Brazilian equities closed broadly lower on Thursday, as sector-level weakness in Financials, Electric Power and Consumption weighed on the market. At the Sao Paulo close, the benchmark Bovespa index ended the session down 0.39%.
Leading the winners on the board, Companhia de Saneamento de Minas Gerais Copasa MG (BVMF:CSMG3) advanced 4.32% - a gain of 2.19 points - to finish the day at 52.92. Shares of Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA USIMINAS Pref (BVMF:USIM5) climbed 4.11%, up 0.42 points to close at 10.69, while Companhia Siderurgica Nacional (BVMF:CSNA3) rose 3.82%, or 0.25 points, to end the session at 6.80.
On the downside, Azzas 2154 SA (BVMF:AZZA3) was the weakest performer, sliding 3.87% - a decline of 0.80 points - to close at 20.03. Magazine Luiza SA (BVMF:MGLU3) fell 3.79%, down 0.25 points to 6.39 at the close. Sendas Distribuidora SA (BVMF:ASAI3) also retreated, losing 2.92% or 0.27 points to finish at 8.98.
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the B3 exchange, with 500 stocks down versus 437 rising, while 45 issues finished unchanged.
Among individual stock milestones, Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA USIMINAS Pref (BVMF:USIM5) reached a 52-week high during the session, finishing the day up 4.11% or 0.42 at 10.69.
Volatility measures and commodities displayed mixed activity. The CBOE Brazil ETF Volatility was higher, up 1.11% to 31.89. In commodities trading, Gold Futures for August delivery rose 1.08%, or $48.40, to $4,529.90 a troy ounce. Crude oil for July delivery increased 0.14%, or $0.12, to $88.80 a barrel, while the July US coffee C contract climbed 1.50%, or $4.05, to trade at $273.90.
Currency moves noted in the session included USD/BRL, which was down 0.41% to 5.04, and EUR/BRL, which fell 0.29% to 5.88. The US Dollar Index Futures was lower as well, down 0.18% at 98.97.
The market closed with a modest breadth skew toward declines and a small increase in implied volatility, while selected commodities and currency pairs posted divergent moves through the session.