Investing.com – Brazil stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Basic Materials, Public Utilities and Electric Power sectors led shares higher.
At the close in Sao Paulo, the Bovespa gained 0.56%.
The best performers of the session on the Bovespa were Metalurgica Gerdau SA (SA:GOAU4), which rose 6.44% or 0.30 points to trade at 4.96 at the close. Meanwhile, Kroton Educacional SA (SA:KROT3) added 5.67% or 0.76 points to end at 14.16 and Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (SA:ELET6) was up 5.00% or 0.81 points to 17.00 in late trade.
The worst performers of the session were Cia Paranaense de Energia (SA:CPLE6), which fell 2.55% or 0.64 points to trade at 24.43 at the close. Qualicorp SA (SA:QUAL3) declined 1.79% or 0.53 points to end at 29.08 and Raia Drogasil SA (SA:RADL3) was down 1.39% or 0.99 points to 70.40.
Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange by 182 to 172 and 39 ended unchanged.
The CBOE Brazil Etf Volatility, which measures the implied volatility of Bovespa options, was down 3.15% to 31.67.
Gold Futures for August delivery was up 0.31% or 3.88 to $1250.78 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in August rose 1.22% or 0.54 to hit $44.78 a barrel, while the September US coffee C contract fell 0.45% or 0.57 to trade at $125.15 .
USD/BRL was down 0.93% to 3.2832, while EUR/BRL fell 0.57% to 3.7358.
The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.45% at 95.75.