Brazilian equities ended the trading day in positive territory, with the benchmark Bovespa index rising 1.82% to close at a new all-time high.
Sector returns were led by Basic Materials, Financials and Public Utilities, which together helped lift the market in Sao Paulo.
Top and bottom performers
The session's biggest winners included Magazine Luiza SA (MGLU3), which climbed 6.27% - up 0.64 points to finish at 10.84. Banco Santander Brasil SA Unit (SANB11) gained 4.74% - adding 1.61 points to close at 35.56. Cosan SA Industria e Comercio (CSAN3) rose 4.51% - a 0.26-point increase to 6.03 at the close.
On the downside, Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos (HAPV3) fell 2.89% - down 0.34 points to trade at 11.43 by the close. Cyrela Brazil Realty SA Preferred (CYRE4) and Cyrela Brazil Realty SA (CYRE3) also declined, slipping 1.56% and 1.41%, respectively, to finish at 29.10 and 30.69.
Market breadth reflected a positive session, with 508 advancing issues versus 437 declining on the B3 exchange; 55 stocks ended unchanged.
Notable price action and volatility
Hapvida's shares fell to 52-week lows, closing the session at 11.43 after a 2.89% decline.
The CBOE Brazil ETF Volatility index, which measures implied volatility of Bovespa options, moved lower by 4.22% to 32.42, signaling a decrease in option-implied market volatility.
Commodities and currencies
Precious metals and energy contracts were higher in late trade. Gold futures for April delivery increased 2.50%, or 124.39, to settle at $5,104.19 a troy ounce. Crude oil for March delivery rose 1.12%, or 0.71, to $64.26 a barrel. The March U.S. coffee C contract advanced 0.89%, or 2.65, to trade at $299.20.
In currency markets, the Brazilian real strengthened versus the dollar, with USD/BRL down 0.50% to 5.19. EUR/BRL moved higher by 0.38% to 6.19. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures fell 0.81% to 96.72.
Context and takeaway
The close marked a broadly positive session for Brazilian equities, with several large-cap names posting strong gains while certain health-care and real estate shares lagged. Volatility as measured by the CBOE Brazil ETF Volatility eased, and key commodity contracts finished the day higher. Foreign-exchange moves showed a firmer real against the dollar and a slightly stronger euro against the real.