2018.01.1520:01:00UTC+00BRAZIL: Ibovespa Rises To New Record On Expiring Stock Options

Ibovespa, the benchmark stock index in Brazil, rose 0.51% to 79,752.37 points Monday - a new record settlement - influenced by expiring stock options and data suggesting that the economic recovery in the country gained strength in November. The United States market holiday limited the local trading volume.

Analysts said that the Ibovespa might be pricing a conviction of the former Brazilian President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva in a trial scheduled for January 24. A court defeat could bar Lula from running for President in October.

"The holiday in the United States removes liquidity from the stock market, but investors are expecting January 24 much more than anything else, and apparently the stakes continue to be at Lula's conviction," said the chief economist of Home Broker Modalmais, Alvaro Bandeira.

In the short term, analysts expect Ibovespa to follow a bullish trend. The index remained at record levels even after Brazil's rating downgrade by S&P last week.

For Bandeira, the inflow of foreign investment has offset bad news and helped to sustain Ibovespa's good momentum. However, Rico Investimentos analyst Roberto Indech noted that this week brings some data in Brazil and abroad that may weigh on the stocks.

Meanwhile, the locally traded U.S. dollar turned positive in the final stretch of the trading day. The greenback's performance was influenced by the holiday of Martin Luther King in the United States, which reflected in lower trading volume. As a result, the locally traded currency closed slightly higher (+0.09%), at R$ 3,210.