The re-election of Donald Trump as president of the United States had a strong impact on the financial market, with a . Many Brazilians followed more closely the impact of the Republican victory on the dollar exchange rate. When searching for information on Google, users came across incorrect values that indicated the dollar was above R$6.
For hours, the website even published a graph in which the North American currency prices were close to R$6.20. The error remained in the air until at least 1:30 pm. Around 2 pm, Google started to indicate the correct quote.
According to financial platforms such as TradingView and Bloomberg, the maximum value of the dollar recorded on Wednesday (6) was R$5.86, well below the value displayed on Google.
Data from the Central Bank showed that the average value of the commercial dollar for sale in Brazil this Wednesday was R$5.7648, lower than the average prices on Tuesday (R$5.7846) and Monday (R$5. 7898). Shortly after 3 pm, the American currency was sold at around R$5.68, a drop of 1.2% compared to Tuesday’s closing (5).
The divergence in Google’s data generated speculation, mainly on social media, about a possible new peak in the dollar. However, even if the American currency had surpassed R$6, it would not represent a historic record. The highest real value of the exchange rate (considering inflationary correction) was recorded in September 2002, during the electoral campaign that resulted in the first election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to the presidency.
Another mistake made by Google was in the price of bitcoin. The search engine showed the cryptocurrency quoted above R$456 thousand, while brokers such as Binance and OKX indicated a value close to R$439 thousand.
According to Google, search features such as currency exchange are based on third-party data and, in case of inaccuracies, the search information is removed. “We work with the data provider to adjust them as soon as possible”, highlighted the company in a note sent to People’s Gazette.
The trend is for the dollar to appreciate against the real
According to analysts at Warren Investimentos, which proposes tax cuts and barriers to trade and immigration, reinforces confidence in the American currency. The appreciation of the dollar and the expectation of rising interest rates boost American stocks. They also increase the attractiveness of US government bonds.
For Elson Gusmão, exchange director at Ourominas, points out that the scenario of economic protectionism and high exchange rates should generate pressure on emerging markets. These face an increase in import costs and greater exchange rate volatility. Furthermore, the rise in interest rates in the USA stimulates the “carry trade” movement, in which investors seek to gain from the difference in interest rates between countries.
