FITCH UPGRADES COLOMBIA RATING TO INVESTMENT GRADE

(Reuters) - Fitch Ratings on Wednesday raised its sovereign foreign currency credit rating for Colombia by one notch to BBB-minus, citing prudent economic policies and increased resiliency to internal and external shocks.

The investment-grade rating's outlook was revised down to stable from positive following the upgrade.

"Increased macroeconomic policy credibility, a flexible exchange rate regime, strengthened external liquidity position and moderate external debt have steadily improved the economy's capacity to absorb external shocks," Erich Arispe, sovereign credit analyst at Fitch said in a statement.

Both Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service rateD Colombia investment grade earlier this year. Fitch's rating is now equal to S&P's BBB-minus and Moody's Baa3.