Brazil's equity market finished the session lower on Thursday, with the Bovespa index ending the day down 2.32% to register a new one-month low in late trade. Losses were concentrated in the Financials, Real Estate and Consumption sectors, which together weighed on the benchmark's performance.
Market breadth was tilted toward decliners on the B3 exchange. Falling issues outnumbered advancers by 651 to 299, while 45 stocks finished unchanged.
At the individual stock level, Braskem SA (BVMF:BRKM5) was the session's strongest performer, jumping 14.83% or 1.61 points to close at 12.47. Prio SA (BVMF:PRIO3) also advanced, rising 3.62% or 2.01 points to finish at 57.53. Petroreconcavo SA (BVMF:RECV3) offered modest gains, up 2.64% or 0.33 points to 12.83 at the close.
On the downside, Minerva SA/Brazil (BVMF:BEEF3) fell 6.42% or 0.31 points to end the day at 4.52. Localiza Rent a Car SA (BVMF:RENT3) declined 6.02% or 3.03 points to 47.33, while Localiza Rent a Car SA Preferred (BVMF:RENT4) slipped 5.76% or 2.76 points to close at 45.19.
Several notable price milestones were recorded during the session. Shares of Braskem reached 52-week highs on the day, while Minerva shares moved to 52-week lows. Prio's shares moved to all-time highs in late trade.
Volatility, as measured by the CBOE Brazil ETF Volatility index - which tracks the implied volatility of Bovespa options - eased during the session, falling 9.96% to 37.89.
Commodities and currency markets were mixed. Gold futures for April delivery were down 0.93% or 47.79 to $5,086.91 a troy ounce. Crude oil for April delivery rose 6.95% or 5.19 to $79.85 a barrel, and the May US coffee C contract climbed 3.20% or 9.15 to $295.40.
In currency markets, USD/BRL strengthened, rising 0.77% to 5.27, while EUR/BRL increased 0.49% to 6.12. The US Dollar Index Futures was higher as well, up 0.31% at 99.04.
Summary of session highlights:
- Benchmark Bovespa closed down 2.32% and reached a one-month low.
- Decliners led advancers by 651 to 299, with 45 stocks unchanged.
- Braskem, Prio and Petroreconcavo were the top gainers; Minerva and Localiza (both common and preferred) were the top decliners.
- CBOE Brazil ETF Volatility fell to 37.89; oil and coffee rose while gold declined.