the third largest market for Latin American stocks.
D&S already trades on the Santiago Stock Exchange. In 1997, after a capital increase, the company made its first ADR public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. In line with its international-market policy, D&S will be accessible for the first time to European investors through Latibex as of December 18. The company's shares will trade with the code XDYS and the trading unit will be 15 shares. Santander Central Hispano will act as the specialist intermediary and clearing-agent for the company's stock.
Nicolas Ibañez, Chief Operating Officer, Miguel Núñez, Administration and Finance Manager and Fernando Larraín, Member of the Board, will present analysts, fund managers and the media with the company's strategy on December 17 in the Conference Hall of the Madrid Stock Exchange.
D&S is Chile's largest retail operator in terms of sales, with over a century's experience in the industry. The company operates 62 stores, 39 located in the metropolitan area and 23 of them in different regions of the country. Today, D&S boasts a 30% market share thanks to its strategy of five types of stores, each different and complementary, which are marketed under different brands, namely, Almac, Ekono y Lider.
