Unabhängigkeitstag in Chile - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[lvb28]

ADVISORY-Chile markets close early Friday, reopen Thursday
SANTIAGO, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Chile\'s financial markets will close early on Friday Sept. 14, ahead of the Independence Day holidays Monday through Wednesday next week (Sept. 17-19).

The Santiago stock exchange will close at 1:30 p.m. local time (1730 GMT) on Friday. Normal hours will resume on Thursday Sept. 20, with the stock exchange opening at 9:30 a.m. local time (1330 GMT) and closing at 4:30 p.m.



Keywords: CHILE MARKETS/

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.427 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:28:37

Chile Stocks fall eyeing U.S., peso at 7-week high

(Adds peso close and quote in paragraph 8, updates stocks)

SANTIAGO, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Chilean stocks fell in light early afternoon trade for a fifth straight session on Monday, as investors monitored volatile U.S. markets, while the peso closed at a seven-week high against the dollar.

The all-market IGPA index <.IGPA> slipped 1.23 percent to 14,246 points, while the trade-weighted blue-chip IPSA index <.IPSA> fell 1.67 percent to 3,147 points.

"The only reason our market is declining is the Dow Jones, there's really no other explanation," said Rodrigo Sarria, deputy manager of the Intervalores brokerage. "We are completely tied to U.S. markets, continuing the trend from last Friday."

According to analysts, Chilean economic fundamentals and corporate earnings outlooks remain strong, but investors continue to watch U.S. economic data for signs of recession that could lead to reduced investment in emerging markets.

Indexes were pulled lower by wood pulp producer Copec <COP.SN> , the bourse's most heavily capitalized stock, as it fell 2.03 percent to 7,740 pesos a share, while No. 2 pulp producer CMPC <CAR.SN> retreated 2.15 percent to 18,200 pesos.

Department store chain Ripley <RIP.SN> retreated 2.47 percent to 651 pesos a share, while giant regional retailer Falabella <FAL.SN> fell 1.67 percent to 2,360 pesos.

Endesa Spain electric utilities led otherwise low volumes as shares in Enersis <ENE.SN> and generator Endesa Chile <END.SN> fell 1.17 percent and 1.34 percent, respectively.

The Chilean peso <CHILJ> <CLP=CL> rose 0.29 percent to 517.50/517.80 per dollar compared with Friday's close at 519.00/519.30.

"The peso got off to a strong start with abundant dollar offers, since the market is assuming another hike in local interest rates, which will increase the differential with the U.S. interest rate," a trader said.

Chile's central bank is expected to increase its key rate to 5.75 percent from 5.50 percent on Thursday on rising inflation and rebounding economic growth, while U.S. rates are expected to be cut this month amid weak economic growth data.

Chilean inflation-adjusted 5-year central bank bond yields <CLBCU5Y=RR> closed at 2.73 percent compared with 2.72 percent the prior session. Chilean Central Bank bond yields fell strongly last Friday on concerns about U.S. economic data.

(Additional reporting by Froilan Romero and Maria Jose Latorre)



Keywords: MARKETS CHILE/

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.638 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:35:55

Global Gold Uranium Completes Cochrane Pond Airborne Survey and Starts Prospecting on 150 Anomalies

GREENWICH, CT, Sep 10 (MARKET WIRE) -- Global Gold Uranium LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Gold Corporation (OTCBB: GBGD), has completed its airborne survey of the Cochrane Pond Uranium J.V. claims, Newfoundland. The survey by Global Gold Uranium, consisting of a combined radiometric and magnetic system, was flown over 6,396 line kilometers during the summer. Approximately 150 radiometric anomalies were identified from the extensive data.



Global Gold Uranium has retained a 4-member prospecting team which is en route to the project area at this time. The team, to be based at the nearbyport of Burgeo, will be supported by a helicopter based there and willstart prospecting by September 10th.



Global Gold Uranium acquired an option on Cochrane Pond in April 2007. The Cochrane Pond property consists of 2,600 claims within 61,000 hectares (approximately 150,708 acres). The claims were staked jointly by Commander Resources and Bayswater Uranium in early 2006 to cover favorable geology after uranium discoveries were made on Commander's adjacent Hermitage Property. The JV partners interpret that the Cochrane Pond Property, like the Hermitage property is underlain by metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks which could host uranium mineralization. Prospecting on the Hermitage property by Commander Resources Ltd. and others has resulted in the discovery of over 25 uranium showings with prospecting samples up to 3% U3O8.



Global Gold Corporation is an international gold mining, development and exploration company with mining properties in Armenia, Chile and Canada, committed to building shareholder value and maintaining social and

environmental responsibilities. Global Gold Mining LLC operates in Armenia
as a subsidiary of Global Gold Corporation. Global Gold Uranium LLC, a wholly
owned subsidiary of Global Gold Corporation, is engaged in the exploration
for and development of uranium deposits in the province of Newfoundland and
Labrador.

More information can be found at www.globalgoldcorp.com.



To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictlyhistorical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, future collaboration agreements, the success of the Company's development, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release aresubject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made.

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.694 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:38:16

Chile's LAN August passenger traffic up 20.9 pct

SANTIAGO, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Chile's dominant airline LAN <LAN.SN> <LFL.N> said on Monday its passenger traffic rose 20.9 percent in August compared with the same month last year.

The company said capacity on its passenger flights rose 17.8 percent in August, meaning its load factor -- which measures how full the airplanes are -- increased by 2.0 percentage points to 77.8 percent.

International passenger traffic accounted for 88 percent of total passenger traffic and rose 19.6 percent as its load factor increased 0.4 percentage point to 78.6 percent.

LAN, which has affiliates in Ecuador, Peru and Argentina, accounts for over half of Chile's international passenger traffic and nearly three quarters of its domestic traffic. (Reporting by Pav Jordan)


Keywords: CHILE LAN/

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.853 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:43:07

LAN Airlines Monthly Statistics Report for August 2007

SANTIAGO, Chile--(Business Wire)--LAN Airlines S.A. and its related companies, ("LAN" or "theCompany") (NYSE: LFL / IPSA: LAN), one of the leading airline groupsin Latin America, reported its preliminary monthly and accumulatedtraffic statistics and punctuality indicators for August 2007.



System passenger traffic for August increased 20.9% as capacityrose 17.8%. As a result, the Company's load factor increased 2.0points to 77.8%. International passenger traffic accounted forapproximately 88% of total passenger traffic.



International passenger traffic for August rose 19.6% as capacityincreased 19.0%. Accordingly, the international passenger load factorfor the month increased 0.4 points to 78.6%. Long-haul capacity grewdue to an increase in operations to the United States, Europe, and theCaribbean. This was partially offset by a reduction in operations tothe South Pacific. Short-haul capacity grew mainly as a result of anexpansion in regional operations, as well as expansions in theArgentine and Peruvian domestic markets.



Domestic passenger traffic in Chile rose 31.8% as capacityincreased 10.2%. As a consequence, the domestic load factor for themonth increased 11.8 points to 71.9%. Growth in domestic trafficprimarily resulted from the implementation, on April 9, 2007, of theCompany's new business model for short-haul operations, aimed atenabling more people to fly, while taking advantage of the scheduling,comfort and fares that LAN offers.



Cargo traffic increased 5.7% as capacity rose 11.6%. As aconsequence, the cargo load-factor decreased 4.0 points to 71.7%.Cargo traffic grew mainly as a result of stronger imports into theregion, partially offset by the continued weakness of exports fromChile and Brazil.



In August, 83.2% of the Company's total flights left on time,based on a fifteen-minute standard (all departures leaving withinfifteen minutes of the scheduled departure time are considered as"on-time"). This represented a 4.4 point decrease compared to samemonth of 2006.



About LAN



LAN Airlines is one of the leading airlines in Latin America."LAN" makes reference to the consolidated entity that includes LANAirlines, LAN Express, LAN Peru, LAN Ecuador, and LAN Argentina, aswell as LAN Cargo and its affiliates. The LAN Alliance serves 15destinations in Chile, 12 destinations in Peru, 10 destinations inArgentina, two destinations in Ecuador, 15 destinations in other LatinAmerican countries and the Caribbean, three destinations in the UnitedStates, two destinations in Europe and four destinations in the SouthPacific, as well as 52 additional international destinations throughits various code-share agreements. Currently, the LAN Allianceoperates 72 passenger aircraft and 10 dedicated freighters.



LAN Airlines is a member of oneworld (TM), the world's leadingglobal airline alliance. It has bilateral commercial agreements withoneworld partners American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia andQantas, as well as with Alaska Airlines, AeroMexico, Mexicana, TAM andKorean Air. For more information visit www.lan.com orwww.oneworldalliance.com.

[lvb28]

Chiles cenbank chief sees unwinding taking 6-12 mths
BASEL, Switzerland, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Chile's central bank governor Vittorio Corbo said on Monday the current process of market unwinding as a result of the U.S. subprime crisis could take 6 to 12 months.

"It takes time to unwind, there is a lot of debt which needs to find liquidity, it has to take time to be digested ... It could last six months, it could last a year," Corbo told reporters on the sidelines of central banker meetings on the global economy and markets at the Bank for International Settlements

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.427 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:28:37

Chile judges vote in Fujimori extradition case

SANTIAGO, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Chile's Supreme Court has made its definitive decision in the extradition case of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori and will announce it in the coming days, one of the judges in the case said on Monday.

"Agreement has been reached," Judge Alberto Chaigneau told reporters outside the court where the judges have been considering Fujimori's case for weeks.

"They're going to start preparing the verdict for publication," Chaigneau said, adding that the ruling would probably be made public this week.

The five judges in the case were deciding whether to uphold the verdict of Supreme Court Judge Orlando Alvarez, who in July ruled that Fujimori should not be extradited to Peru, where he is accused of corruption and human rights abuses.

Fujimori, 69, has been in Chile since November 2005, when he was arrested on an international warrant after flying into the country from Japan.

He was planning to launch a political comeback in Peru, where he served two terms as president from 1990 until 2000. His government collapsed in a massive corruption scandal and he fled to exile in Japan.

Peruvian prosecutors wanted to try Fujimori on charges of embezzling millions of dollars and using excessive anti-terrorism measures -- including allegations of ordering two massacres -- to crush Maoist rebel group Shining Path.

Many Peruvians still admire Fujimori for capturing Shining Path's top leaders and defeating its fierce insurgency.

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.427 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:28:37

HIGHLIGHTS-BIS Meeting in Basel Sept 10
BASEL, Switzerland, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Highlights from a regular gathering of central bankers from G10 rich nations as well as key emerging markets held at the Bank for International Settlements on Monday.

All comments made to reporters unless otherwise noted.

This item will be updated.



EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER AND IRISH
CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR JOHN HURLEY

"The outlook for the eurozone is favourable but there is more uncertainty than usual."

"The second thing is that the volatility in the markets and the repricing of risk is taking place at a time when economic growth in the world generally is good and we'll have to wait and see what's happening as a consequence of this in the United States and the third thing I would say is that we have to look at the new data that is emerging in Europe and then analyse that data before we come to conclusions for the future."



EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR JEAN-CLAUDE TRICHET AFTER
CHAIRING G10 CENTRAL BANKERS' MEETING.



ON MARKET CORRECTIONS
"We are precisely observing a correction of risk pricing in general for different markets, certainly illustrated by widening of spreads, the increase of risk premium and increase of volatility. These are three examples but there might be others.

"When markets are embarking on a significant correction there are also episodes of hectic behaviour in certain markets, episodes and elements of overshooting in terms of level of correction and also in terms of level of volatility. In our view this situation calls for close monitoring (and) observation."



ON UNITED STATES AND FEDERAL RESERVE
"We are observing that we will have to follow very carefully what happens in particular in the United States."



"We are observing good fundamentals, solid reasons for the economy to continue growing around potential in a large number of global economies.

"We would consider that what might happen in the U.S. is also to be (replicated) within the context of global economy where a large number of industrialised and emerging economies have good fundamentals. We will certainly remain alert at a global level. It is no time for complacency."



"We are relying upon the Fed's analysis of the situation. The Fed has said that there was probability of fallout on the real economy in the U.S."



ON INFLATION EXPECTATIONS, MONEY MARKETS
"We have continued to live up to our mandate of price stability and solid anchoring of inflation expectations. We have responsibility of following money markets. You have seen what central banks have done."



ON BAILING OUT INVESTORS
"It's certainly the sentiment of central bankers who are around the table that bailing out bad investors would be the worst thing to do."



ON EMERGING MARKETS
"Very significant progress has been made in emerging world and it is true of (Brazil). Fundamentals have considerably improved, soundness of policies pursued, the progress made in fostering genuine local financial, domestic markets have proved effective, efficient and very stable under the circumstances.

"At the level of the global economy one of the elements which is particularly important is that the emerging world has good fundamentals and has done a very good job."



MACEDONIAN CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR PETAR GOSEV
(Asked if he thought the market turmoil was going to continue and about the impact on the global economy he told reporters)

"It's difficult to say. You know that central banks intervene; they inject liquidity but the dilemma remains how

much to inject.... not to jeopardize the main role of the central bank ... to keep inflation under control."



Asked how long the crisis was expected to last:

"It is needed more deeper analysis of balance sheets of many users of the subprime, credit, mortgages and so on. There are a lot of levels to be scrutinised."



MEXICO'S CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR GUILLERMO ORTIZ
Asked if expected an impact on the global economy: "I think everybody does."

"So far emerging markets have fared pretty well in this first stage, the epicentre was not in the emerging markets on this occasion so given the fact that emerging markets have stronger fundamentals to begin with and stronger financial systems ... this first round has been limited.

"To the extent that this affects the real economy and in particular the U.S. economy then we will see that the second round effects are likely to impact the whole world. I think there's a lot of hope that this time around ... the impact of the U.S. economy would be less pronounced on the rest of the world but I have my doubts. I think if we seriously see a reduction in economic activity in the United States ..."

Asked if there will be a reduction in activity in the U.S. he said: "There will be an impact around the world, Europe, Asia and so on. Central banks are well aware of this issue and hopefully there will be sufficient action to avert this bad outcome."

"It is desirable that banks disclose their losses as soon as possible and hopefully this will not drag on for very long."



DEPUTY BANK OF THAILAND GOVERNOR ATCHANA WAIQUAMDEE
"Emerging markets have been resilient because bond markets are not so developed and we do not have much exposure to debt derivatives."

(Asked how this round of upheaval was different from the previous Asian financial crisis in the 1990s):

"That was due to fundamental weakness. But global fundamentals are strong now."



ZHOU XIAOCHUAN, CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR PEOPLE'S BANK OF CHINA
(Asked by reporters whether he was worried about inflation)

"Certainly, yes. It is our target to fight inflation."



CHILEAN CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR VITTORIO CORBO
"We are observing the development and most likely it's going to be a long process. Fortunately the world economy is in good condition but we are aware that there will be an impact. We have to have more time to observe. It takes time to unwind, there is a lot of debt which needs to find liquidity, it has to take time to be digested. But as central banks we are prepared to deal with consequences. It could last six months, it could last a year."



ECB GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER MIGUEL ANGEL FERNANDEZ ORDONEZ
On the repricing of risks: "We have been warning about this for a long time and it is happening, but we decided that we need time to assess what are going to be the consequences of the turbulence."

"It can be healthy ... we said that it was not a normal situation. But we need time and enough information to assess the situation."

The global economy: "The global economy we have said is robust, especially Europe is solid."

[lvb28]

UPDATE 3-Chavez plans FARC rebel talks over hostages
(Updates with analyst, more details))

By Patrick Markey

BOGOTA, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Friday he planned to hold talks with Colombia's FARC guerrillas in Venezuela in an attempt to break a stalemate on freeing kidnap victims held for years by the Marxist rebels.

Left-winger Chavez steps into a bitter deadlock between President Alvaro Uribe, a U.S. ally popular for his hard-line stance against rebels, and Latin America's oldest guerrilla group resisting attempts to end a 40-year conflict.

The proposal fuels hope for a deal to free scores of hostages languishing in rebel jungle camps, including French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, snatched in 2002, and three U.S. contract workers captured a year later.

"President Uribe has welcomed the idea I receive FARC representatives in Venezuela to talk over this matter," Chavez told reporters after a meeting with Uribe in Bogota. He did not give details when the talks would occur.

Chavez said he received direct communication from the FARC on Friday morning after he offered to act as a mediator between the guerrillas and Uribe's government. But the populist former paratroop commander did not give any details.

While Uribe has been a close White House ally whose country has received billions in U.S. military aid, Chavez has aggressively sought to counter Washington's influence in Latin America with a socialist approach, offering neighbors energy deals as part of his self-styled revolution.

But Uribe and Chavez have kept up ties, and the Venezuelan's leftist credentials, strong connections to Cuba and growing regional influence have stirred hope among families of victims he can give talks new energy.

"It's the first time I see there could be a small light at the end of the tunnel," Betancourt's husband, Juan Carlos Lecompte, said before Chavez's announcement.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is pushing for Betancourt's release and has asked Uribe to free a top rebel leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, to foster talks. Chavez said Sarkozy asked him in a phone call this week to try to secure proof from the FARC that Betancourt was still alive.

"They are going to open formal dialogue in Caracas for a while, but the exchange will still take place in Colombia," Pablo Casas, an analyst at Bogota's Security and Democracy think tank said of the planned talks. "The key point they will have to negotiate now is the where and when."



TOUGH ROAD AHEAD
Uribe, whose father was killed in a botched FARC kidnapping, has spearheaded a U.S.-backed campaign to disarm paramilitaries and push back the FARC, which is aided by cocaine trafficking. Cities and highways are now safer and violence has eased.

But Uribe and the FARC are entrenched in their positions and Chavez will be hard-pressed to reach a deal that has eluded European governments, the Roman Catholic Church and families of politicians, police and soldiers held for as long as a decade.

Attempts at talks are stalemated over two rebel demands: a safe haven the size of New York City in southern Colombia for the exchange and the release of two rebels held in the United States before the FARC considers freeing its U.S. hostages.

While he initially accepted a proposal by France, Switzerland and Spain for a safe haven, Uribe refuses to pull back troops under FARC conditions, saying it would allow rebels to regroup and rearm.

Raul Reyes, a top FARC leader, said recently he welcomed Chavez's involvement and said guerrillas would hold talks anywhere. But he insisted on a demilitarized zone and an exchange of hostages inside Colombia.

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.427 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:28:37

UPDATE 2-Brazil Bovespa Holding to sell shares in offering
(Adds Bovespa shareholders, financial details)

SAO PAULO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Brazil's Bovespa Holding, which controls the Sao Paulo stock exchange, filed on Friday to sell common shares in an initial public offering, seeking to benefit from consolidation among exchanges around the world.

The company hired Credit Suisse <CSGN.VX> to lead the stock offering. It did not detail how many shares it plans to sell or the price range for the offering.

Bovespa Holding controls the Sao Paulo stock exchange and the Brazilian Clearing and Depository Corporation, or CBLC, which settles stock trades. The company filed to have its stock trade under the BOVH3 code.

The stock should begin trading at the end of October, shortly after it is priced on Oct. 24, Bovespa Holding said in the offering prospectus.

The filing took place three days after a demutualization process that changed the bylaws of the stock exchange to make it a for-profit company.

Bovespa Holding said its two biggest shareholders were Brazil's Grupo Itau, which controls the country's second- largest private bank Banco Itau Holding Financeira <ITAU4.SA> , and Spain's Santander <SAN.MC> .

[lvb28]

UPDATE 3-Scotiabank to buy Chile's Banco del Desarrollo
(Adds quotes, updates stock price; in U.S. dollars unless noted)

By Lynne Olver

TORONTO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Bank of Nova Scotia <BNS.TO> has agreed to bolster its size in Chile by purchasing a 79 percent stake in the country's seventh largest bank, Banco del Desarrollo, for $810 million, the two companies said on Friday.

Scotiabank is buying the majority stake from three shareholders and said it expects to acquire up to 100 percent of Banco del Desarrollo through a public offering for the remaining shares.

That would value Desarrollo at $1.03 billion.

The Chilean bank has assets of more than $5.1 billion and a network of 74 branches, and specializes in mid-market commercial lending, small business and micro-business lending, and consumer finance.

The deal is expected to close in November. The purchase price may be lowered after Scotiabank finishes its due diligence.

Scotiabank would leap up the rankings to become the sixth-largest player in the Chilean banking market, with $8.6 billion in combined assets and more than 130 branches, plus Desarrollo's 24 small business and micro-lending centers.

Its Chilean unit, Scotiabank Sud Americano, currently has total assets of $3.5 billion and 57 branches, and is active in retail banking.

The planned transaction moves Scotiabank into the "top tier" in the Latin American country, and probably will not be its last investment there, Scotiabank's president and chief executive, Rick Waugh, told analysts on a conference call.

"It's pure speculation as to what will happen but Chile is a country that we see the future is bright and we'll continue to look for other ways to invest in it," Waugh said.

"We're in this for the long haul."

Scotiabank likes the South American country because of its favorable demographics and fast-growing banking sector.

In the last decade, "GDP per capita has increased by roughly 65 percent and the number of people that participate actively in the banking system has increased by more than 75 percent, and we see that demographic continuing," James Callahan, chief executive of Scotiabank Sud Americano, told reporters in Santiago.

Scotiabank expects the investment to add 5 Canadian cents a share to its earnings in the first year of the acquisition, rising to 10 Canadian cents a share by the third year.

Shares of Bank of Nova Scotia rose almost 2 percent to C$52.18 by early afternoon on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The Canadian bank can "easily absorb the acquisition," said Dundee Securities analyst John Aiken in a note to clients. He estimated that Scotiabank had between C$1.5 billion ($1.4 billion) and C$2.7 billion in excess capital at the end of July.

Scotiabank, which first entered the Chilean market in 1990, will maintain two separate distribution networks. Because the two banks don't have a lot of overlapping operations, "the vast majority" of jobs should be kept, they said in the joint statement.

Vicente Caruz Middleton, president of Banco del Desarrollo, told reporters that the decision to negotiate a sale was not easy, but he added that "Scotiabank's intention to continue developing the bank's business the same way we have up until now has been one of the most important factors for us."

($1=$1.05 Canadian) (Additional reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto and Lisa Yulkowski in Santiago)

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.512.842 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 22:10:02

Guatemalan ex-general gains in presidential survey
GUATEMALA CITY, Aug 31 (Reuters) - A right-wing former general has narrowed the gap with center-left front-runner Alvaro Colom in Guatemala's Sept. 9 presidential election, according to a poll published on Friday.

Otto Perez Molina, an ex-head of military intelligence during the country's 1960-1996 civil war, was in second place with almost 28 percent support in the daily El Periodico's latest poll, up 4 percentage points from a July survey.

Colom has consistently led in the polls but his score slipped to almost 31 percent from nearly 33 percent in July.

The pair are likely headed for a run-off vote in November where the survey predicted a close race. In a second-round vote, 44 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for Colom while 41 percent said they would chose Perez Molina.

The candidate of President Oscar Berger's GANA coalition, Alejandro Giammattei, an ex-head of the country's crumbling prison system, was ranked third in Friday's poll with 10.5 percent.

Nobel Peace laureate Rigoberta Menchu, a defender of Mayan victims of the war, was in fourth place.

Perez Molina has spent heavily on a campaign to sell his promises of a crackdown against violence and corruption.

He backs using the army to fight crime by selectively declaring states of emergency and suspending constitutional rights in areas overrun by crime. Guatemala has one of highest murder rates in the world.

The poll surveyed 1,008 people between August 13 and 26 and had a 3.5 percentage point margin of error.

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.512.842 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 22:10:02

ob diese Zeit nochmal wiederkehrt ????

K....19.. das war ein schöner Überblick

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.427 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:28:37

Mexico's banks seen weathering global credit crisis
By Noel Randewich

MEXICO CITY, Aug 31 - Mexico's banks, mostly owned by foreign heavyweights, are in good shape to weather a U.S. credit crisis and are unlikely to import serious financial problems into the wider economy.

Although Mexico's close trade ties to the United States make it vulnerable to a U.S. economic slowdown, weakness in Mexico's banking industry is seen as unlikely to choke the economy.

"The main link as far as Mexico is concerned is a trade link, not a credit link," said Ricardo Amorim, an economist at WestLB in New York.

Mexican banks have increased lending in recent years but still take in much more in deposits than they lend out, helping insulate them from the recent reluctance of banks around the world to lend to each other.

International banking heavyweights like Citigroup <C.N> , BBVA <BBVA.MC> , Santander <SAN.MC> and HSBC <HSBA.L> have snapped up almost all of Mexico's main banks over the past decade after an economic crisis devastated the industry.

They have pumped billions of dollars into their Mexican subsidiaries to make sure they can withstand problems that might lead to widespread loan defaults.

The U.S. subprime lending market ran into trouble this year when loose lending standards, rising interest rates and falling housing prices combined to spark a wave of mortgage defaults.

Packaging and selling mortgages to institutional investors, who often bought them with borrowed money, has made the lending industry in the United States and other countries more delicate and harder to gauge.

By comparison, Mexico's banking industry has only just begun to package and sell mortgage loans. Almost all the mortgages made by banks in Mexico stay on their own books, which means bankers don't need to worry about the reluctance of other investors to buy them or accept them as collateral.



KNEE-JERK REACTION
Mexico does not have a subprime lending sector similar to the one that has led to a spike in defaults in the United States, although banks are starting to offer loans to consumers with little or no credit history.

Victor Herrera, head of Standard and Poor's in Mexico, predicted bankers will curb recently launched programs to lend money to people with no documentable income, like taxi drivers and waiters, but he said that segment is small.

"If they see an impact from high-risk mortgages or credits in other countries, then there will be a psychological effect, a knee-jerk reaction," he said. "If they have colleagues in other parts of the world who have had problems, they're going to say 'Let's take a look at what I'm doing.'"

Credit-fueled consumer spending accounts for a huge part of economic activity in the United States, so dried-up lending there would hobble growth, analysts say.

But Mexican companies and consumers have gotten by for most of the past decade without much access to credit, Moody's Economy.com economist Alfredo Coutino said.

"Even if financial institutions take a more conservative attitude, I don't think this is going to impose a big restriction on economic growth in the region," he said.

Credit Suisse analyst Alonso Cervera warned that if credit around the world falls into a serious slump, Mexico's banks might be included in sweeping decisions by their international owners to throttle back on lending, even if they are less at risk.

"The lending decisions of some of these banks doing business in Mexico would be coming from the headquarters in New York, Madrid or London, and not necessarily from the executives in Mexico," he said.

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.427 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:28:37

-Mexican oil, gas pipelines hit again by explosions
(Recasts, adds background, detail) By Imelda Medina

MALTRATA, Mexico, Sept 10 ) - Explosions rocked Mexico on Monday as attacks on six pipelines disrupted oil and gas supplies and forced thousands from their homes, just weeks after leftist rebels set off a string of pipeline bombs.

Huge billowing flames lit the night sky after the blasts in the early hours of the morning. More than 20,000 people were rushed from their homes to emergency shelters as gas and oil spewed from the ruptured pipes.

State energy monopoly Pemex said there were no injuries from the blasts, most of which were in Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico, but Chief Executive Jesus Reyes Heroles said they would cost the company "hundreds of millions of dollars."

The pipeline damage would cut off around 25 percent of the country's natural gas supply for 24 to 36 hours, Reyes Heroles told Mexican radio. He said the fact gas can't be easily stored made the situation more serious than for gasoline, where ample inventory meant supplies would be less affected.

"The most important point is natural gas," he said, adding that it could take four or five days from Tuesday to completely restore supply.

Charred trees surrounded the site of one explosion at the Balastrera gas pipeline near the town of Maltrata in Veracruz state, as firefighters struggled to control the blaze there.

Some pipelines were hit in several places. It was not immediately clear if bombs had been used. Mexico has recently suffered a spate of mostly small scale attacks attributed to rebel groups.

Last month, Mexico City's Torre Mayor skyscraper, the tallest in Latin America, was evacuated after police found a small device, believed to be an explosive, in a car in the building's underground parking.

In July, the Popular Revolutionary Army, a leftist guerrilla group known by its Spanish initials EPR, staged four bomb attacks on Pemex pipelines carrying natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, crude oil and gasoline.

Last year, al Qaeda threatened to attack installations in Mexico and other countries that supply oil to the United States. U.S. and Mexican authorities played down the threat.

Mexico has deployed soldiers and federal police to protect pipelines but President Felipe Calderon has said it is almost impossible to completely secure the vast network.

The worst damage from Monday's blasts was to two 48-inch (122-cm) diameter natural gas pipelines, but one major 30-inch (76-cm) oil pipeline was also hit. Pemex said exports would not be affected.

Pemex, a top supplier of crude to the United States but a net importer of natural gas and gasoline, said businesses in Veracruz and neighboring states would suffer losses of natural gas supplies. Glass maker Vitro <VITROA.MX> said it shut down five factories due to disrupted gas supplies.

Veracruz state Gov. Fidel Herrera told Mexican radio police had chased a black pick-up truck believed to be connected to the attacks along remote highland roads. "They are still looking for this vehicle, which is the only evidence we have that could be connected to the event," he said. (Additional reporting by Frank Jack Daniel, Catherine Bremer, Cyntia Barrera and Tom Doggett)

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.511.427 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 21:28:37

-Hedge funds lose money in August-data
(Adds details on data from HFR)

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

BOSTON, Sept 10 - The average U.S. hedge fund lost money in August, the first time this year that these loosely regulated portfolios were in the red, according to data released on Monday.

Hedge funds lost 1.31 percent in August after inching up 0.49 percent in July, according to Hedge Fund Research (HFR).

Hennessee Group, which also monitors hedge fund performance, said the average fund slipped 0.7 percent in August after returning 0.33 percent in July.

But the losses for the industry as a whole were not as steep as many investors had feared late last month after some prominent funds reported double-digit declines.

Through Aug. 22, after Goldman Sachs' Global Equity Opportunities Fund lost 30 percent in a few days and other funds also suffered, HFR said the average fund had lost 3.73 percent during the month.

Indeed, August's losses barely affected hedge funds' performance for the year. Through August, the average fund was up 8.3 percent, while it had gained 8.9 percent through July, Hennessee said.

Hedge funds, which often promise to make money in all markets, underperformed the broader stock indexes. The Standard & Poor's 500 index <.SPX> gained 1.3 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> advanced 1.1 percent in August.

Among hedge funds, portfolios that specialize in emerging markets, high yield strategies and macro funds that make big bets on currencies, interest rates and commodities suffered the biggest losses last month.

Emerging market funds that focus on Latin America lost 2.93 percent, while those that focus on Russia and Eastern Europe lost 3.89 percent, HFR reported. In July, emerging market hedge funds as a group returned 3.8 percent.

Funds that concentrate on high yield strategies lost 1.97 percent in August after having gained 1.32 percent in July, HFR said.

But many funds were able to pare losses in the last days of August, which allowed the group to suffer only a small downturn.

"While a number of strategies posted losses for the month, much of these aggregate, intra-month losses were pared into month end," said Ken Heinz, president of HFR.

So-called short sellers, the handful of funds that do nothing but bet that prices will fall and make money by borrowing securities in the hopes of repaying the loan for less later, fared well. They notched their third monthly gain in a row, gaining 1.29 percent in August. That puts them up 11 percent for the first eight months of 2007.

Experts also said that only 40 percent of hedge funds have reported their numbers and traditionally those with poor returns wait until later to say so. This means that the monthly numbers could still be pulled lower, investors said. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss)

[lvb28]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 31.514.940 von lvb28 am 10.09.07 23:21:41

UPDATE 6-Gold trades above $700/oz as lower dollar helps
(Updates with New York closing prices, market activity)

By Atul Prakash

LONDON, Sept 10 22:40 (Reuters) - Gold traded above the key $700 level on Monday, within sight of a 16-month high, as a weaker dollar and bullion's safe-haven appeal attracted fresh buying.

The metal pared gains in late business on profit-taking, after closing in on a 26-year high of $730 an ounce hit in May last year. It is roughly $145 below its all-time high of $850, fixed in London on Jan. 21, 1980.

"Gold is set to remain strong around $700 as a pivot level. The currencies have enabled gold to take off and the metal has now uncoupled from currencies. We are again running into a self-motivated trend where buying attracts buying," Frederic Panizzutti, metals analyst at MKS Finance, said.

"The move has been impressive and we might see some profit taking, but the market is definitely aiming (for) $720 as the next target. We expect the market to remain volatile in the coming days and would not be surprised to see another rally."

Spot gold <XAU=> touched an intraday peak of $706.60 before falling to $703.10/703.70 by 3:30 p.m. EDT (1930 GMT), against $699.90/700.70 quoted late in New York on Friday when it rallied to its highest since mid-May 2006 at $707.10.

Friday's unexpectedly weaker U.S. nonfarm payrolls data dented the dollar, making dollar-priced gold cheaper for holders of other currencies.

The dollar hit a 15-year low against a basket of currencies on Monday <.DXY> as the data, showing companies cut 4,000 jobs last month, stoked expectations for a hefty Federal Reserve rate cut this month.

A crunch in global credit markets stemming from problems in the U.S. subprime, or risky, mortgage sector has forced the world's major central banks to inject emergency funds into the global financial system to prevent it grinding to a halt.

"Investors are getting more confident that bullion has hit a floor and is on the way back up," said Yuki Sonoda, advisor at Daiichi Commodities Co Ltd.

"Finally, a gleam is in sight," he said, adding that a rise in gold held by exchange-traded funds (ETFs) showed steady appetite for gold by funds and other long-term investors.

The latest data showed gold held in New York-listed StreetTRACKS Gold Shares <XAUEXT-NYS-TT> , the world's largest gold-backed ETF, rose to 549.42 tonnes, another record high, up 33.98 tonnes or 6.6 percent from the start of the month.

"We would not be short gold here, however, as the chances of a self-fulfilling rally may occur if more options-related buying lifts the spot price through resistance levels, the most important of which is last year's high of $730," John Reade, head of metals strategy at UBS Investment Bank, said in a note.

In one of the latest moves seen as bullish for the price of gold, Australia's Newcrest Mining Ltd. <NCM.AX> said it planned to raise A$2 billion ($1.65 billion) via an offering of new shares to fund the closing out of gold hedges and pay back debt.

Newmont Mining Corp <NEM.N> , the world's second biggest producer, said in early July that it eliminated its entire 1.85 million-ounce gold hedge position.

Gold miners typically hedge more when they think prices are in long-term decline, but like full exposure to a rising market.

In official gold news, a deputy chairman of Russia's central bank told Reuters that the country has no plans to buy or sell gold in the world market and will continue to build state reserves by purchasing from its main producers. [nL10763036]

Meanwhile, J.P. Morgan Securities said on Monday it expects gold to rise to $720 an ounce in the first half of 2008 because of a robust physical market, stressed mine output and reduced scrap supply. [nN10306585]

In other metals, platinum <XPT=> hit a one-month high at $1,295.50 before easing to $1,288.50/1,295.50 an ounce, compared with its previous close of $1,286.10/1,293.10 in New York. Palladium <XPD=> eased to $331.60/335.60 an ounce from $332.50/336.70, while silver <XAG=> was at $12.54/12.57 an ounce, versus $12.51/12.54 late in the U.S. market on Friday.

(Additional reporting by Frank Tang in New York and Risa Maeda in Tokyo)

[lvb28]

Chiles Boerse hat neue Regeln zur Aufnahme und Berechnugn der Indizes eingefuerht. Zugleich wird die Indexfamilie des IPSA
erweitert udn aehnlich wie bei der Bolsa electronica dem spanischen IBE35 und in etwa vergleichbear der amerikanischen Nasdaq nachempfunden.

So wird es in Zukunft geben bei der Bolsa de Santiago

die

IPSA Large IPSAMID und den IPSA SMALL