Brazil

• Thursday, May 9th 2019 - 07:29 UTC

  Brazilian congress begins to discuss pensions' reform; investors and markets apprehensive

  

  Brazil’s pension reform proposal returns to the congressional spotlight with a committee of lower house lawmakers opening its analysis of the government’s bill just as the outlook for the economy is deteriorating rapidly.

• Wednesday, May 8th 2019 - 09:58 UTC

  Bolsonaro signs decree making it easier to own, carry and import weapons

  

  Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree on Tuesday making it easier for gun enthusiasts to own, carry and import weapons in one of the world's deadliest countries. Beaming members of Congress and industry lobbyists clapped and made pistol signs with their hands as the ex-army captain relaxed rules that critics fear could pave the way for the carrying of weapons in the streets.

• Wednesday, May 8th 2019 - 09:54 UTC

  Brazilian military caution Bolsonaro on the extreme views of the influential “Trotsky of the right”

  

  The growing differences between members of the military and the so-called ideological faction of Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro’s government prompted a reaction from a retired Army High Commander--Eduardo Villas Bôas—who considers the president to be absent in the dispute and wants to limit what he sees as institutional disrespect.

• Wednesday, May 8th 2019 - 09:52 UTC

  Hundreds march in Rio to protest education federal funding cuts by Bolsonaro's administration

  

  Hundreds of students and professors protested against public education funding cuts outside a military high school in Brazil where far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was attending a ceremony. Bolsonaro’s conservative government sparked outrage last week when it revealed at least 30% cuts to the annual budgets of federally funded high schools and universities.

• Wednesday, May 8th 2019 - 08:56 UTC

  BHP Billiton facing US$ 5 billion claim for damages over a dam collapse in Brazil

  

  Mining giant BHP Billiton is facing a US$5bn claim for damages over a dam collapse in Brazil in 2015. Law firm SPG, which is representing than 200,000 Brazilian claimants, said the company “knew of the risks” at the Samarco mine in Minas Gerais state.

• Tuesday, May 7th 2019 - 09:09 UTC

  Another Brazilian bank expands into the US to keep competing with rivals

  

  Brazil's Banco Bradesco SA has embarked on its first-ever international acquisition by paying approximately US$ 500 million to buy BAC Florida Bank, which focuses on high-net-worth individuals in a move intended to close the gap with Brazilian rivals.

• Tuesday, May 7th 2019 - 08:57 UTC

  Bolsonaro insists in being honored in the US: this time possibly in Texas

  

  Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro is considering travelling to the United States to be honoured at an event in Texas next week, his spokesman said on Monday, just days after he cancelled a heavily criticized visit to New York City.

• Monday, May 6th 2019 - 09:39 UTC

  Brazil trade surplus in April, the second largest ever recorded for the month

  

  Brazil posted a trade surplus of US$ 6.06 billion in April, the Economy Ministry said, which is wider than the previous month. It was the second largest surplus ever recorded for the month of April and the biggest monthly surplus so far this year, a result of exports totaling US$ 19.69 billion and imports of US$ 13.63 billion.

• Monday, May 6th 2019 - 09:34 UTC

  Brazil's best performing hedge funds bet heavily on Petrobras

  

  One of Brazil’s best-performing hedge funds has been scooping up the shares of state-controlled oil giant Petrobras. Joao Braga and Marcos Peixoto, who manage US$ 1.3 billion (5 billion reais) at XP Asset Management, have increased their stake in Petrobras, making it the biggest holding of their XP Long Biased fund even as the oil producer’s rally has outpaced the benchmark.

• Monday, May 6th 2019 - 09:30 UTC

  Petrobras oil production fell 3.5% during the first quarter compared to a year ago

  

  Petrobras oil production fell 3.5% in the first quarter from the same period a year before, according to Brazil’s oil regulator ANP, which attributed the fall to a number of scheduled and unscheduled stoppages.