(MENAFN- The Rio Times) Brazil's financial markets open today with Morgan Stanley projecting a potential Ibovespa surge to 200,000 points by end-2026, implying 27% upside in local currency.

This projection assumes Central Bank rate cuts begin in Q1 2026 and post-election fiscal discipline curbs spending noise. Under these conditions, domestic flows could shift from fixed income to equities amid stronger profits and higher multiples.

However, Trump's partial tariff relief on 200 food imports, including Brazilian coffee and beef, leaves a 40% penalty intact on many goods, widening the U.S. trade deficit and eroding market share for specialty exports versus competitors like Colombia, sustaining uncertainty for agribusiness investments and productivity.

Brazil's right-wing opposition is testing a 2026 presidential ticket pairing São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas with Michelle Bolsonaro to rally Bolsonarismo amid Jair Bolsonaro's ineligibility.

The strategy seeks to combine Tarcísio's pro-market, infrastructure-focused profile with Michelle's strong evangelical base to broaden national appeal.

At the same time, courts are reshaping the political field through probes into fraud near Lula's circle and investigations involving Bolsonaro family defendants. The result is heightened political volatility ahead of key reforms.

On a stabilizing note, Brazil and Paraguay reopen Itaipu dam talks in December post-spy row resolution, aiming to revise financial Annex C for balanced energy tariffs-Paraguay seeking higher payments and sales flexibility, Brazil prioritizing cheap industrial power-potentially unlocking $600 million annual flows and regional energy security.



Today's Brazilian print is the IBC-Br Economic Activity Index (MoM) at 08:00 AM BRT (consensus: -0.1%, previous: -0.2%).

This key proxy for GDP, capturing industrial output, services, and agriculture, matters because a milder contraction or rebound would affirm cooling yet resilient activity from tight Selic policy.

Such a scenario would bolster early 2026 rate-cut conviction, support BRL stability, and fuel equity rotation into cyclicals. Conversely, a deeper drop could amplify slowdown fears, reinforce hawkish Central Bank holds, pressure the real, and cap foreign inflows amid fiscal scrutiny.
Key global prints steer sentiment:

• 08:15 AM BRT U.S. ADP Employment Change (Oct) (consensus: 150K, previous: -11.25K);
  
• 09:15 AM BRT U.S. Industrial Production (MoM) (Oct) (consensus: 0.3%, previous: 0.1%);
  
• 10:00 AM BRT U.S. NAHB Housing Market Index (Nov) (consensus: 37, previous: 37).
  

These matter because robust ADP/jobs data could temper Fed cut odds, firming the dollar and commodities drag for Brazil's exports; soft industrial/housing reads signal U.S. slowdown, easing USD pressure, lifting EM risk appetite, and aiding Ibovespa recovery from overbought consolidation.
Economic Agenda for November 18, 2025
Brazil

• 08:00 AM BRT – IBC-Br Economic Activity Index (MoM) (Sep) Cons: -0.1% Prev: -0.2%
  Implication: Milder drop = Selic easing bets firm, BRL bid, cyclical stocks rally; sharp contraction = policy restraint, currency weakness.
  

Mexico

• 11:00 AM BRT – Economic Activity (MoM) (Sep) Cons: 0.1% Prev: -0.1%
  
• 11:00 AM BRT – Economic Activity (YoY) (Sep) Cons: 2.5% Prev: 2.4%
  Implication: Stronger activity = peso resilience amid U.S. spill; weakness risks carry unwind and MXN depreciation.
  

United States

• 08:15 AM BRT – ADP Employment Change (Oct) Cons: 150K Prev: -11.25K
  
• 09:15 AM BRT – Industrial Production (MoM) (Oct) Cons: 0.3% Prev: 0.1%
  
• 10:00 AM BRT – NAHB Housing Market Index (Nov) Cons: 37 Prev: 37
  Implication: Strong ADP/industrial = Fed pause odds rise, DXY firm, EM selloff hits Ibovespa; weak housing = cut conviction, dollar ease, commodity relief for Petrobras/Vale.
  

Europe

• 03:00 AM BRT – German PPI (MoM) (Oct) Cons: 0.2% Prev: 0.1%
  
• 04:00 AM BRT – Eurozone Trade Balance (EUR) (Sep) Cons: 20.0B Prev: 18.5B
  
• 05:00 AM BRT – ECB's Elderson Speaks
  
• 08:00 AM BRT – BoE MPC Member Pill Speaks
  Implication: Dovish ECB/BoE tones = EUR/GBP weakness, BRL tailwind via softer commodities; hawkish pushback caps easing, dollar spillover pressures LatAm FX.
  

Asia

• 01:50 AM BRT – Japan Adjusted Trade Balance (Oct) Cons: -0.13T JPY Prev: -0.31T JPY
  
• 01:50 AM BRT – Japan Core Machinery Orders (MoM) (Sep) Cons: 2.3% Prev: -0.9%
  
• 01:50 AM BRT – Japan Core Machinery Orders (YoY) (Sep) Cons: 5.4% Prev: 1.6%
  
• 02:30 AM BRT – Australia Wage Price Index (QoQ) (Q3) Cons: 0.8% Prev: 0.8%
  
• 02:30 AM BRT – Australia Wage Price Index (YoY) (Q3) Cons: N/A Prev: 3.4%
  Implication: Improved Japan trade/orders = JPY bid, commodity drag for Brazil; sticky Australia wages = RBA hold bets, AUD strength pressures iron ore/soy via China spill.
  

Why These Events Matter: Brazil's IBC-Br gauges slowdown depth-resilience keeps rate-cut optimism alive, drawing inflows and lifting defensives.

Mexico's activity shapes nearshoring flows; U.S. ADP/industrial/housing set Fed path; soft data extends EM rally, while firm prints amid shutdown delays curb gains on Brazil's uneven reforms.

Europe's PPI/trade/ECB influence EUR nexus, with dovish reads aiding Brazil's steel/grain exports amid tariff overhangs. Asia's Japan/Australia prints tone commodity flows, with soft Japan supporting BRL exports and firm wages capping RBA easing for AUD-linked agribusiness.
Brazil's Markets Yesterday
Brazil's equities edged lower amid global risk-off, with the Ibovespa declining 0.47% to 156,992.93 as Wall Street retreated from AI leaders ahead of Nvidia earnings and European profit-taking on“bubble” fears rippled through, compounded by the IBC-Br's -0.2% September drop and Q3 contraction signaling tighter policy bite despite 5%+ federal spending.

The dollar advanced 0.64% to R$5.33 on Fed Vice Chair Jefferson's“proceed slowly” caution, trimming December cut odds and favoring USD amid U.S. shutdown data delays, intersecting Brazil's cooling activity and Focus inflation easing to 4.46% for selective foreign caution.

Defensives rotated in, with MBRF surging 4.9% on Q3 results and China poultry import reopenings, CVC/Assaí/Cemig/Suzano gaining 2.4–3.3% on dollar strength and news; Petrobras rose on Campos Basin oil discovery despite softer Brent.

Losers featured Rumo's 9.1% plunge on weak Q3 and high expenses, Vamos/Magazine Luiza/CSN/Cosan down 3–7% on leverage worries, and Vale lagging on Samarco legal risks.

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U.S. Markets Yesterday
U.S. stocks closed lower on November 17, 2025, with the S&P 500 dropping 0.9% to 6,672.41, Dow falling 1.2% to 46,590.24, Nasdaq declining 0.8% to 22,708.07, and Russell 2000 losing 2%.

Tech and AI led the selloff, Nvidia down 1.8% pre-earnings, Bitcoin below $92,000 weighing crypto stocks; caution stemmed from Fed patience signals, shutdown-delayed data, and rate reassessments, though YTD gains hold at 13.4% S&P, 9.5% Dow, 17.6% Nasdaq.

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Mexico's Market Yesterday
Mexico's IPC index dipped slightly to around 62,300 from monthly records above 64,000 as global caution weighed, though YTD strength persists; the peso paused near 18.45–18.48 per dollar after rallying, consolidating amid USD rebound and Banxico's cautious 25bp cut to 7.25% on core inflation.

Leaders: Kimberly-Clark de México, Grupo Herdez, Axtel, Organización Cultiba, Grupo Carso on defensive staples rotation; laggards: Qualitas, Grupo Bimbo, Inbursa, Grupo Vasconia, Vista Oil & Gas amid earnings repricing.

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Argentina's Market Yesterday
Argentina's peso steadied with retail at 1,415, wholesale under 1,400, blue at 1,435, and 3–4% official-blue gap via interventions despite 30%+ inflation and thin reserves; S&P Merval slid 2.2% to 2.93 million, snapping post-deal rally on financials selloff like Supervielle/Edenor/Banco Macro down 4.5–5.5%, offset by infrastructure gains in Transportadora de Gas del Sur (+4%).

Global X MSCI Argentina ETF fell to $90 on foreign trimming; uptrend persists above 200-day average but oversold correction risks linger.

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Colombia's Market Yesterday
Colombia's peso paused near 3,757 USD/COP after rallying below 3,700, with $1.1bn volume reflecting profit-taking as $4.1–5.3bn government dollar sales near limits; Colcap equities rose 0.96% to 2,071.23, up ~50% YTD on pension/foreign inflows pre-rebalance, led by Fabricato/Grupo Éxito/Banco de Occidente.

High rates/easing inflation support, but DXY rise and wage/spending risks cap; Q3 GDP (~3% YoY) looms key.

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Chile's Market Yesterday
Chile's peso firmed to 924 USD/CLP from 912 intraday, buoyed by narrowing current-account deficit, 1.8% GDP growth, and copper at $5/lb; IPSA surged 3.1% to record 9,904 on election optimism, with right-leaning forces topping 50% first-round vote for fiscal discipline/investment predictability, led by SQM-B (+11.3%)/Cintac (+10.7%)/Ripley (+9.1%). DXY at 99.5 tempers, but copper stability aids despite London dip.

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Commodities
Brazilian Real
The real weakened to 5.33 USD/BRL, pressured by IBC-Br's -0.2% September drop and Q3 contraction underscoring slowdown despite fiscal push, intersecting Fed's“proceed slowly” caution trimming cut odds amid shutdown data gaps, favoring safe-haven USD flows even as DXY edges up modestly; the pair bounces off R$5.26–5.28 support, consolidates in R$5.30–5.38, with resistance at R$5.35–5.38 and upside risks from uneven reforms and U.S. payroll backlog.

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Cryptocurrencies
Crypto markets plunged as leverage unwound and sentiment flipped to extreme fear; Bitcoin tumbled below $90,000 from $126,000 October peak (-~29%), Ether above $3,000 (-~10% est.), Solana ~$137 (-~8%), XRP ~$2.14 (-~7%), Litecoin ~$91 (-~6%), amplified by $800M–$1B liquidations, $2B ETF outflows ($1.4B Bitcoin, heavy Ether), and BlackRock IBIT's $460M single-day exit; technicals bearish with Bitcoin 's death cross below trendline/averages, supports at $86K–$88K, $80K, $75K unless $103K reclaim.

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Companies and Market
Industry Outlook
Earnings season highlights resilience in a high-rate environment, with foreign dominance on B3 at 58.3% of market value, rising to 73% in top stocks.

This has fueled more than 30% year-to-date Ibovespa gains through liquidity and income flows. Momentum favors firms with strong governance while penalizing instability.

Q3 results span healthcare shocks, homebuilders, fuels, retail shifts at Carrefour, fintechs, utilities, logistics names like Simpar, Randon, and Vamos, tech firms such as Positivo, infrastructure players like Ecorodovias and Armac, materials companies including Eternit and Braskem, energy firms like Eneva, travel operator CVC, and exchanges like B3.

All of this unfolds amid steel import pressures and the persistence of the grain boom. Adding to the optimism, Morgan Stanley's call for a 200K Ibovespa hinges on Central Bank rate cuts and post-election political clarity.

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Key Developments
Grupo Tóký, Oncoclínicas, Rumo Q3 net profits: Grupo Tóký loss R$0.3m (improved from R$22m YoY, revenue +125% to R$340m, EBITDA R$71m from negative, GMV R$494m, restructuring via R$25m debt-to-equity); Oncoclínicas loss R$1.88bn (adjusted R$98m, revenue -14% to R$1.41bn, EBITDA R$241m, R$900m+ provisions/R$650m write-downs, R$1bn capital raise for leverage cut); Rumo R$733m (-7.6% YoY, revenue +1.8% to R$3.82bn, EBITDA +4.5% to R$2.31bn, volumes +8.2%, net debt +46% to 1.9x leverage).

Tóký nears breakeven on doubling revenue; Oncoclínicas shifts to cash protection post-expansion; Rumo resilient on volumes despite tariffs/costs.

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