Brazil’s economy suffered its worst economic slump in a quarter of a century in 2015 amid a “perfect storm” with severe factors both on the domestic front amid a political crisis, high inflation, fiscal issues, sovereign downgrades, and fleeing investment; but also from severe factors from abroad as oil and commodity prices continue to plunge and growth in China slows. Official data released on Thursday by national statistics … Continue reading
By Lucas Vaz Brazil is undergoing what is considered its worst economic crisis in seventy years, and there is usually no agreement when it comes to the causes of this situation. President Rousseff and the Labor Party say that it was the corollary of the “International Crisis,” a ghost of the 2008 depression created in their … Continue reading
By Klisman Murati, Global Risk Insights Following the unwelcome news that Brazil is cancelling its popular carnival, GRI takes a look at what the Brazilian people can expect for their country in 2016 and what changes Brasília need to make to increase investor confidence. 2016 hasn’t started off well for the arts and culture scene. … Continue reading
Brazil is in the midst of a “perfect storm” with severe factors both on the domestic front amid a political crisis, high inflation, fiscal issues, sovereign downgrades, and fleeing investment; but also from severe factors from abroad as oil and commodity prices continue to plunge, growth in China slows, and as the U.S. Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade … Continue reading
By Marc Chandler, Marc to Market Blog (from my colleague Dr. Win Thin) Fitch’s downgrade on Wednesday is a stark reminder that Brazil continues to suffer from a toxic mix of high inflation, recession, low commodity prices, and heightened political uncertainty. Because we see no end in sight for these negative factors, we believe Brazil assets will … Continue reading
By James Eugene Brazilian-focused exchange traded funds (ETFs) have recorded relatively large amounts of inflows after talks of Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment advanced. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, the iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF enjoyed inflows of just over $94 million so far this month, approximately 4.7% of its market capitalisation. The iShares Ibovespa, … Continue reading
By Stratfor Global Intelligence The ongoing corruption scandal at state-owned energy firm Petroleo Brasileiro, or Petrobras, could pose a real political risk to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, particularly as Brazil’s economic conditions worsen. The ruling Workers’ Party will have to cope with a stagnating, if not declining, economy for at least two more years, dwindling … Continue reading
Latin American currencies are in the ‘eye of the storm’ as currencies of Brazil, Mexico, and Chile could fall as much as 10 percent in the next few weeks amid tumbling commodity prices, growth concerns in China, renewed Fed fears, and a deterioration of domestic fundamentals, Societe Generale (SocGen) said in a bearish report published on Tuesday. SocGen is advising … Continue reading
By Stratfor Global Intelligence In the wake of Brazil’s oil corruption scandal, the country’s ruling political coalition has all but fallen apart. The ongoing investigation of corruption charges against state-owned energy giant Petroleo Brasileiro has the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), a long-time ally of the ruling Workers’ Party, distancing itself from Brazilian President Dilma … Continue reading
The outlook on Brazil’s credit rating was cut to negative by Fitch Ratings due to challenges in implementing fiscal adjustment amid a stalled economy, according to a statement released on Thursday. The ratings agency lowered its outlook on Brazil’s sovereign rating to negative from stable while keeping the country’s rating at BBB, which is the second-lowest investment grade. … Continue reading