Banorte projects sharply weaker Mexican peso next year

The Mexican peso will continue to weaken next year due to low global oil prices and falling Mexican crude production that will widen the country's current account deficit, according to strategists at Mexican bank Banorte-IXE said on Monday.

Banorte strategists, led by Gabriel Casillas, said they expect the peso MXN= to trade at 19.80 per dollar by the end of next year. They also revised their outlook for the end of 2016 to 18.50 per dollar from 17.60 per dollar.

"We believe the peso needs to fall further in 2017 given the likely prospects of . . .