Brazil March Inflation Faster Than Every Economist Estimate

Brazil’s consumer prices rose more in March than economists estimated, increasing pressure on the central bank to extend the world’s longest cycle of interest rate increases. Swap rates increased.

Inflation as measured by the benchmark IPCA index accelerated to 0.92 percent from 0.69 percent in February, the national statistics agency said today in Rio de Janeiro. That was faster than forecast by all 40 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, whose median estimate was for an 0.85 percent rise. Annual inflation quickened to 6.15 percent from 5.68 percent, marking its fastest rate since July.