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Banorte Net Profits Up 140%

Mexico’s fourth-largest financial institution, Banorte, has announced net profits of $121.4 million in the third quarter of this year, 140% up on the same period last year and above analysts’ expectations. The results are equivalent to earnings per share of 2.63 pesos, compared with 1.09 pesos for the third quarter of 2004.

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Peru Prepares Sale Of New Telecoms License

Peru is preparing to sell a fifth cell phone license to increase competition in the sector. Nextel Perú and Millicom International of the US are both reported to be interested in bidding. The most recent entrant to the Peruvian telecoms market was América Móvil, one of Latin America’s largest telecoms companies, when it bought the local operations of Italy’s Telecom Italia in August beating off rival Spanish Telefónica Móviles.

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Pemex Issues 10 Billion Pesos Local Bonds

State-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has issued 10- and six-year bonds worth 10 billion pesos ($920 million) in the local market. The 10-year issue offered a rate of 9.31%, or 45 basis points above 10-year government bonds. The six-year bond offered a variable rate of 35 basis points above three-month Cetes. The issue was three times oversubscribed.

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Ecuador Selects Deutsche Bank And JP Morgan To Advise

Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan have been selected to advise the Government of Ecuador when it returns to the international capital markets with its forthcoming issue of $500 million in external debt bonds. The consortium formed by the two banks beat off competition from Citigroup, Credit Suisse and Commerz Bank following the announcement of the Finance Ministry on 2 October inviting bids from interested banks.

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El Fénix Gets Backing

Mexican companies agreed to support a scaled back version of the government’s controversial El Fénix petrochemical project. The project is now budgeted at $800 million, two-thirds less than before. Private investors will take at least 51% in El Fénix, but feedstock prices are still under negotiation with the government. The complex was originally expected to cost $2.5 billion.

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