2018.02.1914:43:00UTC+00BRAZIL: Economists Raise 12-month Inflation Forecast To 4.04%

The median forecast for Brazil's consumer price inflation in the next 12 months increased to 4.04% from 4.03% last week, according to economists surveyed by the South American country's central bank.

For 2018, the economists decreased the median inflation estimate for the third consecutive week, to 3.81%, from 3.84% in the previous survey. For 2019, the forecast has been at 4.25% for 45 weeks.

The annual inflation rate in Brazil decelerated to 2.86% in January, after closing 2017 at 2.95%, remaining below the bottom of the central bank's target for 2017, which ranged from 3% to 6%.