South American Economies Dive South as Growth Outlook Dims (Bloomberg)

Pro-business leaders in South America’s largest economies are struggling to spark growth as their policies run head-on into domestic crises and emerging market turbulence.

Brazil and Argentina have seen their 2018 growth estimates cut from around 3 percent earlier this year to 2.2 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively, according to economists surveyed by their central banks. More downside revisions are on tap, with JPMorgan Chase & Co. recently lowering its Brazil call to a mere 1.2 percent this year. Some analysts say Argentina may even fall into a brief recession. READ MORE