FX Markets Update The Colombian peso looks poised for a rebound As political risks appear to be largely discounted by investors, we expect the Colombian peso to outperform other major EM currencies over the next couple of years. In view of the wider interest we... 2nd March 2023 · 4 mins read
Latin America Data Response Brazil GDP (Q4 2022) The 0.2% q/q fall in Brazil’s GDP in Q4, which was driven by weakness in domestic demand, provides clear evidence that high interest rates are taking a heavier toll on the economy. Taken together with... 2nd March 2023 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Brazil: is a corporate debt crisis brewing? The dramatic rise in borrowing costs in Brazil in the past few years appears to be causing debt problems at a growing number of companies. So far at least, there is little evidence of widespread... 28th February 2023 · 4 mins read
Latin America Economics Weekly Argentina & the IMF, Banxico hawks Argentina is closing in on the next disbursement of IMF funding but, while the economy met many of last year’s performance criteria, the deal is likely to become rockier this year. Elsewhere, the... 24th February 2023 · 7 mins read
Latin America Data Response Brazil IPCA-15 (February 2023) The fall in Brazilian inflation to 5.6% y/y in the first half of this month was driven by lower food inflation and won’t ease policymakers’ concerns about the strength of core inflation. We continue... 24th February 2023 · 2 mins read
Latin America Data Response Mexico Bi-Weekly CPI (Feb.) Mexico’s headline inflation rate edged down to 7.8% y/y in the first half of February but the further pick-up in services inflation will continue to concern policymakers at Banxico. We had thought... 23rd February 2023 · 2 mins read
Latin America Chart Pack External vulnerabilities to ease as growth weakens The latest data suggest that current account deficits in the region’s major economies narrowed towards the end of last year, which is particularly good news for Colombia and Chile. Both were running... 22nd February 2023 · 15 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update EM investment: weak outlook and clear divergence EM investment surged far above pre-pandemic levels last year, but there was a clear divergence across countries and we think investment growth will slow in 2023. One worrying development is that... 20th February 2023 · 4 mins read
Capital Daily We think the Mexican peso’s outperformance will reverse soon While it has outperformed nearly all major currencies over the past couple of years, we think the Mexican peso will fall sharply against the dollar if, as we expect, the US economy weakens later this... 17th February 2023 · 7 mins read
Latin America Economics Weekly Petro spooks investors (once again), Brazil’s fiscal rule In Colombia, President Petro’s healthcare reform unveiled this week reinforces our concerns about a worsening public debt trajectory and more interventionist policymaking, and caused the peso to fall... 17th February 2023 · 6 mins read
Global Markets Update We expect equities in Brazil to continue to struggle We expect MSCI’s Brazil Index to drop over the next couple of quarters in local-currency terms, before it begins to recover towards the end of this year. 17th February 2023 · 3 mins read
FX Markets Update We expect the Mexican peso to reverse course before long The Mexican peso’s outperformance since the start of 2022 has pushed up its valuation substantially, and we think that this leaves it vulnerable to sharp falls against the US dollar if, as we expect... 16th February 2023 · 4 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Tight monetary policy despite peak inflation Inflation across most of Latin America has peaked, but this is mainly an energy story – core price pressures are proving much more persistent. And underlying price pressures are likely to ease only... 16th February 2023 · 3 mins read
Latin America Data Response Colombia GDP (Q4) The stronger-than-expected 0.7% q/q expansion in Colombia’s GDP in Q4 confirms that the economy was a regional outperformer over 2022 as a whole. But the expenditure breakdown suggests that the... 15th February 2023 · 2 mins read
Industrial Metals Update The impact of civil unrest in Peru on copper Anecdotal reports and high frequency data suggest that ongoing civil unrest in Peru is beginning to choke off activity at key copper mines. But, if recent history is anything to go by, output can... 15th February 2023 · 2 mins read
Latin America Economics Weekly Hawks still rule the roost, BCB threats This week’s larger-than-expected interest rate hike in Mexico alongside comments from central bank officials elsewhere suggest that worries about strong underlying price pressures are putting... 10th February 2023 · 6 mins read
