MONDAY, MAY 26, 2014
SAO PAULO–Economists slightly increased their growth outlook for Brazil in 2014, but they reduced their view for next year, a weekly central bank survey published Monday showed.
The 100 respondents in the survey raised their estimates for economic growth this year to 1.63% from 1.62%, while they cut their 2015 estimate to 1.96% from 2%.
Meanwhile, economists raised their estimates for Brazil’s consumer-price index, or IPCA, at the end of this year by the second-consecutive week, this time to 6.47% from 6.43% and maintained their view for next year at 6%.
Respondents kept their view for the Selic interest rate at the end of this year at 11.25% and reduced their view for next year to 12% from 12.25%.
The Brazilian real is expected to end this year at BRL2.45 to the U.S. dollar, according to the survey.
The forecast for the trade surplus this year was kept at $3 billion, while the current-account deficit view was raised to $80 billion from $79.30 billion.