Argentina’s central bank wants to license market makers to help stabilize its embattled peso currency when the Treasury starts newly announced dollar sales in April. The bank hopes the market makers, dealers who agree to buy and sell at set prices, would bolster liquidity in the exchange market to help avoid the sharp gyrations the peso has suffered in recent weeks when it hit a record low of 42.5 pesos per dollar in thin trading.
Consumer prices in Brazil rose at a slightly faster pace than expected in February due to a rise in private education fees and food and beverage prices, statistics agency IBGE said on Tuesday. On a monthly basis, inflation rose by 0.43% in February, IBGE said, more than the expected 0.39% and up from 0.32% a month earlier.
British annual inflation hit a two-year low point in January, undershooting the Bank of England’s 2.0 per cent target on falling oil and other energy costs, official data showed on Wednesday.
Brazil's financial market has cut its forecast of the country's inflation rate from 3.94 to 3.87 percent for 2019 and kept the rate at 4% for 2020, the Central Bank of Brazil reported. According to the Focus survey conducted by the bank among Brazil's main financial institutions, the forecasts are within the official target of 4.25 percent, with a tolerance margin between 2.75 percent and 5.75 percent.
Most Latin American stocks rose on Friday after U.S. economic data pointed to the possibility that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates unchanged. Shares extended their rally after U.S. employment and manufacturing data underscored a strong economy with little wage inflation.
Nicolás Maduro ordered an increase of 300% of the minimum wage on Monday, the 26th time he makes an announcement of this kind during his term. Also, an increase in the petro cryptocurrency was decreed and the president highlighted the economic management of his government, which he said in his annual report helped to turn Venezuela into the country with “greater socioeconomic equality”.
Argentina's stats office Indec, is scheduled to announce December's inflation and for the whole of a very volatile 2018 next Tuesday, with estimates ranging at 48%, the highest in the country since 1991. November's Consumer Price Index was 3.2%.
The Argentine government announced on Thursday new increases in public transport rates, some 40% on average that will apply from next January to travel by bus, train and metro.
The Spanish Socialist leader, Pablo Iglesias, appeared before the Spanish Senate on Thursday over the alleged illegal financing that his political coalition, Podemos, could have received from Venezuela and Iran. In a tense debate with a senator from the Popular Party (PP), Iglesias said that the situation in the South American country “is disastrous” and that he regrets things he has said in the past.
Argentina's Finance Minister Nicolás Dujovne Tuesday admitted October's inflation will be bad due to the September carryover. But he expected a clear drop for November.