BRASÍLIA: Brazil stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Financials, Public Utilities and Basic Materials sectors led shares higher. At the close in Sao Paulo, the Bovespa added 0.86%. The best performers of the session on the Bovespa were Companhia Brasileira deDistribuicao (SA:PCAR4), which rose 5.31% or 3.07 points to trade at 60.89 at the close. Meanwhile, Petroleo Brasileiro SA PN (SA:PETR4) added 5.08% or 0.66 points to end at 13.66 and Metalurgica Gerdau SA (SA:GOAU4) was up 3.64% or 0.19 points to 5.41 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Suzano Papel e Celulose SA (SA:SUZB5), which fell 2.38% or 0.32 points to trade at 13.11 at the close. WEG SA (SA:WEGE3) declined 2.38% or 0.40 points to end at 16.40 and CEMIG – Companhia Energetica Minas Gerais Pref (SA:CMIG4) was down 2.09% or 0.21 points to 9.83. Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange by 180 to 161 and 33 ended unchanged. The CBOE Brazil Etf Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Bovespa options, was up 3.15% to 34.35 a new 1-month high. Gold Futures for April delivery was up 0.14% or 1.75 to $1248.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in May fell 0.19% or 0.09 to hit $48.15 a barrel, while the May US coffee C contract fell 2.02% or 2.92 to trade at $141.60 . USD/BRL was down 0.00% to 3.0884, while EUR/BRL fell 0.03% to 3.3355. The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.08% at 99.47.