Chile stocks decline

Chilean stocks fell across sectors on Friday, following the trend of global markets as oil prices rebounded. The all-market IGPA index fell 1.05 percent to close at 14,706.88 points, while the blue chip IPSA index retreated 1.20 percent to 3,035.16 points.
"Today markets were negative all over. Oil prices have hit stocks, and there's also been news about weaker expectations for the financial sector," said Rodrigo Andaur, an analyst with FIT Research. The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard and Poor's 500 Index both closed more than 1.8 percent lower on Friday after warnings of additional mortgage related write-downs at US banks.
On the Santiago exchange declines were led by retailers as higher fuel prices clouded expectations for consumer spending. Declines outnumbered advances 4 to 1. Leading supermarket chain D&S, which rose over 25 percent in the first four days of the week on merger speculation, slumped 7.84 percent after the company's vice-president denied a deal was afoot.
Giant regional retailers Falabella and Cencosud fell 1.67 percent and 1.7 percent respectively. Transport companies were also hit by higher oil prices, with shipper Vapores falling 2.53 percent and dominant air carrier LAN slipping 3.61 percent.
Iron ore miner CAP, fell 3.33 percent while wood pulp producers Copec and CMPC declined 2.06 percent and 1.38 percent respectively. Fertiliser producer SQM, one of the few gaining shares, advanced of 3.65 percent. SQM's stock price has more than doubled in the last five weeks on higher global prices for fertilisers and brokerage recommendations.
Andaur said next week local investors would be anticipating the US Federal Reserve rate decision. Chile's peso depreciated 0.75 percent to close at 495.00/495.30 per dollar, compared with Thursday's close at 491.30/491.80.
"We've got a generalised decline in global stock markets, beginning with Wall Street. At the same time oil prices have shot back up, so with a more negative global scenario the demand for dollars has increased," a currency broker said.
The central bank continued its daily purchase of $50 million on the currency exchange as part of an $8 billion intervention begun in April to curb the strength of the peso when the greenback was at just above 430 pesos.