The latest monthly survey of leading banks and financial firms by Colombia’s Banco de la Republica (the national bank) finds that the Colombian peso is likely to trade in a range of COP$2,800 to COP$3,200 per US$1 during 2018, with a foreseen average of COP$2,995/US$1 by year-end.

The monthly survey (see: http://www.banrep.gov.co/es/informe-estadisticas-monetarias-y-cambiarias) of 40 leading private banks, stock analysts, pension funds and international organizations also sees the COP/US dollar trading in roughly the same ranges through 2019 and 2020.

Severe cold weather in the northern hemisphere in recent weeks has boosted global energy demand, with the result that rising oil prices -- traded in US dollars -- habitually weaken relative values of the US dollar against other currencies, including the Colombian peso.

As a result, the Colombian peso has been trading below COP$2,900/US$1 in the last couple of weeks, down from more than COP$3,000/US$1 during several days in Decemeber 2017.

The same survey also found that full-year 2018 inflation is likely to come-in at around 3.47%, with full-year 2019 inflation seen at around 3.33%.

Gross domestic product (“PIB” in Spanish initials) is seen growing by 2.45% this year, according to the average forecast of the surveyed analysts.