The average interest rate on the issue of domestic federal debt rose to 12.23% in January from 12.08% in December, to the highest level since April 2017. Treasury Secretary Rogerio Ceron told Reuters earlier this month that the government was holding off issuing debt due to the pricing that potential investors were seeking.
Brazil's yield curve steepened as President Luiz Inacio
Lula da Silva criticized the central bank for keeping its
benchmark interest rate at a six-year high of 13.75%.
The Treasury's liquidity reserve, which allows the
government to have flexibility in debt management amid market
volatility, fell 18.9% in January from December, to 953.4
billion reais.
In a statement, the Treasury said the volume still
"guarantees payment for the next 7.62 months ahead of
maturities, therefore well above the 3 months of maturities
taken as the prudential limit for debt management."
($1 = 5.2201 reais)
(Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Aurora Ellis)