Market close: Brazil's stock benchmark finished the trading day in Sao Paulo up 1.06% as sectors including Public Utilities, Real Estate and Financials contributed to the advance.
Top performers: The biggest percentage gainer was Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos (BVMF:HAPV3), which climbed 6.42% - an increase of 0.65 points - to finish at 10.77. Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA Eletrobras Preferred (BVMF:AXIA6) added 5.99%, or 3.73 points, closing at 65.95. Its other preferred class, Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA Preferred (BVMF:AXIA7), rose 4.26% - a 2.40 point gain - to end the session at 58.72.
Lagging names: On the downside, Companhia Brasileira De Distribuica (BVMF:PCAR3) dropped 7.44%, losing 0.25 points to reach 3.11 at the close. Raizen SA Preferred (BVMF:RAIZ4) declined 7.46%, a 0.05 point fall, to 0.62. WEG SA (BVMF:WEGE3) fell 3.71%, down 1.98 points to 51.41 in late trading.
Market breadth and notable records: On the B3 exchange, advancing issues slightly outnumbered decliners with 468 stocks higher versus 453 lower, while 49 finished unchanged. Shares of Raizen SA Preferred (BVMF:RAIZ4) hit an all-time low, falling 7.46% or 0.05 to 0.62. Conversely, Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA Preferred (BVMF:AXIA7) reached an all-time high, rising 4.26% or 2.40 to 58.72.
Volatility: The CBOE Brazil Etf Volatility, which tracks implied volatility for Bovespa options, rose 1.80% to 35.01, marking a new one-month high.
Commodities and fixed income indicators: Gold futures for April delivery ticked up 0.09%, or 4.39, to $5,013.89 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery climbed 2.37%, gaining 1.54 to reach $66.59 a barrel. In agricultural markets, the May US coffee C contract increased 0.25% or 0.70 to trade at 285.85.
FX and dollar strength: The Brazilian real strengthened modestly versus the U.S. dollar, with USD/BRL down 0.22% to 5.22. The euro also weakened against the real, with EUR/BRL falling 0.33% to 6.15. The US Dollar Index Futures moved up 0.21% to 97.83.
This session reflected pronounced moves among a handful of large-cap names in utilities and healthcare, offset by sharper declines in select consumer and industrial names. Volatility rose to a recent high, and commodity prices moved higher in mixed fashion, factors that market participants will monitor going into subsequent sessions.