FX.co ★ Ibovespa Slips in Thin Year-End Trade

On Monday, the Ibovespa index slipped, trading below the 161,000 mark, largely due to declines in banking and utility stocks. Banking shares remained relatively stable, with Itaú barely changing and Bradesco decreasing by 0.5%. Azul experienced a significant drop of over 2%, continuing its downward trajectory following the issuance of approximately 1.4 trillion new shares, which caused substantial shareholder dilution after plunging nearly 30% last Friday. The utilities sector also saw weaker performance, with Axia declining by 0.6% and Sabesp by 0.4%, while WEG decreased by 0.3%, Ambev by 0.1%, and Rede D’Or by 0.5%. On the other hand, Petrobras saw a rise of 0.9%, and Vale increased by 0.6%, buoyed by stronger oil and iron ore prices. Nevertheless, the market continued to anticipate that the Brazilian central bank would recommence interest rate cuts next year. This expectation was supported by the unexpected easing of the IPC-M price index from the previous month, contrary to predictions of an increase, resulting in a projected 1.05% deflation rate for this year.