America Movil, Cap, Natura, Petrobras, Vale: Latin America Equity Preview

The following companies may have unusual price changes in Latin American trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses and share prices reflect the previous close.

The MSCI Latin America Index fell 0.3 percent to 4,286.60.

Brazil

Cia. Siderurgica Nacional SA (CSNA3 BS): Brazil’s third- largest steelmaker was cut to “market perform” from “outperform” at Bradesco Corretora by equity analyst Raphael Biderman. Shares of CSN, as the company is known, declined 1.5 percent to 16.91 reais.

Natura Cosmeticos SA (NATU3) (NATU3 BS): Latin America’s largest cosmetics company said second-quarter net income fell 1.8 percent to 188.1 million reais ($120 million), according to a regulatory filing. The shares lost 1.3 percent to 36.61 reais.

Portobello SA (PTBL3) (PTBL3 BS): The company that manufactures and distributes ceramic building materials for domestic use and export named Gladimir Arnaldo Brzezinski as interim chief financial officer after Mario Augusto de Freitas Baptista resigned, according to a regulatory filing. Portobello added 1.3 percent to 1.56 reais.

Vale SA (VALE3) (VALE5 BS): The world’s largest iron-ore miner and Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4) (PETR4 BS) reached a gas-supply accord as part of a plan to further explore a potash mine in Brazil, said a government official familiar with the deal.

Vale plans to invest 1.5 billion reais to explore the Taquari Vassouras mine in Brazil’s Sergipe state for carnallite, a type of magnesium and potassium, said the official, who asked not to be identified because the accord hasn’t been made public yet. State-run oil producer Petrobras agreed to supply the gas for the project, the person said. Vale shares lost 0.5 percent to 45.91 reais. Petrobras retreated 1.2 percent to 22.38 reais.

Chile

Cap SA (CAP) : Chile’s biggest steelmaker said it completed a bond buyback program, repurchasing $130 million of $200 million in bonds. Including interest payments, the buyback totaled $149 million, according to a statement posted on the Chilean securities regulator’s website. The shares fell 1.2 pesos to 21,103 pesos.

Sigdo Koppers SA (SK) : The Santiago-based holding company with mining services and construction assets was raised to A+ from A at Feller Rate, a Chilean affiliate of Standard & Poor’s. The stock dropped 2 percent to 890 pesos.
Mexico

America Movil SAB (AMXL MM): The largest wireless carrier in the Americas, which is controlled by billionaire Carlos Slim, said second-quarter profit rose 14 percent as more subscribers signed up for voice and Internet services.

Net income climbed to 24.2 billion pesos ($2.07 billion), while sales increased 7.8 percent to 160 billion pesos, the company said in a statement. Analysts predicted 158.3 billion pesos. The shares dropped 1.5 percent to 14.8 pesos.

Peru

Volcan Cia. Minera SAA (VOLCABC1 PE): Peru’s largest zinc and silver producer announced second-quarter net income jumped 59 percent to $100.9 million. The stock decreased 0.3 percent to 3.30 soles.