On a day of relief in the financial market, the dollar approached R$5.10 and fell to its lowest value in 15 days. After three consecutive falls, the stock market rose sharply and closed above 126 thousand points.
The commercial dollar ended this Friday (26) sold at R$ 5.116, a drop of R$ 0.046 (-0.89%). The price started the day stable, but began to plummet shortly after the opening of markets in the United States. At the low of the day, around 3:20 pm, the price approached R$5.10.
The North American currency fell to its lowest level since the 11th, when it closed at R$5.09. Despite today’s drop, the currency accumulates an increase of 2.01% in April and 5.42% in 2024.
In the stock market, the day was also marked by relief. The Ibovespa index, from B3, closed at 126,526 points, up 1.51%. The indicator was driven by international stock exchanges and Petrobras’ decision to distribute 50% of the extraordinary dividends for the 2023 financial year.
Both domestic and external factors contributed to the calm day in the financial market. In the United States, the slowdown in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter and the release of consumer inflation in March increased the chances that the Federal Reserve (Fed, North American Central Bank) will start cutting interest rates in September.
In recent days, the chances have increased that the Fed will only start reducing rates in the largest economy on the planet in 2025. This Friday, it was announced that inflation in March in the United States was 0.3%, within expectations.
In Brazil, the preview of official inflation by the Broad Consumer Price Index-15 (IPCA-15) fell to 0.21% in April , falling below expectations. The drop in transport prices offset the rise in food prices.
The behavior of inflation increased the chances of the Brazilian Central Bank reducing the Selic rate (the economy’s basic interest rate) by 0.5 percentage points in May. Lower interest rates stimulate stock markets because they encourage the migration of resources from fixed income investments to stocks.
* with information from Reuters
