Brazil's IBC-Br economic activity index rises 0.44% in April - central bank

BRASILIA, June 14 (Reuters) - Brazil's economic activity rose in April, a central bank index showed on Monday, starting the second quarter on a solid footing after the previous month's decline, although the increase was not quite as strong as economists had expected.

The IBC-Br economic activity index, a leading indicator of gross domestic product, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.44% in April, compared with the median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists for a 0.55% rise. (Reporting by Jamie McGeever Editing by Gareth Jones)