Latin America Publications
Below is a list of our Latin America Publications for the last 5 months. If you are looking for reports older than 5 months please email info@pantheonmacro.com, or contact your account rep
Please use the filters on the right to search for a specific date or topic.
Chartbook Weekly Monitor
INCREASED GEOPOLITICAL RISK…
- …FORCING SOME CENTRAL BANKS TO MOVE TO THE SIDELINES
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Banxico cut, but one dissenting vote signals caution as inflation expectations drift further from the target.
- Forward guidance was softer; the Board dropped the reference to steady cuts, indicating a possible pause.
- Weak domestic demand supports disinflation; real rates remain well above neutral.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- The COPOM defied consensus, raising the Selic to 15.00%, and signalled a hawkish extended pause.
- Persistent inflation and deanchored expectations are keeping Brazil’s policy tight despite activity slowing.
- Chile’s BCCh paused again; easing will depend on data amid resilient growth and global headwinds.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- A stronger BRL and improved food supply helped ease headline inflation pressures in Brazil in May.
- Services and regulated prices continue to drive core inflation above the BCB’s 3% target.
- The BCB will hold rates, but fiscal risk and global uncertainty threaten to derail the recent price stability.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
TRADE TRUCE BRINGS LATAM MODEST GAINS…
- …BUT DOMESTIC FRAGILITIES UNDERMINE GROWTH PROSPECTS
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- A record agricultural harvest fuelled Brazil’s Q1 growth, but momentum is likely to slow.
- Services and capex held up, while industrial output shrank due to restrictive monetary policy.
- The job market’s resilience complicates the COPOM’s position, but conditions will deteriorate soon enough.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Mexico’s current account deficit narrowed sharply in Q1, thanks to resilient exports and remittance inflows.
- Financial inflows weakened amid US trade tensions, global volatility, and domestic political uncertainty.
- The proposed US remittance tax and economic slow- down threaten to disrupt Mexico’s external stability.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Banxico cut rates again, but its tone was more cautious due to the recent uptick in Mexico’s inflation.
- Economic activity is weak, and inflation is within the target range, supporting the case for further easing.
- Argentina’s inflation slowed sharply in April, defying expectations after the FX liberalisation.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Headline and core inflation in Mexico rose in April, driven mainly by seasonal services price rises…
- …But underlying trends are contained and demand remains subdued, allowing Banxico to cut this week.
- Peru’s BCRP cut rates to 4.50% and signalled a shift towards neutral, as inflation is well anchored, for now.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Colombia’s central bank resumes its cautious easing cycle amid fragile growth and persistent inflation risks.
- BanRep balances disinflation momentum with fiscal slippage and intensifying external noise.
- Uncoordinated policy signals undermine credibility as Colombia faces deteriorating fundamentals.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
LATAM SHIELDS ITSELF AMID TARIFF TURMOIL…
- …BUT VULNERABILITIES AND RISKS REMAIN ELEVATED
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Inflation pressures in Brazil deepened in April, driven by food and healthcare, with risks tilted upwards.
- The BCB will hike on May 7 as it battles sticky services inflation; will it move to the sidelines thereafter?
- Fiscal fragility and currency volatility complicate the policy mix, threatening inflation and market stability.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- In LatAm, Mexico is by far the most exposed to US tariffs and global economic slowdown risk.
- Commodity-price declines and Chinese weakness add fresh headwinds to regional export growth.
- Currency volatility, weaker remittances and soft capex will drag, but rate cuts offer relief.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Argentina has begun to dismantle the ‘cepo’, marking an historic shift towards currency normalisation.
- The FX liberalisation narrows gaps, boosts confidence and marks a break from past interventionism.
- Short-term inflation risks prevail, but fiscal and monetary tightening are restoring macro discipline.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Mr. Trump’s tariff uncertainty will continue to weigh on LatAm’s prospects, despite it not being hit too hard.
- Mexico is aiming for fiscal discipline, but rising debt and optimistic forecasts threaten its credibility, again.
- Structural reforms, a Pemex overhaul and looking beyond the US are key to stabilising its debt outlook.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Banxico extends easing with another 50bp cut, citing disinflation and weakening economic activity.
- Policymakers are likely to maintain their pace near term, before gradually shifting to smaller rate cuts.
- US auto tariffs threaten Mexico’s exports, manufacturing supply chains and capex outlook.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
CENTRAL BANKS FACE A COMPLEX EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT…
- …VIGILANCE AND POLICY ADJUSTMENTS ARE NEEDED
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Argentina’s economy enjoyed a solid end to 2024, and the outlook remains benign, though not risk-free.
- Growth prospects are driven by exports, capex, structural improvements in key sectors, and disinflation.
- Mr. Milei will have to balance fiscal discipline with IMF negotiations and political resistance to reforms.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- Brazil’s retail sector is struggling as spending weakens amid uncertainty and higher interest rates.
- The service sector is slowing; high borrowing costs and softening labour-market conditions are drags.
- The trade war forces central banks to adopt a cautious approach, delaying a faster regional economic upturn.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
- The US tariff delay brings temporary relief, but uncertainty looms beyond April; capex will still be hurt.
- Brazil’s real GDP slowed sharply in Q4, due to falling private consumption and softening capex.
- H1 will be better, at face value, thanks to robust agricultural output and government stimulus.
Andrés Abadía (Chief LatAm Economist)Latin America
