Brazil's central bank said its current pace of interest rate increases remains appropriate to rein in consumer prices, repeating language it used to justify previous half-percentage-point increases, according to the November 26/27 minutes released on Thursday.
Brazil posted a primary budget deficit of 9.048 billion Reais (4.1 billion dollars) in September, its biggest in nearly five years and the government reacted announcing a plan of cuts fearing an impact from credit rating agencies.
Brazil Central bank raised interest rates for the fifth straight time on Wednesday and gave no indication of backing off its battle with high inflation. The benchmark Selic interest rate now stands at 9.5%, up fifty basic points from 9%.
Brazil's current account deficit narrowed in June from a year ago, central bank data showed on Tuesday, although it may still be unable to cover that gap in 2013 with direct investment from abroad. The country posted a current account gap of 3.6 billion dollars in June.
Brazil's central bank raised its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday to 8% from 7.5%, as part of an effort to battle high inflation in an economy that keeps struggling with slow growth.
Inflation in Brazil during April climbed 0.55% over March (0.47%) and accumulated 6.49% in the last twelve months which is just below the government’s upper limit target of 4.5% to 6.5%, according to the latest release from the country’s Geography and Statistics National Institute, IBGE.
Brazil’s Central Bank will keep a close eye on the economy to see if there is a need for any action to tame stubbornly high inflation, the bank's chief Alexandre Tombini said in a presentation to the Senate's economic affairs committee
Brazilian consumer prices ended 2012 near the top of the central bank's target range for the third year running, prompting concern from economists that the country is stuck in a phase of low growth and high inflation.
Brazil's central bank announced it would cut reserve requirements on demand deposits under specific conditions to free up around 15 billion Reais (7.3 billion dollars) for lending in a move aimed at boosting investment in the stagnating economy.
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd, the world's largest lender by market value, got the green light from Brazilian regulators to operate a subsidiary in the Latin America's largest economy, the lender said on Wednesday. Brazil's central bank approved the license on Dec 19.