Global stock markets closed sharply Friday amid investor fears that Greece's debt crisis could halt the global economic recovery.
Brazil’s Real fell on Friday for the first time in three days as the government stepped up efforts to limit gains in the currency. The real lost 0.6% to 1.7384 per dollar at the end of the week after increasing 2.4% in April and 1.1% for the week.
International credit rating agency Standard and Poor's downgraded on Wednesday Spain's credit rating from “AA+” to “AA” with a negative outlook. The move comes a day after S&P gave Greek bonds a junk rating and lowered Portugal's credit rating from “A+” to “A-”.
Brazil’s government may take additional steps to limit gains in the local currency Real should advanced economies favor policies that keep their currencies weak, Finance Minister Guido Mantega said.