Chile's stocks ended flat on Friday in slow trading as stock market volatility in nearby Brazil this week and jitters about debt negotiations in Argentina kept some investors waiting on the sidelines, analysts said.
The IPSA blue-chip index fell 0.10 percent to 1,424.71 points, but accumulated a 1.13 percent gain over the week. The broader IGPA index rose 0.28 percent to 7,146.34 points. Brazilian stock markets have been volatile since the end of January on resurgent worries about inflation, government economic policy and the future of US interest rates.
"There's a lot of volatility and that has spilled over into Brazil, which is having problems of its own. There are signs the G7 and the IMF are becoming a little less lenient in their attitudes toward Argentina's debt renegotiations," Laidler said.
Group of Seven (G7) sources said on Friday the G7 finance ministers may urge Argentina to show good faith in debt negotiations at a meeting this weekend as the Latin American nation's tough tactics in debt talks with bondholders are starting to irk the powerful industrial nations.
Gainers included retail groups D&S, which rose 3.82 percent to 680 pesos per share, and Polar which gained 3.10 percent to 649.50 pesos, on general optimism for growth in the Chilean economy, analysts said. Turnover was low at $20 million.
Chile's peso currency appreciated 0.67 percent against the US dollar following the euro which gained lost territory against the greenback on weaker-than-expected US employment figures.