News that the Ômicron variant of the new coronavirus maybe it’s less lethal that initially foreseen brought truce to the financial market. The dollar had the biggest drop in two weeks and returned to below R$ 5.70. The stock exchange, however, did not follow the international market and fell on a day of few trading.
The commercial dollar ended this Wednesday (22) sold at R$ 5.668, with a retreat of R$ 0.071 (-1.24%). The price opened high, at R$ 5.74, but fell after the opening of the market in the United States. In percentage points, this was the biggest drop since the 8th, when the US currency had fallen 1.49%.
Despite today’s drop, the dollar accumulates a 0.57% increase in December. In 2021, the currency rose 9.23%.
The exchange truce was not repeated in the stock market. The B3 Ibovespa index ended the day at 105,133 points, down 0.35%. The indicator opened slightly higher, but lost strength during the session and ended lower, even with the advance of stocks in the North American market.
Worldwide, financial markets had a day of relief after the release of studies showing that the omicron variant has a low rate of hospitalization and that the number of cases in South Africa has fallen from a month ago, when the variant was discovered. The country is identified as the origin of the new coronavirus strain.
In Brazil, investors resonated aaprobation of the 2022 General Budget of the Union. Although the text makes room for around BRL 113.1 billion in spending next year, analysts believe that the constitutional amendment that split the payment of court orders and changed the calculation of the spending ceiling had a lesser impact on public spending than a possible decree of public calamity.
* With information from Reuters
