Chile stocks close down with global markets

Fri Jul 11, 2008 10:16pm BST
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(Updates with closing stocks)

SANTIAGO, July 11 (Reuters) - Chile stocks closed lower on Friday, dragged down by slumping global markets and spiking oil prices, while the peso slipped against the dollar.

The peso CLP=CL fell 0.44 percent to end at 503.20/503.70 per dollar, compared with Thursday's close at 501.00/501.50.

The all-market IGPA .IGPA extended losses on Friday, down 1.21 percent for the day to 13,462.33, while the blue-chip IPSA index .IPSA fell 1.52 percent to 2,761.14.

U.S. and European bourses dropped as much as 2 percent on Friday, as oil spiked above $147 per barrel and after the U.S. Treasury Secretary offered no hint of a government bailout for major mortgage financing sources Freddie Mac (FRE.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Fannie Mae (FNM.N: Quote, Profile, Research).

"The environment is pessimistic and the market is cautious," said Patricio Hernandez, an analyst with brokerage Banchile. "There is no sign of a turnaround any time soon."

"The sharp increases in oil prices both yesterday and today are not helping, either," Hernandez added.

Transport companies led blue-chip percentage declines for a second day, with LAN Airlines LAN.SN falling 3.52 percent and shipper Vapores VAP.SN retreating 2.94 percent.

Stock in Cap CAP.SN, Chile's biggest steel and iron ore producer and a heavy hitter on the local bourse, slumped 7.02 percent to 18,875 pesos per share after the company said it planned to raise $550 million in a new stock issue.

Wood pulp exporter Copec COP.SN and energy group Enersis ENE.SN, the bourse's most heavily weighted shares, fell 1.61 percent and 1.25 percent respectively. (Reporting by Froilan Romero and Lisa Yulkowski; Editing by James Dalgleish)

 
 
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