BRASILIA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian financial analysts slightly downgraded their 2021 growth forecast, from a 3.49 percent to 3.4 percent expansion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Central Bank of Brazil said Monday.
The forecast followed a projected 4.36 percent drop in the GDP in 2020.
According to the bank's weekly survey of the country's top financial institutions, the analysts also cut estimated inflation for 2021 from 3.34 percent to 3.32 percent.
The forecast inflation falls within the government's target goal of 3.75 percent in 2021, with a 1.5-percent margin of tolerance.
Regarding the benchmark interest rate, currently at 2 percent annually, the analysts adjusted their forecast from 3.13 percent to 3 percent by the end of 2021.
The exports and imports trade balance is expected to deliver a surplus of 55.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2021.
Foreign direct investment in Brazil is expected to reach 60 billion dollars this year, while the number was 40 billion dollars last year. Enditem
