The Ibovespa inched higher toward the 205,000 mark on Thursday, supported by strength in the energy sector. Petrobras advanced nearly 2% as oil prices jumped on reports that the United States is planning new strikes against Iran, threatening the recent recovery in Middle Eastern oil exports.
The financial sector was mixed, pressured by a challenging external backdrop and caution ahead of the first presidential runoff poll since the initial round of voting. Global bond yields extended their climb as surging oil prices heightened inflation concerns, while expectations of a more hawkish Federal Reserve further weighed on credit‑sensitive stocks.
Pollster Datafolha is set to publish the first survey for the presidential runoff following Sunday’s first-round election, in which Flávio Bolsonaro unexpectedly finished ahead of Lula, defying most pre-election polls. That surprise result helped propel the Ibovespa to a record high on Monday, driven primarily by financial shares.
On Thursday, Itaú and Bradesco each slipped around 1%, while B3 added 1% and Caixa and BB Seguridade gained close to 0.5%.
