FX.co ★ Brazil Stocks Set To End Year Higher

The Ibovespa index experienced an uptick of nearly 1%, closing in on the 162,000 mark on Tuesday as market participants analyzed domestic data during the year's final trading session. The unemployment rate in Brazil registered at 5.2% for the three-month period ending in November, slightly surpassing expectations which projected a rate of 5.4%. In the sector-specific performances, Petrobras saw a 0.5% increase amid rising oil prices, while Vale advanced 0.9% despite a downturn in iron ore prices. The banking sector exhibited positive movement, with Itaú appreciating by 0.8% and Bradesco climbing 0.5%. Utilities also saw gains, notably with Aegea increasing by 0.5%. On a positive note, sentiment within Brazil's services sector improved for the second straight month in December, rising by 0.5 points to reach a level of 90.6.