Latin America Economics Update Chilean rates to rise further The Central Bank of Chile (CBC) hiked interest rates by 25bps to 3.5% last night. Growing economic imbalances and the threat of higher inflation mean that rates will rise further over the coming... 17th February 2011 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Inflation still being driven by food and energy prices Data released this morning show that rising global commodity prices continue to be the main driver of inflation in both Brazil and Chile. But while these effects may fade over the course of 2011... 8th February 2011 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Chilean rates on hold, but further hikes are likely Last night, the Central Bank of Chile (CBC) held interest rates at 3.25% but highlighted the need for further monetary tightening. Accordingly, we are sticking to our below-consensus forecast for... 14th January 2011 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Chile joins the 'currency war' The Central Bank of Chile (CBC) will begin intervening in the currency market tomorrow in a bid to weaken the peso. But while the peso has fallen by 5% against the dollar today, history suggests that... 4th January 2011 · 1 min read
Latin America Chart Pack Growth to stay strong in 2011 but imbalances will widen The outlook for Latin America in 2011 is, on the whole, pretty good. We expect almost all countries in the region to grow at around their potential rates next year. But while there are few concerns... 21st December 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Chilean rates edge higher but future pace of tightening will slow The Central Bank of Chile (CBC) hiked interest rates by 25bps to 3.25% last night, as expected. But the tone of the accompanying statement was less hawkish than in previous months, reinforcing our... 17th December 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Could the next move in Brazilian rates be down? The incoming administration in Brazil has a historic opportunity to re-balance the policy mix in favour of tighter fiscal policy and looser monetary policy (and a weaker currency). What’s more, there... 16th December 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Economic Outlook Outlook good but testing times lie ahead The outlook for Latin America remains good and, while the developed world will struggle to grow by 2% next year, we expect the region as a whole to grow by 4%. Brazil, Chile, Peru and Colombia will... 14th December 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Currency concerns to temper rate hikes Strong capital inflows continue to create something of a headache for policymakers in Latin America. On the one hand, growth should remain strong over the coming quarters, while the inflation outlook... 29th November 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Chilean economy completes its recovery The Chilean economy has recovered the loss in output stemming from February’s earthquake and is on track to grow by 5.5% both this year and next. By contrast, the outlook for Venezuela remains bleak. 18th November 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Interest rate hikes to remain gradual in Chile The Central Bank of Chile (CBC) hiked interest rates by 25bps to 3.0% last night. The strength of the peso means that rate hikes are likely to remain gradual over the coming months. Accordingly... 17th November 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Chart Pack Not in a bubble... yet The prospect of further policy easing in the developed world is stoking fears about asset price bubbles in Latin America. High commodity prices, good growth prospects and comparatively high returns... 28th October 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Learning to live with higher capital inflows Policymakers across the region are facing a tricky balancing act. On the one hand, capital inflows are likely to remain healthy over the coming months. Additional liquidity generated by further policy... 18th October 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Chile responds to soaring peso Last night’s decision by the Central Bank of Chile (BCC) to slow the pace of monetary tightening was driven entirely by currency considerations. Fiscal policy will have to play a key role in managing... 15th October 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Chart Pack Capital controls back on the agenda Governments in Latin America are becoming increasingly concerned about rapid currency appreciation, and for good reason. For a start, most currencies (with the notable exception of the Mexican peso)... 30th September 2010 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Treading carefully After a rapid rebound from last year’s recession, it seems that growth in Latin America is now starting to ease to a more sustainable pace. Monetary tightening has further to run in Chile and Peru... 20th September 2010 · 1 min read
