Concha y Toro, Tenaris, Vale, Walmex: Latin Equity Preview

By James Attwood and William Freebairn

Aug. 7 (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 1.5 percent to 4,164.53 yesterday. Colombian markets are closed today for a holiday. In Brazil, preferred shares are the most commonly traded class of stock.

Argentina

Molinos Rio de la Plata SA (MOLI AF): The Argentine food company said second-quarter profit rose to 115 million pesos ($37.8 million) from 96.9 million pesos a year earlier, according to Bloomberg calculations based on first-half results. That beat brokerage Grupo SBS' 93.3 million peso forecast, analyst Mariano Kruskevich wrote in a note to clients. Molinos rose 2.7 percent to 7.70 pesos.

Tenaris SA (TS AF): The world's largest supplier of seamless pipes used by oil and gas producers said second-quarter net income almost doubled after energy companies stepped up exploration work. Profit climbed to $1.03 billion, or 84 cents a share, from $534.5 million, or 42 cents, a year earlier, Luxembourg-based Tenaris said in a statement after trading closed yesterday. Tenaris rose 6.3 percent to 93.15 pesos.

Brazil

Cia. Vale do Rio Doce (VALE5 BS): The world's biggest iron- ore producer said yesterday that second-quarter net income rose 22 percent to $5.01 billion, or $1.02 a share. The results topped the average estimate of 91 cents a share from eight analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Sales for Rio de Janeiro-based Vale gained 22 percent to $10.6 billion, the company said in a statement to regulators yesterday. Vale gained 1.9 percent to 36.71 reais.

Santos Brasil Participacoes SA (STBP11 BS): The Brazilian port operator agreed to pay 25 million reais ($15.9 million) to buy Union Armazenagem & Operacoes Portuarias SA, a rival with facilities at the country's Imbituba port, Santos Brasil said yesterday in a regulatory filing. Imbituba is located in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Santos Brasil was unchanged at 25.70 reais.

Chile

Cia. Cervecerias Unidas SA (CCU CC): Chile's largest brewer said second-quarter profit doubled to 13.5 billion pesos ($26.3 million), according to Bloomberg calculations based on first-half results reported yesterday. That beat the 8.88 billion peso average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. CCU rose 0.6 percent to 3,300 pesos.

Vina Concha y Toro SA (CONCHA CC): Chile's largest wine exporter said second-quarter net income rose to 11.3 billion pesos from 9.56 billion pesos a year earlier, in a PR Newswire statement yesterday. The company was expected to earn 9.46 billion pesos, the average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The stock rose 0.7 percent to 906.34 pesos.

Mexico

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB (GAPB MM): The biggest of Mexico's three non-government airport operators handled 12 percent fewer passengers in July than a year earlier as domestic air travel declined, it said in a statement e-mailed yesterday. The decline was more than the 4 percent to 6 percent drop forecast by Credit Suisse Group AG in a research report. Gap, as the company is known, fell 1.6 percent to 28.22 pesos.

Wal-Mart de Mexico SA (WALMEXV MM): Latin America's largest retailer said sales at stores open at least a year rose 4.6 percent in July from a year earlier. Total revenue last month increased 11 percent to 19 billion pesos ($1.91 billion), the Mexico City-based company said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. That was in line with the forecast for a 4.7 percent increase in same store sales by Interacciones Casa de Bolsa analyst Idalia Cespedes in a report Aug. 4. Walmex, as the company is known, rose 2.2 percent to 41.45 pesos.

Peru

Credicorp Ltd. (BAP PE): Peru's largest financial-services company said second-quarter profit fell 16 percent to $73.7 million, or 92 cents a U.S.-traded share, on a currency loss. Earnings missed the $1.20 average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Net interest income rose 36 percent to $217 million, the bank said in a statement on its Web site yesterday. Credicorp fell 1.1 percent to 69.87 pesos.

To contact the reporters on this story: William Freebairn in Mexico City wfreebairn@bloomberg.net; James Attwood in Santiago at jattwood3@bloomberg.net.