On Brazil (for M.P.)

Reader MP mailed me today asking why I don't say much about Brazil.

Fair comment, I suppose. On the blog I cover a few stocks there (NETC, GOL, TAM, PBR, RIO, CZZ), and the political stuff is limited to Lula when there's lots more to say about the place. But really it's cos of the fact that Brazil is covered to such an extent by LatAm news services that it sometimes feels as though (along with a guy called Chávez) there's nothing else going on down here according to the English-speaking world. I'll leave you with an example; on the Bloomberg Latin America front page tonight, here are the headlines. Seven out of the eleven stories are directly related with Brazil. Nuff said.

More to life than Brazil you know (dare you to phone a LatAm fund manager and tell him that tomorrow, dude)

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Latin America

Financial News

Brazil's Real Rises to 9-Year High as Stock Gains Boost High-Yield Assets Brazil's real strengthened to a nine-year high on speculation gains in U.S. stocks increased demand for the country's higher-yielding assets.

Petrobas Workers May Cancel Strike After Union Backs Offer, Estado Says Petroleo Brasileiro SA workers may call off a strike planned for Aug. 5 after a union recommended they accept the state-controlled oil company's offer, Agencia Estado reported.

JBS May Buy Brazilian Rivals Whose Margins Have Weakened, UBS Analysts Say JBS SA gained in Sao Paulo trading after UBS AG said the world's biggest beef producer may purchase Brazilian rivals because rising cattle prices have left them vulnerable.

Brazil Stocks Rise, led by CSN, Gerdau, Usiminas, Cosan; Bolsa, Ipsa Gain Brazilian stocks climbed the most in almost two months, led by steelmakers, after the world's largest producer of the metal beat profit estimates. Rising sugar and nickel prices boosted their industries.

World Bank Economist Says Latin America Inflation Will Exceed 8% This Year Latin American inflation will average more than 8 percent this year because of steeper food prices, the World Bank's chief economist for the region said.

Sadia Net Income Increases 9.6 Percent on Higher Foreign, Domestic Demand Sadia SA, Brazil's second-biggest foodmaker, said second-quarter profit rose 9.6 percent as higher demand boosted sales and allowed the company to increase prices.

Petroleos Mexicanos Refining Unit Reports Loss for Second Straight Quarter Petroleos Mexicanos, the state- owned oil company, reported a refining loss for the second consecutive quarter as record crude prices erased margins.

Mexico Central Bank Raises Inflation Forecasts Through 2010 on Commodities Mexico's central bank raised its inflation forecasts through 2010 because of higher-than-expected commodity costs, increasing speculation policy makers will again raise the country's benchmark lending rate.

General News

Yellow Fever Alert Widened in Brazil After 25 Deaths in Sao Paulo State A yellow fever alert in Brazil was widened to include parts of Sao Paulo state, which had its first human fatalities from the lethal disease in eight years in June.

WTO Trade Talks May Succeed After Elections in U.S. and India, Lula Says Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said global trade talks that broke down yesterday may succeed after elections in the U.S. and India this year and the next.

FARC Leader Says Group Won't Disarm Under Colombia's Uribe, AFP Reports A leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia said the country's biggest guerrilla group won't give up its armed fight and ruled out peace talks with President Alvaro Uribe, Agence France Presse reported.