Economic activity in Brazil fell much more than expected in August, a central bank index showed on Monday, confirming expectations of a slowdown in the second half, Reuters reported. The IBC-Br economic activity index, considered a leading indicator of gross domestic product, fell a seasonally adjusted 1.13% in August from July, more than double the 0.5% drop expected by economists polled by Reuters. In August, activity services growth once again beat expectations. The sector accounts for about 70% of the Brazilian economy and has been vital in the recovery after the pandemic.

Brazilian presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has proposed a broad consumer debt renegotiation program backed by government guarantees, aimed at relief for lower-income families if he wins an Oct. 30 runoff election, a senior adviser said, Reuters reported. Economist Guilherme Mello, who is advising Lula's Workers Party, told Reuters the government would partially guarantee renegotiations of up to 95 billion reais ($18.2 billion) of non-bank debts such as power, water, retail and phone bills, for consumers earning up to 3,600 reais ($677) per month.

The share of foreign investors in Brazilian public debt fell in August to the lowest level in more than 12 years, official data showed on Wednesday, despite high yields on government bonds, Reuters reported. According to the Treasury, the share of foreigners in domestic public debt fell to 8.84% in August, from 9.01% in July, the lowest level since December 2009. This occurred despite high yields in government bonds amid an aggressive monetary tightening to battle inflation in Latin America's largest economy.

Outstanding loans in Brazil kept growing in August, according to central bank data on Wednesday, with credit showing robustness despite rising costs amid an aggressive monetary tightening, Reuters reported. Outstanding loans were up 1.6% in August from the month before to 5.067 trillion reais ($940.48 billion). In July, outstanding loans rose 0.6%, a figure that had not yet been released by the central bank, which is still normalizing its data after a strike by its employees earlier this year.

Brazil's central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto said that policymakers aren't focusing on monetary easing at the moment as the priority remains on bringing back inflation to the official target, Reuters reported. "We've been communicating that we don't look, don't think about falling interest rates at this moment," Campos Neto said late on Monday in a speech at an event hosted by the Valor Econômico newspaper. "We think about finishing the work. Finishing the work means converging inflation," he said.

Brazil's government debt fell to its lowest level since the start of the coronavirus pandemic amid favorable fiscal data, central bank data showed on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The country's debt as a share of gross domestic product dropped to 77.6% in July, from 78% in June, the lowest figure since March 2020, when it reached 77.03%. At the peak of the spending spree to fight the pandemic, the indicator reached 89% of GDP.

Brazil posted a current account deficit of $3.5 billion in May, the worst result for the month in eight years, amid trade balance weakening, central bank figures showed on Friday, Reuters reported. A strong commodities producer, Brazil has seen its exports grow, but imports have increased at a faster pace, driven by higher prices for products such as fuel and fertilizers. In May, the trade balance surplus was $3.4 billion, down 53.3% over the same month last year.

Brazilian central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto on Tuesday predicted that inflation will reach 6.5% or a little lower this year, amid government measures that lowered taxes on key goods, Reuters reported. The estimate is more optimistic than private economists' expectations of inflation at 6.82%, according to a central bank weekly survey, but still above the official target of 3.5%, plus or minus 1.5 percentage point. "This year, inflation is going to be around 6.5%, perhaps a little bit lower.

Brazil's consumer prices decreased more than expected in July, the country's statistics agency said on Tuesday, with the steepest drop ever on the benchmark IPCA index off the back of a string of anti-inflation measures by the government and central bank, Reuters reported. Prices in Latin America's largest economy fell by 0.68% last month, the IBGE statistics agency said. It was the lowest rate recorded since inflation measurements began in January 1980, IBGE said.

Brazil's Economy Ministry expects the central government to post a primary surplus of 6 billion reais ($1.15 billion) this year, its first since 2013, according to internal estimates seen by Reuters. An official from the ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity as the calculations are not public, called the estimate conservative because it considers 36 billion reais in extraordinary dividends in 2022.