ILF•| Stock indexes | Latest | Daily % change |
MSCI Emerging Markets .MSCIEF | 1754.41 | 0.13 |
MSCI LatAm .MILA00000PUS | 3169.56 | -0.92 |
Brazil Bovespa .BVSP | 185485.72 | -1 |
Mexico IPC .MXX | 64774.59 | -0.45 |
Chile IPSA .SPIPSA |
| NOT AVAILABLE |
| NOT AVAILABLE |
Argentina MerVal .MERV | 3093380.66 | 0.57 |
Colombia COLCAP .COLCAP | 2588.89 | 0.76 |
| Currencies | Latest | Daily % change |
Brazil real BRL= | 5.1078 | -0.44 |
Mexico peso MXN= | 16.8981 | 0.09 |
Chile peso CLP= | 927.2 | -0.27 |
Colombia peso COP= | 3104.66 | 0.17 |
Peru sol PEN= | 3.3549 | -0.06 |
Argentina peso (interbank) ARS=RASL | 1,513.5 | -0.10 |
Argentina peso (parallel) ARSB= | 1,520.0 | 1.62 |
Most Latin American equities and currencies fell on Wednesday, mirroring a global risk-off mood after crude prices breached the $100 mark, while investors assessed regional economic developments and awaited crucial U.S. data later this week.
MSCI's Latin American equity index .MILA00000PUS slid 0.9%. The regional currencies gauge .MILA00000CUS also edged 0.3% lower.
Brent crude oil futures breached $100 a barrel for the first time since late July after Iran and the U.S. struck tankers in the biggest wave of attacks on shipping since the war began, threatening to worsen the ongoing impairment of energy supplies from the Middle East.
Latin America has been partly shielded from higher crude prices relative to many other emerging markets because several of the region's largest economies are net crude-oil exporters.
However, energy prices staying at current levels for a prolonged period could weigh on economic growth, push up consumer inflation and prompt central banks to further hike interest rates.
Investors were awaiting the U.S. Consumer Price Index due on Friday for clues on the Federal Reserve's rate path.
"The narrative appears to be that everything now hinges on a single data point: Friday's CPI print for August," said Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at Ebury. "We tend to agree, and certainly a hot number here could embolden some of the doves to shift allegiance in favour of a hike next week."
Mexico's annual inflation rate accelerated for the first time in five months in August, backing up a cautious monetary policy approach by the country's central bank.
Consumer prices in Latin America's second-largest economy rose 3.26% in the year through August, accelerating from a 3.12% increase in July. Economists in a Reuters poll forecast a 3.3% increase.
Stocks .MXX were down 0.5%, but the peso MXN= inched 0.1% higher.
Chile's central bank held its benchmark interest rate at 4.5% on Tuesday, in line with analysts' expectations, marking a sixth consecutive pause.
The central bank also trimmed its gross domestic product expectations, with growth now estimated between 0.25% and 0.75% for the year, down from its previous range of 1% to 1.75%.
The MSCI index tracking Chile's stocks .MICL00000PUS dropped 0.6%, while the peso CLP= eased 0.3%.
In the region's largest economy, Brazil, stocks .BVSP fell 1% after registering a 1.1% rise on Tuesday.
The latest Brazilian polls show a tight presidential race, with improved odds for market favorite Flavio Bolsonaro against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fuelling a recent rally in assets. The real BRL= weakened 0.4% against the dollar.
"The main investment case risk in Brazil is excessive local currency government debt, at 97% of GDP in 2026 on IMF forecasts, and historically right-of-centre administrations have a better track record of controlling the primary fiscal balance, apart from the COVID years under Jair Bolsonaro," an analyst at Tellimer said in a note.
