Some Company Get significant gains or losses

The following stocks may make significant gains or losses in Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru today. Symbols are in parentheses after the company name, and stock prices are from the last session.

In Brazil, preferred shares are the most commonly traded class of stock.

Brazil

Gafisa SA (GFSA3 BS) and Lojas Americanas SA (LAME4 BS): Gafisa, Brazil's second-biggest homebuilder, and Lojas Americanas, a Brazilian retailer, will be added starting Sept. 3 to the Bovespa Index of the most-traded stocks, the Sao Paulo stock exchange said in a statement e-mailed yesterday. Gafisa shares fell 1.24 real, or 4.1 percent, to 28.75 reais. Lojas Americanas shares rose 1.41 real, or 0.8 percent, to 168.51 reais.

Marcopolo SA (POMO4 BS): Latin America's biggest bus-body builder recovered domestic market share and improved margins in the second quarter, Banco do Brasil Investimentos analyst Luis Claudio Tavares wrote in a report e-mailed yesterday. Profit climbed 14 percent from a year earlier to 29.4 million reais, the company reported July 31. The shares fell 22 centavos, or 2.6 percent, to 8.13 reais.

Chile

Sociedad de Inversiones Campos Chilenos SA (CAMPOS CC): The parent of Empresas Iansa SA, Chile's largest sugar maker, said its board approved an estimated $60 million investment in a Colombia ethanol project. The investment is subject to due diligence, securing financing and Colombia regulatory approvals, which are expected to be concluded within 60 days, Campos said in a filing published on the stock exchange's Web site yesterday. Campos shares erased a 3.8 percent decline to close unchanged at 80 pesos.

Mexico

Axtel SAB (AXTELCPO MM): The Mexican fixed-line telephone company said it will ask shareholders to approve a 3-for-1 share split on Aug. 31, according to an e-mail statement to the Mexican stock exchange yesterday. Shares fell 2.22 pesos, or 2.8 percent, to 77.80 pesos.

Grupo Mexicano de Desarrollo SAB (GMDB MM): The Mexican construction company said former Chief Executive Officer Jorge Ballesteros Franco replaced Manuel Gomez-Daza as chairman. Gomez-Daza was named vice president of the board, the company said in an e-mail to the Mexican stock exchange yesterday. Shares fell 15 centavos, or 0.3 percent, to 47.85 pesos.

Organizacion Soriana SAB (SORIANAB MM): The profit targets set by Mexico's second-largest retailer for its banking joint venture are ``aggressive,'' according to Santander Investment analysts Joaquin Ley and Vivian Salomon. Soriana said in a conference call forecast profit of $400 million to $450 million in the fifth year of the venture with Citigroup Inc.'s Banamex unit to add banking branches in stores, the analysts wrote in a report yesterday. ``We believe the stock price may be reflecting some rather optimistic assumptions,'' the analysts wrote. Shares rose 2 centavos to 37.23 pesos.

Peru

Southern Copper Corp. (PCU/C PE): Workers at the world's fifth-largest copper producer halted production at three mines in Mexico for a third day yesterday to press for a new contract, Carmen Romero, a spokeswoman for the National Mining and Metal Workers' Union, said by phone. No talks are scheduled between the company and workers, Romero said in yesterday's interview. Shares fell $6.50, or 5.7 percent, to $108.

source:bloomberg.com