Grupo Famsa, Hogar, Profarma, Redecard: Latin Equity Preview

By [bn:PRSN=1] William Freebairn [] and Paulo Winterstein

Nov. 19 (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 3.3 percent yesterday to 1,914.82.

Brazil

Profarma Distribuidora de Produtos Farmaceuticos SA (PFRM3 BS): The Brazilian distributor of pharmaceutical products may buy back up to 6 percent of shares during the next year, Profarma said in a filing yesterday with regulators. The company's board increased more than threefold a previous share buyback program, according to the filing. Profarma fell 9.1 percent to 5 reais.

Redecard SA (RDCD3 BS): The Brazilian credit- and debit-card processing company's partnership with a unit of BNP Paribas and MasterCard Inc. to accept Aura cards at Redecard affiliates is positive as it will increase the number of Redecard customers, Fator Corretora analyst Jacqueline Lison wrote in a note to clients. Redecard dropped 4.7 percent to 25.25 reais.

Mexico

Consorcio Hogar SAB (HOGARB MM): Mexico's sixth-largest homebuilder said shareholders approved a plan to sell 180.6 million pesos ($13.8 million) in bonds convertible to stock. The bonds will be sold to existing shareholders only, Hogar said in a statement yesterday. Hogar was unchanged at 1.64 pesos when it last traded Nov. 10.

Grupo Famsa SAB (GFAMSAA MM): The operator of department stores in Mexico and the southern U.S. hired Credit Suisse Group AG to make a market in its shares. Credit Suisse will begin market-maker operations in Grupo Famsa shares starting today, the company said in a statement yesterday. Market makers agree to buy and sell shares in an effort to increase liquidity of stocks. Famsa fell 8.5 percent to 7.79 pesos.

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