SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – Brazil’s economy expanded just 0.2 percent in the first quarter compared with the final quarter of last year, setting the stage for another disappointing year and casting new doubt on the health of emerging markets.
The low growth, which was less than half what markets expected, marked a third straight quarter of weak activity in the world’s sixth-largest economy. It will also increase pressure on President Dilma Rousseff to enact much bolder reforms that could reclaim Brazil’s mantle as a favorite of global investors.
