Brazil's central bank left its benchmark interest rate on hold at 14.25% for a sixth consecutive time, amid stubbornly high inflation and political uncertainty. The bank which makes rate decisions eight times a year has held its key Selic rate steady since the last of seven consecutive hikes in July 2015.
Analysts expect Brazil's economy to contract by 3.5% this year, the Central Bank said Monday. Private sector economists, who expected the GDP to contract by 3.45% in the previous weekly survey, also raised their inflation projection from 7.57% to 7.59%.
Brazil's central bank kept interest rates on hold on Wednesday as widely expected, opting to avoid inflicting more harm on an economy mired in its worst recession in decades despite a surge in inflation. In a split vote, the bank's monetary policy committee, Copom, kept its benchmark Selic rate at 14.25% for the fifth straight time.
Analysts expect Brazil's economy to contract by 3.21% this year, with the outlook worsening from last week, the Central Bank said this week. Seven days ago analysts said they expected Brazil's economy to contract by 3.01% in 2016.
Net savings withdrawals in Brazil rose to a record high in January, with deposit outflows exceeding inflows by 12.03 billion Reais (some $3.09 billion), the Central Bank said Thursday.
The soaring US dollar and Brazil’s slumping economy led to a weaker demand for imported goods and services in 2015. As a result, Brazil’s current account deficit reached USD 58.942 billion, equivalent to 3.32% of GDP. The result is the smallest amount since 2010. In 2014, the current account deficit reached USD 104.181 billion, or 4.31% of GDP.
Brazil's economy will shrink 3.6% this year and inflation will come in at 10.8%, according to a Central Bank report released Wednesday. The bank expects a continued recession in 2016, albeit with a less severe contraction of 1.9%, and an inflation rate of 6.2%.
Analysts expect Brazil's economy to contract by 3.50% this year, with inflation hitting 10.44%, the Central Bank said on Monday. GDP and inflation estimates come from the Boletin Focus, a weekly Central Bank survey of analysts from about 100 private financial institutions on the state of the national economy.
Brazilian government said in an executive order published Monday in the Official Daily that it was cutting spending by an additional 11 billion reais ($2.82 billion) this year. The move is part of an effort by the government to a budget deficit target of 1 percent of the gross domestic product, a goal agreed to during the last budget review.
Analysts expect Brazil's economy to contract by 3.19% this year, with inflation hitting 10.38%, the Central Bank said Monday. GDP and inflation estimates come from the Boletin Focus, a weekly Central Bank survey of analysts from about 100 private financial institutions on the state of the national economy.