Brookfield Is Ready to Double Down on Brazil Under Bolsonaro

(Bloomberg) -- Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is pretty pleased with the political shift in Latin America’s largest economy, underscoring the potential for a Brazilian private equity boom under the right-wing administration of Jair Bolsonaro.

The Toronto-based alternative asset manager has a lot on the line in Brazil. It has been investing in the country for more than 100 years and expanded when the recent recession prompted cash-strapped companies including Petroleo Brasileiro SA to sell assets. It has $42 billion in assets under management in Brazil, according to its website.

Those investments have become more valuable with the Brazil currency rallying ahead of Bolsonaro’s victory on Oct. 28, and the improved business climate will lure other potential buyers, Sachin Shah, the chief executive officer for Brookfield’s renewables division, said in a conference call.

“That’s net-net-net positive to our existing assets in the marketplace and I think generally net positive for investment flows in the country,” Shah said. “I think you will see more asset sales in the country, in particular in the power sector as the country needs the capital.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Peter Millard in Rio de Janeiro at pmillard1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Cancel at dcancel@bloomberg.net, Christiana Sciaudone, Walter Brandimarte

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