Most Latam FX track lower commodity prices, Brazil data in focus
Brazil's economic activity beats forecast in August
Rate decision in Chile later in the week
MSCI Latam stocks index up 1.45%, FX adds 0.8%
Updated at 1953 GMT
By Shashwat Chauhan and Johann M Cherian
Oct 14 (Reuters) -Most currencies of resources-rich Latin America slipped on Monday, tracking weak commodity prices, while robust Brazilian economic data bolstered the case for interest rate hikes and strengthened the real.
China pledged on Saturday to "significantly increase" spendingto revive its sputtering economy, but left investors guessing the overall size of the stimulus package.
Crude oil prices slipped more than 1%, while prices of base metals such as copper also tumbled ona lack of detail on China's stimulus plans. O/R MET/L
Oil producer Mexico's peso MXN= slipped 0.7%,while Colombia's peso COP= held steady in choppy trading.
Currencies of topcopper producers in the region ChileCLP= and Peru PEN= lost 0.1% and 1%, respectively.
Later in the week, Chile's central bank is expected to lower its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 5.25%, a poll of traders released by the bank showed.
Bucking the trend, thereal BRL= ticked up 0.6% to5.58 per dollar in turbulent trading. Brazil's economic activity again surprised on the upside in August, central bank data showed, reinforcing a view of heated economic momentum that prompted policymakers to kick off a monetary tightening cycle last month.
"While the data is positive, indicating that Brazil's economic activity remains strong, it also reinforces the central bank's decision to raise interest rates during the last COPOM meeting," said Matheus Zani, FX risk manager at Deaglo.
Brazil's central bank seesstrong economic activity as a major factor behind its monetary policy decision, incoming Governor Gabriel Galipolo said.
Two sources from Brazil's Finance Ministry told Reuters that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's governmentis preparing to roll out measures tocurb mandatory spending after a second round of municipal elections at the end of the month.
Concerns about Brazil not meeting its annual fiscal targets, along with a monetary policy pivot earlier this year have sparked uncertainty about the region's largest economy. The real and the Bovespa .BVSP are both on track for losses this year.
MSCI's index for Latin American currencies .MILA00000CUS was last up 0.8%, while stocks .MILA00000PUS added 1.45%.
Otherbourses were mixed, with Argentina's Merval index .MERV and Colombia's main index .COLCAP up over 1% each, whilethe Mexican benchmark .MXX fell1%.
Most EM assets ex-China posted marginal gains and losseslast week as brimming tensions in the Middle East and the continuous repricing of the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate path led to choppy trading.
On Thursday, aU.S. retail sales reading and jobless claims data could set the tone for market expectations around the Fed's rate path.
Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies:
Latin American market prices from Reuters | ||
Equities | Latest | Daily % change |
MSCI Emerging Markets .MSCIEF | 1159.77 | 0.02 |
MSCI LatAm .MILA00000PUS | 2216.81 | 1.46 |
Brazil Bovespa .BVSP | 131042.84 | 0.81 |
Mexico IPC .MXX | 51870.08 | -1 |
Chile IPSA .SPIPSA | 6572 | -0.01 |
Argentina Merval .MERV | 1802738.72 | 1.108 |
Colombia COLCAP .COLCAP | 1326.48 | 1.25 |
Currencies | Latest | Daily % change |
Brazil real BRL= | 5.5798 | 0.58 |
Mexico peso MXN= | 19.3832 | -0.66 |
Chile peso CLP= | 927.5 | -0.12 |
Colombia peso COP= | 4207.45 | 0.10 |
Peru sol PEN= | 3.758 | -1.03 |
Argentina peso (interbank) ARS=RASL | 979.5 | -0.46 |
Argentina peso (parallel) ARSB= | 1170 | 0.85 |
Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan and Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru, Editing by Nick Zieminski and Richard Chang
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
