The Ibovespa fell 0.4% on Wednesday, closing at 176,011 points after the release of a new election poll and amid rising tensions in the Middle East. A Genial/Quaest survey showed President Lula leading Flávio Bolsonaro by eight percentage points in a simulated second-round runoff.
In external markets, oil prices advanced as the worsening US–Iran conflict intensified fears of disruptions to global supply, reigniting inflation concerns. Most financial stocks ended lower, with Itaú down 1.1%. Axia dropped 4.2% after Goldman Sachs cut its forecast for the company’s adjusted EBITDA, citing the recent decline in energy prices, which is expected to pressure second-quarter results.
Ambev lost 1.5% despite receiving a “buy” recommendation from BB Investimentos. In contrast, Vale gained 0.7%, supported by a slight increase in iron ore prices.