The Brazilian government recently announced the largest-ever stimulus package to increase private investment for the aging infrastructure system. An added boost in spending is in the near future as the country gets ready for the Summer Olympics in 2016. Investors should note the potential for an investment in the EG Shares INDXX Brazil Infrastructure Index (NYSEArca: BRXX).
“At the center of the new measures will be the Brazilian Development Bank (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social, or BNDES), providing loans for projects. Besides needed investment in Brazil’s transport infrastructure, the government hopes the measures will help support general economic of about 5% over the next few years,” Joseph Hogue wrote for Emerging Money. [World Cup, Olympics Put Brazil ETF in Focus]
The goal of the investment is to help the country prepare for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. It is estimated that the package should bring in about $66 million to help update old roads, railway and air transportation. [Best Emerging Market ETFs]
The focused country ETF iShares MSCI Brazil Index (NYSEArca:EWZ) is back up about 6% since the stock market has made positive moves. Meanwhile, BRXX has gained about 8.8%and touts a yield of about 4.2%, reports Eric Dutram for Zacks.
EWZ tracks the broad stock market in Brazil and is highly concentrated in commodity focused companies. BRXX focuses in more on utilities and industrials and is a truly diversified play on Brazilian transportation infrastructure.