BUENOS AIRES
Argentine stocks closed unchanged yesterday as investors held out for the results of an upcoming US employment report. The benchmark MerVal index closed steady at 2,254.32 points, without a percentage change.

SAO PAULO
Brazil's stock market and the national currency gained yesterday as investors went bargain-hunting after the previous session's biggest one-day decline in local assets in three weeks. The Bovespa index of the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange closed 0.51 percent higher at 60,406.72 points led higher by oil driller Petrobras, while further declines in miner CVRD weighed on the index.

SANTIAGO
Chilean stocks gave up nearly all of their early gains yesterday as investors evaluated interest rate prospects and a weaker dollar, which helped push the peso to a new seven-year high. The all-market IGPA index edged 0.05 percent higher to 14,811 points, while the trade-weighted blue-chip IPSA index gained 0.03 percent to 3,294.55 points.

MEXICO CITY
Mexican stocks closed lower yesterday as investors dumped home builder shares after the second sector heavyweight in a week slashed its forecast for revenue growth. Shares of Mexican home builder Ara plunged more than 16 percent after the company slashed its forecast for 2007 revenue growth. Its share price fell 2.44 pesos to 12.46 pesos. The benchmark IPC stock index dropped 0.32 percent to 31,078.33 points, also hurt by losses in Soriana

 NEW YORK
US stocks barely budged yesterday as investors shied away from making big bets before today’s jobs data that could shed light on the economy and the outlook for interest rates. Though caution prevailed, shares of pharmaceutical companies such as Merck & Co and those of utilities rose, countering profit-taking among recently strong oil and technology shares.The Dow Jones industrial average was up 6.26 points, or 0.04 percent, to end at 13,974.31.

LONDON
 Britain’s top share index rose after major central banks in Europe kept interest rates on hold, while Northern Rock led gains after sources said Citigroup had offered funding to potential buyers. The FTSE 100 closed at 6,547.9 points, up 12.7 or 0.19 percent.