Weekly Report - 21 December 2017 (WR-17-50)

BRAZIL | Economy picking up. Data from Brazil’s central bank (BCB) shows economic activity was up in October, in another sign that Brazil has emerged from its two-year recession. Activity increased by 0.29% on the previous month, following a 0.27% decline between August and September. In the month of October, economic activity grew by 2.92% compared to the same time last year. This is driven by lower interest rates and inflation rates, which have increased investment and consumer purchasing power.