After a truce at the end of last week, the external scenario weighed again, causing the dollar to start the week approaching R$ 5.70. The stock exchange interrupted a sequence of highs and fell almost 1%, amid fears about the increase in global interest rates.
The commercial dollar closed this Monday (10) sold at R$5.674, up by R$0.043 (+0.76%). The indicator came close to R$5.70 at the maximum of the day, around 12:00, but slowed down throughout the afternoon.
This was the dollar’s first rally after two days of declines. Last week, the currency had registered an accumulated high of 1%, despite having fallen on Thursday (6) and Friday (7).
The stock market also had a tense day. The B3 Ibovespa index closed at 101,945 points, down 0.75%. The indicator even dropped 1.6% at the worst moment of the day, around 1 pm, but the fall lost strength during the afternoon.
Fears that the Federal Reserve (Fed, US Central Bank) will increase interest rates in the world’s largest economy as of March once again influenced the market. Higher rates in advanced economies encourage resource outflows from emerging economies such as Brazil.
Last week, the disclosure that the US economy created fewer jobs than expected reduced pressure to raise interest rates in the United States. However, new investor readings suggest that the slowdown in the labor market will be insufficient to delay the increase in US base rates, which are at the lowest level in history since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic.
* With information from Reuters