Gol, Grupo Modelo, Marcopolo, Socotherm: Latin Equity Preview

By Paulo Winterstein and Alexander Ragir

June 26 (Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may have significant gains or losses in Latin American markets. Symbols are in parentheses after company names, and stock prices are from the last session.

The MSCI index of Latin American shares rose 2.3 percent to 4,784.55 yesterday. In Brazil, preferred shares are the most commonly traded class of stock.

Argentina

Socotherm Americas SA (STHE AR): The maker of steel pipe coatings won a $14.2 million contract to treat a gas pipeline between Tierra del Fuego and the South American mainland, it wrote in a regulatory filing yesterday. Socotherm rose 1.3 percent to 15.80 pesos in Buenos Aires trading.

Brazil

Cia. de Bebidas das Americas (AMBV4 BS): Anheuser-Busch Cos. is prepared to reject a $46.3 billion takeover offer by InBev NV, parent of AmBev, as Latin America's biggest brewer is known, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Anheuser-Busch believes the offer of $65 a share undervalues the company, the Journal said in a story on its Web site. AmBev added 0.4 percent to 104.80 reais.

Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA (GOLL4 BS): Brazil's second-biggest airline had its purchase of rival Varig authorized by the country's antitrust regulator, on the condition that Gol modify a contract with Varig's sellers. Gol, based in Sao Paulo, must remove a clause stipulating that the sellers of Varig wouldn't be able to operate their cargo transport business for three years after the purchase, Brazil's antitrust regulator said today in an e-mailed statement. Gol was unchanged at 19.96 reais.

JBS SA (JBSS3 BS): The world's biggest beef producer and two Brazilian rivals said shipments to Russia won't be halted by Brazil's suspension of exports from the state of Goias. The Agriculture Ministry today suspended beef exports to Russia from Goias after finding cattle with gall-bladder infections in the central state. Marfrig Frigorificos & Comercio de Alimentos SA (MRFG3 BS), the world's fourth-biggest beef producer, and Minerva SA (BEEF3 BS) also said in separate filings on Brazil's regulator Web site that they will continue to ship to Russia from plants in other Brazilian states. JBS was unchanged at 8.20 reais. Marfrig fell 1.4 percent to 21.50 reais. Minerva fell 4.1 percent to 9.40 reais.

Marcopolo SA (POMO4 BS): Latin America's biggest maker of bus parts and chassis will invest $50 million over the next three years in a newly formed joint venture with Egyptian bus maker GB Auto SAE and begin building vehicles in the African country by July 2009, Marcopolo said in a filing yesterday. GB Auto will control 51 percent of the new company and Marcopolo will own the remaining 49 percent. Marcopolo rose 0.3 percent to 6.71 reais.

SLC Agricola SA (SLCE3 BS): The Brazilian agricultural company and its stockholders are raising 369.2 million reais ($232 million) in an additional sale of shares in Brazil. The company is selling about 9.4 million shares for 27.50 reais each, while shareholders are selling more than 4 million shares at the same price, according to a statement posted yesterday on Brazil's securities regulator Web site. That includes a possible supplemental offering of as much as 15 percent. SLC fell 1 percent to 27.80 reais.

Cia. Vale do Rio Doce (VALE5 BS): The world's biggest iron- ore producer was rated ``overweight'' in initial coverage by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. because of rising steel demand from emerging economies. The company may also revive its takeover offer for Xstrata Plc because it is the ``best fit,'' Lehman said. Vale rose 2.7 percent to 49.48 reais.

Colombia

Bolsa de Valores de Colombia (BVC CB): Colombia's main securities exchange was downgraded to ``hold'' from ``buy'' at Interbolsa SA. Analyst Andres Jimenez reduced BVC's year-end price estimate to 32.10 pesos from 41.21 pesos in a note to clients yesterday, citing lower fixed-income volumes. BVC fell 1.4 percent to 28.9 pesos.

Mexico

Grupo Modelo SAB (GMODELOC MM): Anheuser Busch, which owns a non-controlling 50 percent stake in Mexico's largest brewer, will present its own strategic plan to increase the company's share price after it rejects an unsolicited bid, the Wall Street Journal reported. Modelo rose 1.4 percent to 54.23 pesos.

To contact the reporters on this story: Paulo Winterstein in Sao Paulo at pwinterstein@bloomberg.net; To contact the reporters on this story: Alexander Ragir in Rio de Janeiro at aragir@bloomberg.net;