BLBG: Brazil’s Real Drops Most in a Month as Commodity Prices Fall
By Fabio Alves
Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Brazil’s real fell the most in a month after prices of copper, oil, soybeans and other raw materials declined, prompting investors to shun currencies from commodity-producing countries.
The currency declined for the first time in more than a week, dropping 1 percent to 1.8315 per dollar at 10:05 a.m. New York time, from 1.8136 yesterday. It was the biggest fall since a 2.3 percent drop on July 7. Today’s decline pared the real’s gain to 26 percent this year, the best performer against the dollar among all currencies tracked by Bloomberg.
“As the real has had a good run in the past few weeks, the drop in commodities prices is the reason for investors to sell the real and take profits,” said Gabriel Levy, an economist at Sparta Administradora de Recursos in Sao Paulo, which oversees 200 million reais ($109.3 million). “I see it as a temporary correction.”
Copper dropped 0.9 percent in New York, ending a five-day winning streak, after an unexpected contraction in U.S. service industries fueled concern that gains were exaggerated. Oil slid 1.9 percent, while soybeans fell 1.2 percent.
The UBS Bloomberg Constant Maturity Commodity Index of 26 raw materials fell for the first time in six days, slumping 1.5 percent. Commodities account for about two-thirds of Brazil’s exports.
An index of non-manufacturing businesses, which make up most of the U.S. economy, slid to 46.4 in July, the Institute for Supply Management said yesterday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had predicted a gain. Also yesterday, ADP Employer Services said companies cut 371,000 workers from payrolls in July, above the average estimate in a Bloomberg survey.
To contact the reporter on this story: Fabio Alves in New York at falves3@bloomberg.net