Markets Split on Cooling U.S. Jobs Signals as Brazil’s Real Holds Near R$5.39 and Outflows Draw Scrutiny

Overview

• ADP showed 41,000 private U.S. jobs added in December and JOLTS reported roughly 7.1 million openings in November, both pointing to further labor-market cooling.
• U.S. equities ended mixed on consecutive sessions, with defense shares buoyed by President Donald Trump’s push for higher military spending and technology stocks weaker.
• Brazil’s Ibovespa slipped about 1% on Wednesday under U.S. jobs data and Venezuela tensions, then stabilized on Thursday as investors weighed fresh U.S. claims figures.
• The Brazilian real was little changed, with the dollar closing near R$5.386–R$5.389 as low local liquidity persisted and global caution set in before the payroll release.
• Brazil’s central bank reported about US$33.3 billion in net FX outflows for 2025, while the Banco Master case and concerns over the CVM leadership pick kept local risk sentiment fragile.