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Mexican peso renews slide, plunges 8% post election
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Brazil's economic activity flat in April
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Peru holds interest rate at 5.75%, in surprise move
(Updated at 3:33 p.m. ET/1933 GMT)
By Shubham Batra and Shashwat Chauhan
June 14 (Reuters) - Most Latin American currencies were
set for weekly declines on Friday, with the Mexican peso amongst
the worst hit on political worries, while a firm dollar and weak
commodity prices this week only added to losses in the region.
Currencies across the region traded lower, driven by
Mexico's peso that fell 0.5% against the dollar as
President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday said that judges
in the country should be elected, echoing her agreement with a
controversial judicial reform proposed by outgoing President
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The peso has so far slumped around 8% since a resounding
election win early this month for the country's ruling party, on
track for its fourth straight weekly loss.
Slipping copper prices weighed on the currency of the
world's biggest copper producer, with Chile's peso
shedding 1.8%, touching an over one-month lows.
Peru's sol edged 0.1% against the dollar after Peru's
central bank held the benchmark interest rate at 5.75%, bucking
analysts' expectations of a 25-basis-point rate cut.
Peru's economy grew 4% in April and possibly in May as well,
the South American country's economy minister stated, putting
the country on track to recover from a recession amid a boost in
public and private spending.
Brazil's real slipped 0.3%, while Colombia's peso
edged 0.1% higher after falling more than 3% in the last
session.
On the data front, economic activity in Brazil started the
second quarter in stagnation, a central bank index showed,
frustrating market expectations.
"Activity in key sectors remains under strain, necessitating
further policy normalisation, but the rebound in inflation
expectations and strength of the labour market-which we believe
will be short-lived-suggest the COPOM will likely move to the
sidelines soon, at least temporarily," said Andres Abadia, chief
Latam economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.
Most South American currencies were set for weekly losses as
prices of commodities such as iron ore and copper, some of the
region's top exports came under pressure, while a firm dollar on
the back of the Federal Reserve's decision earlier this week to
keep interest rates steady only compounded losses.
Amongst equities, MSCI's index for Latin American stocks
rose 0.4%, with Brazil's main stock index
and Mexico last up around 0.1% each.
The chief executive of Brazilian state-run oil company
Petrobras announced her new management team, with the
appointment of three directors, the firm said in a filing.
Shares of the company were last down around 2%.
Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies:
Latest Daily % change
MSCI Emerging Markets 1076.04 0.05
MSCI LatAm 2164.17 0.42
Brazil Bovespa 119683.36 0.1
Mexico IPC 52369.28 0.18
Chile IPSA 6503.52 0.26
Argentina MerVal 1579327.81 -1.612
Colombia COLCAP 1379.68 -0.46
Currencies Latest Daily % change
Brazil real 5.3779 -0.21
Mexico peso 18.4470 -0.50
Chile peso 931.6 -1.58
Colombia peso 4138 0.11
Peru sol 3.78 -0.29
Argentina peso 903.0000 -0.06
(interbank)
Argentina peso 1260 -1.19
(parallel)