SAO PAULO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's benchmark equities index and real currency lost ground on Thursday as markets remained jittery about the uneven progress of a pension reform bill seen as key to shoring up the nation's fiscal health.
President Michel Temer is looking to gain solid support for the pension bill from the centrist Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB). In order to whip the 308 votes needed for passage in Brazil's lower chamber, he will also need to win the support of a number of smaller parties.
"The only chance now is a definitive understanding between (the PSDB and Temer's Brazilian Democratic Movement Party) to pressure smaller actors into entering the accord with the risk of losing more if they remain outside," analysts at Lerosa Investimentos wrote in a note to clients.
The Bovespa .BVSP was down 0.5 percent in early afternoon trading, while the real slid 0.56 percent BRBY .
Among the poor performers on the Bovespa was energy holding company CPFL Energia SA CPFE3.SA , which plummeted more than 9 percent.
CPFL will launch a tender offer this afternoon, as China's State Grid Corp, its controlling shareholder, plans to buy out minority shareholders in order to delist the utility. including Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes SA GOLL4.SA dropped after Brazil's Senate failed on Wednesday to pass a cap on taxes for aviation fuels. blue-chip IPSA .IPSA index also lost ground, falling 0.58 percent, as investors remained wary about a tight Dec. 19 presidential election. addition to political concerns, a union at Teck Resources' TECKb.TO Quebrada Blanca copper mine voted to strike, the union said on Thursday, raising fears of tricky labor negotiations in the world's top copper exporter. = 3.26 reais)
Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1435 GMT:
Stock indexes
daily %
YTD %
Latest
change
change MSCI Emerging Markets
1123,00
-1,61
32,37 .MSCIEF
MSCI LatAm .MILA00000PUS
2747,53
-1,2
18,81
Brazil Bovespa
72339,55
-0,5
20,11
Mexico S&P/BVM IPC
47627,49
0,01
4,35 .MXX
Chile IPSA
4983,68
-0,58
20,05
Chile IGPA
25083,98
-0,53
20,98
Argentina MerVal
27057,19
0,57
59,93
Colombia IGBC
10853,46
0,05
7,16
Venezuela IBC
1296,81
11,1
-95,91
Currencies
daily %
YTD %
change
change
Latest
Brazil real
3,2577
-0,56
-0,26
Mexico peso
MXN=D2
18,5535
0,06
11,81
Chile peso
CLP=CL
644,6
-0,08
4,05
Colombia peso COP=
3004,21
-0,04
-0,09 Peru sol
PEN=PE
3,233
0,03
5,60
Argentina peso (interbank)
17,4000
0,20
-8,76 ARS=RASL
Argentina peso (parallel)
18,07
0,39
-6,92 ARSB=