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Petrobras shares plunge as Brazil's Lula swaps CEO

Shares of Brazil's. Petrobras plunged 8% as markets opened on Wednesday,. after the staterun oil firm stated its chief executive would step. down, to be changed by a previous regulator with views more detailed. those of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Market experts revealed issue, as CEO Jean Paul Prates. was viewed as stabilizing the market demands for disciplined capital. spending and healthy dividends with political needs to. stabilize fuel rates and invest in job-creating sectors.

It was unnecessary, because Jean Paul Prates was doing a. really sensible job, said Frederico Nobre, primary equities. analyst at Warren Investimentos.

Prates lasted less than a year and a half on the task-- the. fourth Petrobras CEO dismissed in about as many years for. political factors. His shooting raises fresh fears that Petrobras. will be utilized as a tool to fire up the Brazilian economy at the. expenditure of minority investors.

Jefferies analysts said the CEO swap appears to be an. escalation of the push to intervene in the company, in a note. to customers downgrading Petrobras from buy to hold.

The ouster of Prates represents a win for members of Lula's. cabinet promoting lower fuel prices, smaller dividends and. more capital spending to produce tasks and improve the economy.

In his location, the government designated Magda Chambriard, a. former head of Brazilian oil and gas regulator ANP under the. previous Lula's Employee Party administration.

After Lula was elected in 2022, Chambriard was thought about. for the role of Petrobras CEO, and in an interview echoed numerous. of Lula's views on how the company must be run - arguing for. lower dividends to financiers, to maximize cash for investments.

(source: Reuters)