BRASÍLIA: Brazil stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Public Utilities, Electric Power and Financials sectors led shares higher. At the close in Sao Paulo, the Bovespa gained 0.51%. The best performers of the session on the Bovespa were Lojas Renner SA (SA:LREN3), which rose 4.20% or 1.10 points to trade at 27.30 at the close. Meanwhile, CEMIG – Companhia Energetica Minas Gerais Pref (SA:CMIG4) added 3.87% or 0.38 points to end at 10.21 and Equatorial Energia SA (SA:EQTL3) was up 3.24% or 1.80 points to 57.40 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Metalurgica Gerdau SA (SA:GOAU4), which fell 4.01% or 0.21 points to trade at 5.03 at the close. Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais (SA:USIM5) declined 2.88% or 0.12 points to end at 4.05 and Gerdau SA Pref (SA:GGBR4) was down 2.62% or 0.30 points to 11.15.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange by 183 to 177 and 27 ended unchanged. The CBOE Brazil Etf Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Bovespa options, was down 3.05% to 34.59. Gold Futures for April delivery was down 0.18% or 2.25 to $1244.95 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May rose 0.96% or 0.46 to hit $48.16 a barrel, while the May US coffee C contract fell 2.07% or 2.91 to trade at $137.57. USD/BRL was down 0.96% to 3.1103, while EUR/BRL fell 0.64% to 3.3605. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.05% at 99.51.
