Brazil’s Real weakened past 4.00 per dollar for the first time in three weeks on Monday as an escalation in the U.S.-China trade war sent emerging markets reeling and a weekly snapshot of domestic growth forecasts fell to a new 2019 low.
Argentina’s struggling currency hit a record low against the dollar on Thursday, weakening over 4% to close at 42.5 pesos per dollar, a challenge for President Mauricio Macri as he looks to right the economy ahead of elections in October.
The US dollar fell Tuesday yet again, making it the seventh straight time the peso manages to recover due to the government's “cash-drought” measures. But that did not change the fact that According to the International Monetary Fund’s latest report, Argentina will have the fifth highest inflation rate in the world, which is expected to reach 41.5 by the end of the year..
Argentina will pay for unforeseen increases in the cost of cooking gas following public outrage and opposition in Congress to stymie the plan which would have seen consumers paying increased gas prices in 24 installments from January 2019.
The he Argentine peso climbed more than 4% on Monday trading on the back of a debt sale by the central bank aimed at mopping up excess liquidity and signs that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is solidly behind the administration of president Mauricio Macri.
The Brazilian currency dipped under four Real to the dollar for the first time in five weeks at close on Thursday as the markets reacted favorably to the emergence of two clear presidential election frontrunners. The Real closed at 3.99 to the US dollar just two weeks after hitting a record low of almost 4.2 to the dollar -- it's lost around 17% since the start of the year.
Almost two million Argentines are without a job, more precisely 1,999,387 according to the latest unemployment report from the county's stats office, Indec. In effect unemployment rose in the second quarter to 9.6%, from 8.7% a year ago, making it the highest figure in twelve years.
Argentina’s peso strengthened for the third straight day on Friday, driven by optimism that the government would sign a revised financing deal with the International Monetary Fund to include stricter fiscal measures and faster cash disbursements.
Brazil stocks were lower after the close on Thursday, as losses in the real estate, industrial and financial sectors sectors led shares lower. At the close in Sao Paulo, the Bovespa index lost 0.01%.
Argentina's peso currency fell 3.51% on Thursday to close at a new record low of 39.9 per U.S. dollar, as market confidence ebbs away despite President Mauricio Macri's efforts to reassure investors. Dollar demand had risen on Thursday due to high liquidity sparked by an auction of treasury notes, traders said.