Brazil's central bank raised its benchmark interest rate, Selic, by 100 basis points for the second straight meeting last Wednesday and anticipated another similar hike in March, concerned about mounting inflationary pressures.
A total of US$ 15.918 billion fled Brazil in 2024, which represented the third-largest annual leakage ever behind consecutive negative balances in 2019 (US$ 44.768 billion) and 2020 (US$ 27.923 billion), the Central Bank (BCB) reported this week. Last year's financial flow was negative by US$84.396 billion after outflows (US$ 674.385 billion) outpaced inflows (US$ 589.989 billion).
Monday's issue of Brazil's Central Bank's (BCB) Focus Bulletin twitched last week's 2025 slightly for the worse, with higher inflation and a smaller Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Agencia Brasil reported. The study showed that the Broad Consumer Price Index (IPCA) should end 2025 at 4.96% from the 4.86% forecast last week. It was the 11th adjustment to the inflation projection and the ninth to the exchange rate between the local real and the US dollar.
Brazil's Monetary Policy Committee (Copom) announced Wednesday that it was further cutting the economy's basic interest rate known as Selic by 0.5 percentage points to 10.75% per year, Agencia Brasil reported.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized on Tuesday the country's central bank, saying that an interest rate of 13.75% - its current level - is “irresponsible,” adding he will continue to fight the current level to stimulate the economy.
Brazilian market analysts raised their forecasts for inflation and the Selic key interest rate for 2022 as increasing fuel and food costs plus resurgent demand for services are spiking prices as the pandemic seems to be coming to an end.
Brazil's central bank cut its benchmark Selic interest rate to an all-time low of 4.50% this week but indicated that with borrowing costs so low and economic growth starting to pick up, it may mark a pause in the easing cycle, if not the end.
Brazilian inflation and interest rate expectations for next year have fallen to new lows, according to a central bank survey of economists published on Monday, strengthening the view that monetary policy will be loosened further in the months ahead.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro Thursday explained that his government had nothing to do with the rise in the price of gasoline and diesel fuel, which followed the raid on Saudi Arabian facilities over the weekend.