Compartamos, Gissa, Masisa, Molinos, Vale: Latin Equity Preview

By [bn:PRSN=1] William Freebairn [] and [bn:PRSN=1] James Attwood []

Oct. 9 (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 10 percent to 2,125.94 yesterday. Markets in Peru were closed yesterday for a holiday.

Argentina

Molinos Rio de la Plata SA (MOLI AF): Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is set to announce measures for the agricultural industry in a speech today, farm group leader Eduardo Buzzi told reporters yesterday. Molinos, an exporter of soybean oil, fell 2.5 percent to 9.26 pesos.

Brazil

BM&FBovespa SA (BVMF3 BS): Latin America's biggest stock exchange said it registered a record number of trades yesterday, surpassing the previous high reached in May. Traded volume reached 7.4 billion reais in more than 409,000 trades, the exchange said in a statement e-mailed yesterday. BM&FBovespa rose 6 percent to 7.45 reais.

Cia. Vale do Rio Doce (VALE5 BS): A slowdown in demand from Chinese steelmakers will likely lead to no price increases for iron ore in 2009 and 2010 and a 10 percent drop in prices starting in 2011, Planner Corretora chief analyst Ricardo Tadeu Martins wrote in a note yesterday. He previously estimated a 20 percent increase in 2009 and a five percent cut in prices starting in 2012. Vale fell 0.8 percent to 25.80 reais.

Equatorial Energia SA (EQTL3 BS): The Sao Luiz, Brazil- based electric utility said its board approved plans to list American depositary receipts. Each Level 1 ADR will represent one voting share, Equatorial said yesterday in a regulatory filing. Equatorial fell 0.8 percent to 9.23 reais.

Chile

Masisa SA (MASISA CC): Chile's biggest maker of wooden boards used in construction will seek bids on forestry assets it owns in Brazil's Santa Catarina state. Proceeds will go to financing planned investments and paying off debt, it wrote in a regulatory filing yesterday. Masisa fell 5.2 percent to 64 pesos.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA (SQM/B CC): Chile's biggest fertilizer maker expects higher prices in the second half of this year than in the first half. The company known as Soquimich also forecasts ``significant'' increases in potassium sales volumes, it wrote in a presentation posted on its Web site. Soquimich rose 0.8 percent to 9,938.20 pesos, ending a five-day losing streak.

Colombia

Bancolombia SA (PFBCOLO CB): Colombia's biggest lender probably will fall after its American depositary receipts (CIB US) extended losses late yesterday when local trading had closed, Carlos Quintero, an analyst at Corredores Asociados in Bogota, wrote in an e-mailed note. The ADRs tumbled 20 percent to $19.28 as preferred shares slid 5.8 percent to 13,240 pesos.

Mexico

Banco Compartamos SA (COMPARTO MM): The Mexican bank that makes loans to the working poor may increase the value of its loan portfolio by 35 percent in 2009, Chief Financial Officer Fernando Alvarez said in an interview yesterday. Compartamos fell 5.6 percent to 23.66 pesos.

Grupo Industrial Saltillo SAB (GISSA* MM): The Mexican auto parts and building materials company will take a charge of 600 million pesos related to derivatives in the third quarter, it said in a statement to the Mexican stock exchange yesterday. Gissa, as the company is known, fell 13 percent to 11.70 pesos.

Grupo Mexicano de Desarrollo SAB (GMD* MM): The Mexican construction company won a government contract worth 559 million pesos ($45.5 million) to build a highway in northwestern Mexico. Work on the highway will begin next month and last 600 days, the company said in a statement to the Mexican stock exchange. GMD rose 0.9 percent to 23.66 pesos.

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