REFILE-UPDATE 1-Brazil stocks hit fresh record in new year
(Refiles to delete extraneous text from bottom of story (Updates to close)
SAO PAULO, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Brazilian stocks surged to a fresh record on the first trading day of 2007, lifted by European bourses, while the local currency was little changed.
The Bovespa .BVSP index of the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange was up 2.0 percent at 45,376 points.
It surpassed 45,000 points for the first time on Tuesday after closing 2006 at its highest finish ever and rising 33 percent last year.
The real (BRBY) was 0.19 percent stronger against the U.S. dollar at 2.132 after Brazil's government reported a record 2006 trade surplus and the central bank bought dollars on the spot market to build up foreign reserves.
"The market remains optimistic about Brazil, the fundamentals are good," said Flavio Ogoshi, a derivatives trader with Rabobank.
Leading heavyweight stocks ending higher included oil driller Petrobras (PETR4.SA), which was up 2.25 percent at 50.45 reais.
Iron ore miner Companhia Vale do Rio Doce RIO.N(VALE5.SA) rose 2.22 percent to 55.30 reais.
