Dec 03, 2024 (MENAFN via COMTEX) --
(MENAFN - The Rio Times) The Brazilian stock market began December on a downward trajectory, driven by banking sector challenges and ongoing fiscal concerns. On Monday, the Ibovespa index fell by 0.34%, closing at 125,235.54 points.
Meanwhile, the dollar reached a new nominal record against the real, ending the session at R$ 6.065, marking a 1.13% increase and setting a new high for the fourth consecutive session since the real's inception.
Domestically, investors are reacting to proposed public spending cuts. President Luiz InaÌcio Lula da Silva met with Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, Institutional Relations Minister Alexandre Padilha, and congressional leaders to discuss the fiscal package's progress.
This meeting began at 4:30 PM BrasiÌlia time. Economic projections are also shifting. According to the Central Bank's Focus Bulletin, economists have raised their forecasts for Brazil's basic interest rate, the Selic.
They predict it will reach 12.63% in 2025 and 10.50% in 2026. Despite worsening fiscal conditions, the projection for this year remains at an annual rate of 11.75%.
Gabriel GaliÌpolo, the Director of Monetary Policy and incoming Central Bank president indicated that current economic conditions necessitate a more contractionary monetary policy.
Speaking at the XP Political Forum in SaÌ?o Paulo, he suggested that higher interest rates could persist longer in Brazil. In terms of stock performance within the Ibovespa , SLC AgriÌcola stood out positively with shares rising nearly 8%.
Brazil's Stock Market Sees Mixed Performance
This surge followed an upgrade from neutral to buy by Bank of America and was bolstered by the dollar's strength against the real. Braskem also saw significant gains after announcing potential leadership changes under new CEO Roberto Ramos.
Conversely, Azul and LWSA led declines. Azul's shares were pressured by rising fuel costs due to the stronger dollar. LWSA continued its downward trend after Citi downgraded its recommendation from buy to neutral/high risk.
Heavyweights like Vale benefited from positive iron ore performance in China, with prices rising 1.26% to $111.28 on the Dalian Commodity Exchange.
Petrobras also ended slightly higher despite stable oil prices. However, banks collectively fell, with Bradesco dropping nearly 2%. In contrast, U.S. markets set new intraday records supported by technology stocks boosted by Cyber Monday sales.
Investors are anticipating a series of economic reports this week, including November's official employment report due Friday.
The closing figures for New York indices were as follows: S&P 500 rose by 0.24% to 6,047.15 points; Dow Jones fell by 0.29% to 44,782 points; Nasdaq increased by 0.97% to a record high of 19,403.95 points.
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