Brazil's real hits three-month low among Latam currencies
Updated at 1457 GMT
MSCI Latam stocks, FX indexes set for weekly declines
Brazil's industrial output rises more than expected in Sept
Argentina's central bank trims rates to 35%
MSCI Latam stocks index down 0.7%, FX down 0.4%
By Johann M Cherian
Nov 1 (Reuters) -A Latin American currencies index dropped on Friday, with Brazil's real touching a three-month low as domestic economic woes and uncertainty around U.S. elections prevailed, while investors also assessed a policy decision out of Argentina.
MSCI's index tracking Latin American currencies .MILA00000CUS lost 0.4% against the dollar, and was set for its fourth week in the red.
Brazil's real BRL= lost 0.7% and was poised for its fourth weekly drop as investors priced in the possibility that the government would not be able to meet its annual fiscal framework.
A report said the Brazilian government is now unlikely to present spending cut measures anticipated next week.
Better-than-expected industrial production data for September underscored expectations of increased monetary tightening by the central bank at its meeting next week; however, it did little to support the currency.
Mexico's peso MXN= was flat, trading at 20 to the dollar, with analysts highlighting the peso to be the most sensitive among regional currencies to the U.S. election outcome on Tuesday.
Some investors have increasingly bet that Republican candidate Donald Trump will win, although he is still neck and neck with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in several opinionpolls.
The former president has threatened 200% tariffs on auto exports from Latin America's second-largest economy and his policies are perceived by analysts to be inflationary.
"From the tariff side of things, it will strengthen the U.S. dollar and hurt foreign direct investment into the Latam region," Albie Manderson, Deaglo's FX Specialist said.
"Eighty percent of the goods produced in Mexico are imported into the U.S. so tariffs are likely to impact trading relationships. That being said, 60% tariffs on China is likely to be a great opportunity to prop Mexico up in terms of the whole 'near shoring' effect."
Meanwhile, oil exporter Colombia's currency COP= edged up 0.2% tracking a rebound in oil prices. O/R
However, the Colombian peso was on track for its fourth consecutive week in declines and was close to levels not reached in more than one year, a day after the local central bank cut the benchmark interest rate to 9.75%.
A recent drop in oil prices and investors pricing in fiscal instability in Colombia has also weighed on the peso.
On the equities front, an index tracking regional bourses .MILA00000PUS slipped 0.7% to a near three-month low and was on track for its steepest weekly declines in three weeks.
Brazil's Bovespa .BVSP lost 0.5%, while Mexico's main index .MXX inched up 0.2%.
Elsewhere, Argentina's Merval index .MERV jumped 2.7% and the yield on hard currency bonds maturing in 2029 040114HX1=1M slipped 49 bps after the local central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 500 bps to 35%.
Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies:
Latin American market prices from Reuters | ||
Equities | Latest | Daily % change |
MSCI Emerging Markets .MSCIEF | 1123.5 | 0.36 |
MSCI LatAm .MILA00000PUS | 2105.03 | -0.72 |
Brazil Bovespa .BVSP | 129061.57 | -0.5 |
Mexico IPC .MXX | 50777.96 | 0.23 |
Chile IPSA .SPIPSA | 6550.32 | flat |
Argentina Merval .MERV | 1898333.51 | 2.682 |
Colombia COLCAP .COLCAP | 1362.04 | 0.26 |
Currencies | Latest | Daily % change |
Brazil real BRL= | 5.8244 | -0.65 |
Mexico peso MXN= | 20.0277 | -0.08 |
Chile peso CLP= | 961.12 | flat |
Colombia peso COP= | 4410.64 | 0.33 |
Peru sol PEN= | 3.7729 | flat |
Argentina peso (interbank) ARS=RASL | 989.5 | -100.00 |
Argentina peso (parallel) ARSB= | 1170 | -100.00 |
Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrea Ricci
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