zero@ SAO PAULO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - The Brazilian real and the Mexican peso jumped on Friday after the Bank of Japan unexpectedly cut a benchmark rate below zero, fostering demand for high-yielding assets. The move stunned investors who believed Japanese policymakers were too cautious to follow the European Central Bank, which ventured to negative territory in 2014. Data showing a sharp decrease in U.S. economic growth in the fourth quarter also helped sentiment, boosting bets on a slower pace for U.S. interest rate hikes. "It seems the global environment will continue to be one of near-zero interest rates," said Luis Felipe Laudísio, a fixed-income trader at Renascença brokerage in São Paulo. The Brazilian real advanced 1.8 percent towards 4 reais per U.S. dollar. The Mexican peso rose 0.9 percent, also helped by data showing the country's economy picked up in 2015. Mexico's currency commission on Thursday extended a daily dollar auction program, disappointing some who expected an increase in intervention. The Chilean peso was nearly unchanged after the minutes of a central bank policy meeting showed policymakers saw inflation returning to its target range during the second half of 2016. Traders said the document confirmed expectations that any future policy tightening should be gradual.