Brazil is out of recession. But should you buy it?

President Michel Temer and economic ministers will celebrate the growth of 1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of this year, compared to Q4 of 2016, excluding seasonal factors. When they do this, they will actually be celebrating the growth of agriculture and foreign demand (exports). Domestic demand – household consumption and investments – continued to fall and with worse results than expected.In the economists’ estimates, GDP would grow, on average, 0.9% in the first quarter of 2017 QoQ, in the seasonally adjusted series. Here, the recorded growth of 1% was slightly higher. But economists predicted 9.4% growth in agriculture and the GDP brought a rise of 13.4%. In industry, the result was also better, of 0.9% against a forecast of 0.8%. The services sector remained stable, but the expectation was a growth of 0.3%.

It is on the demand side that the GDP has been more frustrating. Economists projected the first increase (of 0.4%) after eight consecutive quarters of falling household consumption. The IBGE indicated, however, a further retraction of 0.1%, postponing the recovery. And the investment retreat was much deeper than expected. Estimates indicated a small decline of 0.3%, but the reality was cruel and the figure was negative at 1.6%. All comparisons are QoQ, minus the seasonal effects.

Weak domestic demand is also clear in trade data, down 0.6% from the end of last year.

The government may even celebrate the outcome, but from the standpoint of indicating a domestic recovery, GDP in the first quarter was worse than expected. And the political crisis and the signal issued yesterday by the Monetary Policy Committee (Copom) that the interest rate down trend will slow down, act to further delay the good news, so long awaited.