The Ibovespa closed lower on Wednesday (16), pressured by the international macroeconomic scenario, as the market awaits the definition of domestic monetary policy.
The Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3) closed the day down 0.51%, reaching 185,547.66 points. This decline was a direct reflection of caution stemming from abroad, after the US Central Bank (Fed) announced an interest rate hike – the first such move since mid-2023 – citing the need to contain inflationary pressures.
Market Highlights and Selic Rate Expectation
Despite the index’s negative trend, specific stocks bucked the movement. The retail sector displayed robust performance, with Magazine Luiza notably registering a 6.28% gain, trading at R$ 5.92. Optimism also boosted Assaí, which rose 4.77% (R$ 10.11), influenced by a positive target price revision from Bank of America (BofA).
Conversely, Prio‘s shares felt the impact of falling oil prices, leading the day’s losses with a 4.34% drop. Brent crude, the international benchmark for the sector, closed the day down 2.69%, trading at US$ 105.83. As for foreign exchange, the commercial dollar remained stable, closing with a marginal decline of 0.07%, trading at R$ 5.1514.
Domestically, all eyes are on the decision of the Copom (Monetary Policy Committee). The financial market is operating with a consolidated expectation of a 94.5% probability for a 25-basis point cut in the Selic rate, which is projected to decrease from 14% to 13.75% per year.
The Fed’s decision generated a wave of risk aversion that echoed across global markets, causing local investors to adopt a defensive stance while awaiting the next steps from the Brazilian Central Bank.
Google Advances in Sustainability in Brazil
In a development separate from financial indicators, Google announced its largest historical investment in carbon removal this Wednesday. The partnership, established with Terradot, focuses on climate technology projects across 200,000 hectares of rice paddies located in Brazil’s Southern region.
The project aims to eliminate millions of tons of carbon by 2030, combining two approaches: alternating irrigation in plantations, which minimizes methane emissions, and accelerated weathering of volcanic rocks, which promotes permanent CO₂ sequestration from the atmosphere by 2040. The initiative reinforces the growing trend of corporate investments in sustainability and ESG projects in the country.
