BRASILIA, June 12 (Reuters) – Brazil’s central bank
chief, Roberto Campos Neto, indicated on Monday the improvement
in market conditions is paving the way for a shift in monetary
policy, while more benign inflation has increased investor bets
for earlier interest rate cuts.
Speaking at an event hosted by IDV, a group that brings
together major retailers in Latin America’s largest economy,
Campos Neto said long-term inflation expectations have started
to fall and the yield curve has dropped sharply, demonstrating
that “the market is giving credibility to what is being done” by
the central bank to reduce price pressures.
Campos Neto added that this situation “opens room for
monetary policy action ahead,” without specifying the timeframe
for such action.
Brazil’s central bank is scheduled to make its next monetary
policy decision on June 21.
The central bank has consistently expressed concern
about increased long-term inflation expectations to justify the
need to keep its benchmark interest rate at a cycle high of
13.75%, where it has remained since September despite cooling
inflation.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has criticized this
policy stance, saying it hampers economic growth.
Campos Neto on Monday predicted there would likely be a
negative inflation reading in June.
He projected inflation would end this year between 4.5%
and 5%, lower than policymakers had initially expected. However,
he said core inflation remains high.
The official inflation target for this year is 3.25%.
(Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Leslie Adler and Paul
Simao)
