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SAO PAULO, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Brazilian stocks edged loweron Friday while the currency gained ground against the U.S.dollar in a mixed reading of a decision by the U.S. FederalReserve to reverse some of its monetary stimulus measures.
Local equities fell after the Fed late on Thursdayannounced an increase in the emergency lending rate it chargesbanks. But the downside was limited after tame U.S. inflationdata helped appease some fears that this was the beginning of abroader tightening cycle in the United Sates. For more see[ID:nN19117929].
The benchmark Bovespa stock index .BVSP dipped 0.35percent to 67,597.43, bucking two sessions of gains asinvestors sought to cut positions in oil company Petrobras andmining giant Vale.
"What the Fed signaled yesterday was that in fact it won"ttighten monetary policy but move very slowly towards thenormalization of the rate," said Roberto Padovani, seniorBrazil economist with WestLB in Sao Paulo, adding that U.S.rates at the moment did not reflect the level of economicactivity.
Brazil"s currency, the real (BRBY), also strengthenedagainst the dollar, even as the latter climbed across the boardafter the Fed move. The real rose 0.9 percent to 1.805 reaisper dollar -- its strongest since late January.
The currency gained for a third day, boosted by almost $3billion in local sales of dollar holdings by nonresidentinvestors, according to data by BMFBovespa, which operates theleading stock, commodities and derivatives exchange in thecountry.
Petrobras shares (PETR4.SA) fell 0.98 percent to 34.35reais even as oil CLc1 firmed, while Vale (VALE5.SA), theworld"s biggest iron ore producer, shed 0.22 percent to 45.10reais.
Some steelmakers also fell. CSN (CSNA3.SA), the nation"ssecond-biggest maker of flat steel, shed 0.7 percent to 59.17reais. The company is involved in a bidding war for Portuguesecement maker Cimpor with two other Brazilian companies.
A plan to extend the deadline of a tender offer for Cimporthrough Feb. 22 and a possible counterbid to win at least 33percent of the Portuguese company could "weigh on its shares,"Itau Securities analyst Marcos Assumpcao said of CSN.
Yields on Brazilian interest rate futures contracts<0#DIJ:> were broadly higher after inflation readings for thenation"s broadest price index came at the high end ofexpectations and the Fed move led some investors to seek apremium on borrowing costs.
The yield on the Jan 2011 contract DIJF1, the most widelytraded in Sao Paulo, climbed 0.1 percentage point to 10.28percent. (Reporting by Guillermo Parra-Bernal and Ana Nicolaci daCosta; Editing by James Dalgleish)
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