Entries for 'Brazil'

Brazil’s trade surplus has been building steadily in recent years. The decomposition of trade flows shows agricultural export volume as the catalyst. We estimate the trend trade surplus at 2.2% of GDP, up from 1% a decade ago, given productivity and arable land potential driving agricultural growth.

Initial policy measures suggest a less market-friendly stance than expected by investors. Top concerns are potential meddling in monetary policy, high spending, and subsidized lending. Despite increased state intervention, we believe moderation will prevail, helping avoid more adverse scenarios.

Lula proposed an unexpectedly large fiscal package in late 2022, … adding to concerns about policy risk and coming fiscal rule changes. The governme...

We have increased our 2022 LatAm growth forecast to 3.1% amid a robust H1, despite recent drag from softer commodity prices and forceful monetary tightening. While policy adjustment and global headwinds will weaken activity in 2023, the external environment could encourage LatAm asset allocation.

Investors are pricing in more checks and balances post-election. The new political landscape could make the macroeconomic policy framework more resilient. Despite rising transition risk, we do not expect a full-blown crisis. We remain optimistic as incentives for moderate policies have increased.

The upcoming presidential election has become more contested. Yet despite rising transition risk, we do not expect full-blown institutional crisis, and a relatively smooth transfer of power could lift investor confidence. Regardless of who wins, the overall economic framework should stay unchanged.

Brazil is easing fiscal policy by possibly more than 1% of GDP, … as elections approach amid high inflation and social discontent. In 2022, revenu...

Rising inflation has forced major LatAm central banks to hike forcefully. A bottom-up analysis of inflation shows that the inflation surge has been broad-based across CPI baskets, suggesting demand-pull factors. Sustained inflation momentum in Mexico is tough to reconcile with the weak recovery.

The market is pricing substantial policy rate hikes this year, … but we think the BCB will need less to bring down inflation. Demand pressu...

Markets are focused on Brazil’s deviations from the fiscal rule. We’ve argued that proposed deviations will be manageable, … as they still entail ...

Possible deviations from the fiscal rule have spooked markets. Spending next year might rise 0.7% of GDP above the limit, … but would still be wel...

We project moderate current account deficits despite strong imports. Nonresident capital flows will rebound this year, particularly in Brazil and Chile, and foreign reserves will improve supported by IMF SDR allocation. We see capital flows gradually slowing amid tighter global liquidity conditions.

LatAm central banks have accelerated monetary policy normalization. We expect Brazil and Andean countries to hike faster than market expectations, with Mexico remaining more dovish amid a negative output gap. Risks are tilted up due to potentially worsening global conditions and higher fiscal risk.

Brazil’s fiscal rule requires spending cuts on an election year, … but political pressure to increase social spending is intense. Small deviations...

LatAm countries have been forced to partially extend fiscal policy support this year amid increased social demands. Maintaining some stimulus while sustaining investor confidence has proven challenging. Fragile public finances could result in undue pressure on monetary policy, weighing on growth. 

Base metal prices have far exceeded our initial forecasts, supported by low inventory. We expect average base metal prices to be 44% higher in 2021 and decline by 5% in 2022 as some supply constraints ease. 

Inflation has picked up amid high commodity prices, supply disruptions, and uneven growth recovery. Scope to postpone monetary policy normalization has rapidly narrowed, and we see most countries hiking this year. Persistent fiscal fragility could complicate orderly unwinding of monetary stimulus.

We use VAR models to decompose the effect of commodities and FX on EM inflation. Turkey and Russia, for different reasons, appear most exposed to exchange rate shocks. Headline inflation in South Africa and Brazil appear to be driven by energy prices, while price dynamics in Indonesia are more responsive to non-energy commodities. We expect tight stances in Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Turkey to keep expectations anchored.