Brasília – The sum of online purchases and sales of government bonds reached an all-time high in April. According to figures disclosed this Monday (23rd), the Tesouro Direto government program (Direct Treasury) raised 220 million reals (US$ 136 million) last month, the highest amount since 2002, when the program for direct purchase of government bonds on the internet was established.
In April, sales of bonds reached 274.22 million reals (US$ 169.5 million). The amount is almost 100 million reals (US$ 61.8 million) lower than the record set in January, which was 360.26 million reals (US$ 222.8 million). However, the lower volume of redemption of bonds last month, which amounted to approximately 50 million reals (US$ 30.9 million), led the net fundraising (difference between volume sold and volume bought) to rocket, reaching 224 million reals (US$ 138.5 million).
“In the months when sales hit records, there was also large volumes of bond maturation, and as a result the net fundraising was not as expressive. In April, the level of redemption was low. As a result, the difference between what the Treasury sold and what it purchased was the highest ever,” said the general coordinator of Public Debt Operations, Fernando Garrido.
In the assessment of Garrido, the broader promotion of the program is attracting investor interest. “Little by little, Brazilians are incorporating a culture of long-term savings. Tesouro Direto sales will tend to grow further and further.”
Last month, the bonds most purchased by investors were those adjusted for price indexes, which accounted for 49.91% of the total sold. The share of pre-fixed bonds (whose interest rates are preset) accounted for 36.54%, whereas bonds adjusted for the benchmark interest rate (Selic) accounted for 13.56%. In April, 4,909 people enrolled in the program, raising the total number of investors to nearly 236,000. In the last 12 months, the total number of participants increased by 26.18%.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
