Rio Times Markets · The Week Ahead

—Brazil The monthly activity index of the central bank (IBC-Br), a gauge of the economy, is due Monday 16 November at 12.00 pm UTC; the previous reading was 0.3%.

—Chile Third-quarter GDP growth is due Wednesday 18 November at 11.30 am UTC, from the Central Bank of Chile.

—Colombia Third-quarter GDP growth is due Tuesday 17 November at 3.00 pm UTC; the second quarter grew 3.5% year on year, the statistics office DANE reported.

—Holidays Monday 16 November is a public holiday in Mexico and Colombia, and Friday 20 November is a national holiday in Brazil.

—South Africa The central bank announces its rate decision on Thursday 19 November, a day after inflation data.

—United States US retail sales (Tuesday) and the final University of Michigan consumer sentiment reading (Friday, preliminary 51.0) set the tone for the dollar.

A short week for Latin America, with holidays in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil, brings Brazil’s activity index, Chile and Colombia GDP and South Africa’s rate decision.

A week of global data and central-bank decisions for investors in Latin America.

Monday 16 and Friday 20 November are public holidays in parts of Latin America, so trading is thinner on those days. The data that remains is led by Brazil’s monthly activity index on Monday and growth figures from Colombia on Tuesday and Chile on Wednesday.

Outside the region, South Africa’s central bank decides on interest rates on Thursday after inflation data on Wednesday. US retail sales on Tuesday and consumer sentiment on Friday shape the dollar, which matters for Latin American currencies.

Three Themes for the Week

Holidays thin the calendar: Mexico and Colombia on Monday 16 November and Brazil on Friday 20 November.

Growth data from Brazil, Colombia and Chile will show how the region’s economies are holding up. South Africa’s inflation figure on Wednesday comes before its central bank’s rate decision on Thursday.

The Week, Day by Day

Monday, November 16, 2026

Brazil’s IBC-Br, the central bank’s monthly index of economic activity, is the main release, after a reading of 0.3% before. Monday is a public holiday in Mexico and Colombia, so local trading is expected to be quiet.

Tuesday, November 17, 2026

Colombia publishes third-quarter GDP growth at 3.00 pm UTC, after 3.5% year on year in the second quarter, while US retail sales excluding gasoline and autos are due at 1.30 pm UTC (previous 0.2%). A weak US reading would usually soften the dollar, which helps Latin American currencies.

Wednesday, November 18, 2026

Chile’s third-quarter GDP growth is the main regional release; a stronger reading than the calendar’s consensus would count as a positive surprise. South Africa’s inflation rate follows, after 4.5% in September, according to Statistics South Africa.

Thursday, November 19, 2026

South Africa’s central bank announces its interest-rate decision at 1.00 pm UTC, with no consensus listed. Argentina’s trade balance for October follows at 7.00 pm UTC, from the statistics office INDEC.

Friday, November 20, 2026

Mexico’s retail sales are due at 12.00 pm UTC and the final University of Michigan consumer sentiment reading for November at 3.00 pm UTC, after a preliminary 51.0. Friday is a national holiday in Brazil, the Black Awareness Day, so the B3 stock exchange is closed.

All times UTC, on the twelve-hour clock. Consensus and prior as published by the data provider; a dash means no forecast was published.

The Week in Context

Dates and times on this page come from a market-data calendar and are given in UTC; Brazil is three hours behind UTC and Mexico City six. Consensus and previous figures in the tables come from the calendar feed and are shown only where one is published; the official release is the reference.

Each release is published by the country’s statistics office or central bank, and the first reading can be revised later.

The Bottom Line

The week brings more holidays than headline decisions for Latin America, so single releases such as Brazil’s IBC-Br and Chile’s GDP can stand out. This is news, not investment advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Brazil’s IBC-Br released?

Monday 16 November 2026 at 12.00 pm UTC; the previous reading was 0.3%.

Which Latin American holidays fall in this week?

Monday 16 November is a public holiday in Mexico and Colombia, and Friday 20 November is a national holiday in Brazil.

When does South Africa’s central bank decide on rates?

Thursday 19 November 2026; the central bank’s statement of September named this date.

LatAm Markets: Live Indices and Daily Reports

Sources: RT economic calendar, Central Bank of Brazil, South African Reserve Bank, Central Bank of Chile. This is news, not investment advice.