Cerro Verde, Grupo Mexico, Net Servicos: Latin Equity Preview

By William Freebairn and Paulo Winterstein

Sept. 2 (Bloomberg) -- The following companies may have unusual price changes today in Latin America trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses, and share prices are from the previous close. Preferred shares are usually the most-traded class of stock in Brazil.

The MSCI Latin America Index fell 1.4 percent yesterday to 3,909.55.

Brazil

Estacio Participacoes SA (ESTC3 BS): Brazil's largest private university administrator was added to UBS AG's model portfolio for September on speculation it will benefit from consolidation in the industry. Recent acquisitions also are not yet priced in to the stock, strategist Pedro Batista wrote in a note yesterday. Estacio rose 1.3 percent to 19.75 reais.

Net Servicos de Comunicacao SA (NETC4 BS): The purchase of ESC 90, a cable operator in the state of Espirito Santo, by Net will add subscribers at a cost that ``will not be onerous,'' Fator Corretora analyst Jacqueline Lison wrote in a note yesterday. The analyst reiterated her ``buy'' rating on Net, Brazil's biggest cable-TV company. Net fell 2.7 percent to 18.29 reais.

Mexico

El Puerto de Liverpool SAB (LIVEPOL1 MM): The operator of Mexican department stores will sell 1 billion pesos ($96.7 million) in domestic 10-year bonds, Fitch Ratings said. The bonds will carry a credit rating of AAA, the agency's highest, Fitch said in a statement to Mexico's stock exchange yesterday. Liverpool shares were unchanged at 55 pesos when they last traded Aug. 29.

Grupo Mexico SAB (GMEXICOB MM): Mexico's mineworkers union began a series of one-hour strikes at facilities around the country yesterday. Workers in three states held brief work stoppages that will continue in the ``coming days'' the mineworkers' union said in an e-mailed statement yesterday that didn't identify the affected mines. Grupo Mexico is the country's largest mining company. Grupo Mexico fell 0.9 percent to 16.80 pesos.

Peru

Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde (SMCV PE): The unit of Freeport McMoran Inc. will pay a special dividend of $1.31 a share on Sept. 30 to shareholders of record Sept. 17, Cerro Verde said in a filing with Peruvian regulators yesterday. Cerro Verde, Peru's third-largest copper producer, fell 2.5 percent to $21.70.

To contact the reporter on this story: William Freebairn in Mexico City at wfreebairn@bloomberg.net; Paulo Winterstein in Sao Paulo at pwinterstein@bloomberg.net.