June 17 (Bloomberg) -- The following companies may have unusual price changes today in Latin American trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses and share prices reflect the previous close.

The MSCI Latin America Index fell 1.4 percent to 2,995.30. In Brazil, preferred shares usually are the most-traded class of stock.

Brazil

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4 BS): Brazil’s state- controlled oil company expects to take an 80 percent stake in the oil refinery that it is jointly building with Mitsui & Co. in Brazil’s Ceara state, a press official said. Petrobras fell 2.3 percent to 32.55 reais.

Chile

Ripley Corp SA (RIPLEY CC): A unit of Ripley Corp SA, Chile’s third-largest department-store operator, plans to sell up to 3.5 million UF, Chile’s inflation-adjusted accounting unit, or about $132 million in bonds. Proceeds will be used to refinance debt, according to a prospectus posted on the regulator’s Web site. Ripley fell 2.3 percent to 420 pesos.

Banco de Chile (CHILE CC): Chile’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point to a record 0.75 percent, adding it will probably keep the rate low for longer than investors expect. Banco de Chile, the country’s No. 2 lender, fell 1.3 percent to 37.69 pesos.

Mexico

Alfa SAB (ALFAA MM): General Motors Corp. will idle a factory in Mexico for seven weeks, the company said yesterday. Alfa, the world’s largest maker of aluminum engine heads and blocks, fell 4 percent to 35.39 pesos.

To contact the reporter on this story: Hugh Collins in Mexico City at Hcollins8@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 17, 2009 00:05 EDT