UPDATE 1-Endesa Chile 1st-half net profit drops 51 percent

(Reuters) - The company, which operates in Chile, Argentina, Colombia,
Brazil and Peru, said it made a profit of 62.123 billion pesos
in the six months through June, compared with
127.915 billion pesos in the same period a year earlier.




Endesa Chile shares traded at 768 pesos, down from Monday's
close of 780.60 pesos. The stock was still up 17.5 percent
year-to-date, but down from record highs in March of over 850
pesos a share.


Read more at Reuters.com Market News

Argentine First Lady Opens Campaign With Video of Hillary, Chavez, Shakira

(Bloomberg) -- Argentine First Lady and Senator
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner heads into her first day of
campaigning for president, pledging to extend the economic
agenda of her husband that she said rescued the country.

Fernandez, 54, kicked off her campaign last night before a
crowd of 2,000 supporters who watched a video of her featuring
U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez,
and the Colombian pop star Shakira. Later, the screen in the La
Plata theater displayed her slogan for the Oct. 28 election:
``The Change Has Just Begun.''


Read more at Bloomberg Exclusive News

States to roll out subprime guidance for brokers

(Reuters) - Officials at CSBS, a group representing state regulators, said so far about 27 states and the District of Colombia plan to adopt the guidance within 48 hours after it is issued on Tuesday. No state has indicated that it will not eventually adopt it, they said.




Last month federal banking regulatory agencies issued guidance to curtail risky practices blamed for a record level of home foreclosures, according to the state group.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Emerging mkts flooded by local-currency global bonds

(Reuters) - A large chunk of the new issuance is denominated in the
Brazilian real , which has gained more than 14 percent so
far this year. But sovereign bonds are also being offered in
other strengthening local currencies, such as the Colombian
peso , the Peruvian sol and even the stable
Egyptian pound .




Despite being denominated in local currencies, those bonds
are more accessible to international investors because most are
settled in international markets and payable in dollars.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

RPT-UPDATE 2-Colombia cenbank says raises key rate to 9 pct

(Reuters) - The raise was the seventh consecutive month that the bank
increased rates to curb inflation to within its targeted 2007
range of between 3.5 and 4.5 percent for this year. Colombian
inflation was 4.48 percent in 2006.




The bank also unified its marginal reserve requirements on
banks at 27 percent and its ordinary reserves at 8.3 percent on
checking and saving accounts in what analysts said was another
policy aimed at restricting liquidity, slowing the economy and
curbing inflation.


Read more at Reuters.com Economic News

Colombia's Peso Increases From Three-Week Low as Risk Appetite May Return

(Bloomberg) -- Colombia's peso rallied from a three-
week low on speculation investors may buy riskier, emerging-
market assets after U.S. Treasury yields fell from a five-year
high.

``The stabilization of the U.S. Treasury markets helped the
peso,'' said Julian Cardenas, an analyst at Bogota-based
brokerage Corredores Asociados. ``Investors who got out of the
market a few days ago may find it's a good opportunity to re-
enter the market.''


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Cemex, Tejicondor, Tejidos and TV Azteca: Latin American Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may make
significant gains or losses in Chile, Colombia and Mexico
today. Symbols are in parentheses after the company name, and
stock prices are from the last session. Brazilian markets are
closed today for a holiday.

Chile


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Colombia's Uribe Says He Has No Plans to Extend Capital Inflow Controls

(Bloomberg) -- Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said
the government has no plans to impose further restraints on
short-term capital inflows and won't impose any controls on
foreign direct investment as it seeks to stem the peso's rally.

``I am convinced, I have the certainty, that we cannot put
capital controls on foreign direct investment,'' Uribe, 54, said
in an interview last night in his office at the presidential
palace in Bogota. ``So far, we haven't thought of any new ideas,
and my concern now, my focus, is on how to protect jobs.''


Read more at Bloomberg Currencies News

Colombia Peso Bond Yields Drop to One-Month Low on Slower Inflation View

(Bloomberg) -- Colombia's peso bond yields fell to a
more than one-month low on speculation lower food prices and a
stronger currency will encourage the central bank to end its
recent series of interest rate increases.

The central bank raised its target rate for overnight
lending between banks on May 18 to 8.75 percent, the highest
since November 2001. The bank has raised the key rate 11 times
since April 2006 from a three-year low of 6 percent.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News