The Ibovespa fell 0.61% on Friday, March 6, closing at 179,300 points, impacted by the Middle East war and a weak US payroll. The conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran drove up oil prices, raising global inflation concerns. Analysts see room for US interest rate cuts, but risks remain.
Brazil's main B3 index, the Ibovespa, fell 0.61% on Friday, March 6, to 179,300 points, while the dollar closed lower at 5.24 reais. The week was marked by global risk aversion due to the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which boosted the Brent oil barrel price by 8.61% to 92.76 dollars.
In the international arena, the US employment report, known as payroll, revealed a loss of 92,000 jobs in February, against expectations of about 55,000 new positions, according to economists surveyed by Reuters. Bruno Shahini, investment specialist at Nomad, stated that the weak number could reopen space for interest rate cuts in the country, though the escalation of the conflict with Iran creates uncertainties about energy prices and global inflation.
In Brazil, Secretary Uallace Moreira from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services advocated strengthening the domestic market as a way out for economic growth amid the turbulent scenario. He criticized the Central Bank's maintenance of the Selic rate at 15% per year under Gabriel Galípolo, arguing it contracts the internal market and worsens public accounts. "Surviving the insanity of this country's interest rate policy, no other industry in the world would survive," Moreira paraphrased, quoting Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz.
Moreira highlighted policies like Nova Indústria Brasil, with a R$70 billion boost, and the Move Brasil program, which has already consumed R$4.2 billion from a R$10 billion line. In 2024, the manufacturing industry grew 3.8%, but receded the previous year due to high interest rates. The government sees household consumption, representing 63% of GDP, as key to resuming growth with interest rate reductions and income tax exemptions.
In the domestic market, Petrobras reported a net profit of 110 billion reais in 2025 and approved the distribution of 8.1 billion in dividends and interest on own capital for the fourth quarter. The company's shares rose 3.49%. Banks such as Santander (-2.51%), Bradesco (-1.41%), Itaú (-1.33%), and Banco do Brasil (-1%) posted negative performance.
