EMERGING MARKETS-Latam stocks and currencies retreat on China COVID woes
By Shreyashi Sanyal
June 9 (Reuters) - Latin American stocks and currencies fell along with their broader emerging market peers on Thursday after Shanghai imposed new lockdown measures, while Brazil's real slipped after data showed consumer prices rose less than expected in May.
Stocks in China .CSI300, .SSEC, one of Latin America's biggest trading partners, ended lower, hurting the broader emerging markets equities index .MSCIEF.
The MSCI's index for Latin American stocks .MILA00000PUS fell 0.9%, with Colombia stocks .COLCAP in the lead, as oil prices dropped on China demand worries. The Colombian peso COP= fell 0.4% against the dollar.
Brazil's real BRL=, BRBY weakened 0.3% in choppy trading after consumer prices as measured by the benchmark IPCA index BRCPI=ECI rose 0.47% in May, below market forecasts. nL1N2XW0XD
"The fall in Brazilian inflation in May suggests that Copom will continue to slow the pace of tightening with a 50 basis point Selic rate hike to 13.25%, next week," said Nikhil Sanghani, emerging markets economist at Capital Economics.
"But with inflation set to stay in double-digit territory in the coming months, we doubt that this would mark the end of the tightening cycle."
Brazilian stocks .BVSP fell 0.2%, dragged down by declines in miner Vale SA VALE.
Eletrobras ELET3.SA rose 2.6% after demand for shares in the power holding company in its privatization neared 70 billion reais ($14.3 billion) and the offering is twice oversubscribed, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. nL1N2XW1F7
In Mexico, data showed consumer prices rose 7.65% in the year through May, slightly above expectations even as the central bank drives a monetary tightening cycle to tame high inflation. nL1N2XW0RW
The peso MXN= fell 0.1% against the greenback. The Mexican central bank, known as Banxico, said last week it was willing to act more forcefully on monetary policy if needed to bring inflation back down to target, and could raise rates by 75 basis points at its next meeting later this month. nL1N2XO1XN
Separately, a poll by Reuters showed Argentina's benchmark interest rate is likely to be increased another 200 basis points next week as the central bank seeks to counter soaring and painful inflation that could top 70% this year. nL1N2XV2LO
Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1444 GMT:
Stock indexes |
Latest |
Daily % change |
MSCI Emerging Markets .MSCIEF |
1067.68 |
-0.56 |
MSCI LatAm .MILA00000PUS |
2336.51 |
-0.74 |
Brazil Bovespa .BVSP |
108022.87 |
-0.32 |
Mexico IPC .MXX |
49845.12 |
0.05 |
Chile IPSA .SPIPSA |
5254.82 |
-0.43 |
Argentina MerVal .MERV |
89584.01 |
-0.403 |
Colombia COLCAP .COLCAP |
1544.24 |
-1.06 |
Currencies |
Latest |
Daily % change |
Brazil real BRBY |
4.8915 |
-0.17 |
Mexico peso MXN=D2 |
19.6093 |
-0.25 |
Chile peso CLP=CL |
827.2 |
-0.73 |
Colombia peso COP= |
3819.1 |
-0.62 |
Peru sol PEN=PE |
3.7568 |
-0.06 |
Argentina peso (interbank) ARS=RASL |
121.6200 |
-0.13 |
Argentina peso (parallel) ARSB= |
204 |
1.96 |
(Reporting by Shreyashi Sanyal in Bengaluru; Editing by David Clarke)
((Shreyashi.Sanyal@thomsonreuters.com; +1 646 223 8780; +91 961 144 3740; Twitter: https://twitter.com/s_shreyashi;))