Investing.com – Brazil stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Public Utilities, Basic Materials and Electric Power sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sao Paulo, the Bovespa rose 0.25%.
The best performers of the session on the Bovespa were Estacio Participacoes SA (SA:ESTC3), which rose 4.00% or 1.24 points to trade at 32.23 at the close. Meanwhile, Metalurgica Gerdau SA (SA:GOAU4) added 3.62% or 0.20 points to end at 5.73 and Klabin Unt (SA:KLBN11) was up 2.82% or 0.48 points to 17.50 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were RUMO Logistica Operadora Multimodal SA (SA:RAIL3), which fell 2.07% or 0.24 points to trade at 11.33 at the close. Marfrig Alimentos SA (SA:MRFG3) declined 1.60% or 0.11 points to end at 6.75 and Petroleo Brasileiro SA (SA:PETR3) was down 1.58% or 0.25 points to 15.56.
Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the BM&FBovespa Stock Exchange by 230 to 196 and 44 ended unchanged.
The CBOE Brazil Etf Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Bovespa options, was down 12.13% to 25.86 a new 3-months low.
Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.12% or 1.50 to $1258.60 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 0.42% or 0.24 to hit $57.28 a barrel, while the March US coffee C contract rose 0.37% or 0.45 to trade at $120.67 .
USD/BRL was down 1.40% to 3.2950, while EUR/BRL fell 1.57% to 3.8747.
The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.32% at 93.94.