The Ibovespa was little changed around the 198,000 mark on Thursday, hovering near the record highs reached earlier in the week, as optimism over a potential peace deal in the Middle East continued to support investor sentiment. A key Pakistani mediator in Tehran and the Trump administration indicated progress toward a deal that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices continued to rise amid supply uncertainty, though well below recent peaks, tempering gains for Petrobras, up 0.3%. Meanwhile, that lifted major banks as energy-driven stagflation fears eased. Itaú gained 0.5%, while Bradesco and Banco do Brasil each advanced 1%. Also, Vale rose 1% on higher iron ore prices. In contrast, Ambev lost more than 2% after UBS downgraded it from sell to neutral. On the data front, the IBC-Br rose 0.6% monthly, slightly above forecasts of 0.5%, led by a 1.2% industrial expansion.
