Latam FX softens against stronger dollar, Czech crown reverses losses after rate cut
Updated at 1525 GMT
Chile economic activity below expectations
Czech central bank cuts rates by 25 basis points
Ukraine temporarily suspends debt repayments
By Lisa Pauline Mattackal
Aug 1 (Reuters) -Latin American currencies were flat to lower against the U.S. dollar on Thursday as geopolitical worries lifted the safe-haven greenback, while the Czech crown reversed losses against the euro after its central bank slowed the pace of monetary policy easing.
An index of Latin American currencies .MILA00000CUS slipped 0.3% as the U.S. dollar =USD recouped some ground amid growing concerns about the widening conflict in the Middle East.
Most regional currencies were flat to lower against the greenback, while Brazil's real BRL weakened 0.6% a day after its central bank held interest rates and warned "more vigilance" was necessary due to worsening inflation expectations and recent market swings.
Meanwhile, the Czech crown EURCZK= reversed early losses and rose 0.3% against the euro, picking up from two-year lows after the Czech National Bank cut rates by 25 basis points.
The move slowed the pace of policy easing, coming after four 50-basis-point cuts. Governor Ales Michl said the bank was leaving the door open on whether it would continue to cut rates in subsequent meetings.
Bucking the trend, Chile's peso CLP= rose for a third straight session against the dollar, up 0.5% despite data showing the country's IMACEC economic activity index grew just 0.1% in June, below forecasts.
"We still like the CLP, given policymakers' more friendly approach to fiscal policymaking, relative political stability in Chile, and the positive outlook for the balance of payments," said Thierry Wizman, global FX and rates strategist at Macquarie, adding he sees the currency heading to 880 this year.
The dollar's gains and weaker global manufacturing data, notably in China, dented some gains for emerging markets assets after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled on Wednesday they could cut rates in September.
Emerging markets were somewhat bolstered in July on hopes for easier policy in the U.S., but were hit as a global equity selloff, resurgent geopolitical worries and signs of softening economic growth in economies like China have weighed.
The Turkish lira TRYTOM=D3 recouped some ground against the greenback, gaining 0.2% to 33.08 after briefly touching a record low.
Elsewhere in Latin America, tensions in Venezuela remained high amid protests over the results of its presidential election.
On the equities front, MSCI's index of Latin American stocks .MILA00000PUS lagged the broader emerging market index .MSCIEF, falling 0.4% after jumping over 1% in the previous session.
Colombia's EcoPetrol ECO.CN lost 1.6% after Occidental Petroleum OXY.N said the Colombian company will not buy a stake in shale oil producer CrownRock after reporting last month they were in talks for a potential stake sale.
Ukraine's finance ministry said it was "encouraged" by investor responses to its debt restructuring proposal, after the country temporarily suspended foreign debt payments on Wednesday.
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Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies
Latest | Daily % change | |
MSCI Emerging Markets .MSCIEF | 1088.11 | 0.31 |
MSCI LatAm .MILA00000PUS | 2191.98 | -0.3 |
Brazil Bovespa .BVSP | 128154.84 | 0.39 |
Mexico IPC .MXX | 52839.72 | -0.48 |
Chile IPSA .SPIPSA | 6396.83 | -0.68 |
Argentina MerVal .MERV | 1478239.43 | -1.96 |
Colombia COLCAP .COLCAP | 1342.12 | -0.27 |
Currencies | Latest | Daily % change |
Brazil real BRBY | 5.6799 | -0.45 |
Mexico peso MXN=D2 | 18.5929 | 0.04 |
Chile peso CLP=CL | 939.4 | 0.33 |
Colombia peso COP= | 4054.32 | -0.17 |
Peru sol PEN=PE | 3.7383 | -0.41 |
Argentina peso (interbank) ARS=RASL | 932.0000 | -0.11 |
Argentina peso (parallel) ARSB= | 1350 | 1.48 |
Reporting by Lisa Mattackal in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese
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