Gener, Gissa, Sofisa, Unipar: Latin Equity Market Preview

By Paulo Winterstein and James Attwood

Aug. 18 (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 fell 2.4 percent to 3,878.16 on Aug. 15. In Brazil, preferred shares are the most commonly traded class of stock. Markets in Chile were closed Aug. 15 for a holiday.

Brazil

Banco Sofisa SA (SFSA4 BS): The bank controlled by Brazil's Burmaian family cut its profit estimate for 2008 by as much as 30 percent. The Sao Paulo-based bank, which had previously estimated net income of 200 million reais, now forecasts profit of 140 million reais ($86 million) to 160 million reais for this year, according to a filing posted Aug. 15 on the securities regulator Web site. Sofisa fell 0.1 percent to 6.99 reais.

Uniao de Industrias Petroquimicas SA (UNIP6 BS): The Brazilian petrochemicals company's Carbocloro unit will increase annual production of sodium hydroxide by 112,000 tons and chlorine by 100,000 tons. After the 275 million reais expansion, capacity will reach 400,000 tons of sodium hydroxide and 355,000 tons of chlorine, Unipar said in a regulatory filing on Aug. 15. Unipar was unchanged at 1.44 reais.

Chile

AES Gener SA (GENER CC): Chile's second-largest power producer had its ``buy'' rating reiterated at BCI Corredor de Bolsa SA. Gener has ``attractive'' expansion potential at a time of high prices, head of research Alvaro Pereyra wrote in a note to clients. Gener fell 2.7 percent to 181 pesos on Aug. 14.

Mexico

Grupo Industrial Saltillo SAB (GISSA* MM): Standard & Poor's lowered its rating on the Mexican auto parts and building materials company, to mxA-. Weak demand from the North American auto industry may hurt the company's finances, S&P said Aug. 15 in an e-mailed statement. The previous rating was mxA+. Gissa, as the company is known, fell 1.4 percent to 14.49 pesos.

To contact the reporters on this story: Paulo Winterstein in Sao Paulo at pwinterstein@bloomberg.net; James Attwood in Santiago at jattwood3@bloomberg.net.