SAO PAULO, May 13 (Reuters) - Brazil's retail sales volumes beat expectations and reached a record high in March, data from statistics agency IBGE showed on Wednesday, though high borrowing costs continue to restrain a broader recovery.
o Sales rose 0.5% in March from the previous month, while economists polled by Reuters had expected no changes
o It was the third consecutive monthly increase, with five of eight sectors posting gains
o Andres Abadia, chief Latin America economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the recovery remains gradual rather than broad-based
o "Tight credit conditions and still-elevated interest rates continue to weigh on big-ticket purchases and cap the pace of expansion," he said
o Brazil's central bank last month cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points for a second straight meeting to 14.50%
o On an annual basis, retail sales rose 4.0% in March, well above expectations for a 2.75% increase in the Reuters poll
(Reporting by Isabel Teles; Editing by Gabriel Araujo)
