BOVESPA and BM&F

Is Brazil`s stock exchange and the heart of one of the world`s fastest growing economies. The original trading floor is open for visitors during business hours, where you can see the eletronic boards, a small display and a short film about its history.

As with most of the world`s major exchanges, all trading is now eletronic. When the original BOVESPA (Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo) opened in 1891, trading was done on big stone blackboards, a quaint historical footnote to consider in the age of trades executed in milliseconds. For the real action, one of the few live trading floors left in the world is just down the street at the BM&F (Bolsa de Mercados e Futuros).

Though not one of São Paulo`s most visited attractions, the viewing gallery has detailed descriptions in English of everything related to the scrum of brokers down in the pit, including the detailed hand signals they use to stop trading from descending into chaos. It`s fascinating sight to behold, as scruffy brokers throw paper at each other and perform calisthenics to get noticed. Take your passport and don`t be fooled into thinking this is small-time capitalism by the old-school approach on the floor. When BOVESPA and BM&F merged in 2008, they created the third-largest exchange in the world.