Latin America Economics Update A new front in the "currency war" An improvement in risk appetite since the turn of the year has supported further gains in Latin American financial markets. But with the good news has come renewed upward pressure on the region’s... 24th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Are we really on the verge of interest rate cuts in Mexico? The dovish tone of the statement that accompanied last week’s decision by the Mexican central bank to keep interest rates on hold has fuelled speculation that policy could soon be eased. Growth has... 23rd January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Bright start to the year as global tensions ease This is the first edition of our new monthly Latin America Markets Monitor. The purpose of this publication is to analyse the developments in local markets over the past month and give an update on... 22nd January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Brazil: rising inflation narrows space for further easing A recent pick-up in inflation has reduced the space for further policy easing in Brazil, and we expect the Selic rate to remain at 7.25% until at least mid-year. Further ahead, if we are right to... 17th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update What to expect from Peru's central bank in 2013 The effectiveness of Peru’s benchmark interest rate as a policy instrument is constrained by high levels of foreign currency lending and concerns over the strength of the sol. Further increases in... 15th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Colombian interest rates to fall further as growth falters Record levels of foreign direct investment into the commodities sector suggest that Dutch Disease will continue to drag on the Colombian economy this year. We expect policymakers to react with another... 14th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Brazil inflation could rise above 6% The rise in Brazilian inflation last month is particularly worrying since it came despite a moderation in food inflation. With plans to cut electricity tariffs now under threat from a drought that has... 10th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Ecuador: recent slowdown has further to run The pace of growth of Ecuador’s economy slowed substantially in 2012 and we expect this trend to continue over the current year. This is unlikely to put a serious dent in President Correa’s bid for re... 10th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Chilean peso to end the year below 500/US$ A strong start to the year for the Chilean peso has led to renewed speculation that the central bank will be forced to intervene in FX markets to weaken the currency. While intervention is possible... 9th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Outlook brightens (a little) for Argentina in debt dispute Events have recently swung back in Argentina’s favour in its dispute with holdout bondholders. Despite this, there remains a significant risk of a default over the course of this year. What’s more... 8th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Taking stock of developments in Venezuela The recent rally in Venezuelan government bonds, on the back of speculation that the deteriorating health of President Hugo Chávez will lead to a shift towards more market friendly policies, stands in... 7th January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Mexican industry may not be as strong as the PMI survey suggests We suspect that the record high reading from the Mexican manufacturing PMI in December paints a false picture of strength. Other surveys have been weaker, and the hard data suggest that activity... 3rd January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Brazil’s industrial recovery struggling to gain momentum The slight fall in the Brazilian Manufacturing PMI in December suggests that while industry in Latin America’s largest economy continued to grow in the final months of last year, the pace of expansion... 2nd January 2013 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Colombian GDP growth to slow further in 2013 The unexpectedly sharp slowdown in Colombian GDP growth in Q3 supports our non-consensus view that interest rates are likely to fall further. In fact, we think the central bank is now likely to cut... 20th December 2012 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Signs of improvement in Q4 Our GDP Tracker suggests that growth in Latin American has accelerated in Q4, with a recovery in Brazil offsetting a slowdown in Mexico. However, the Brazilian economy is reaching the limits of... 19th December 2012 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Chilean rates more likely to fall than rise in 2013 Chile’s economy is currently in a sweet spot between strong growth and low inflation, and we do not expect any moves in interest rates in the near term. But to the extent that rates are changed next... 14th December 2012 · 1 min read
