Anhanguera Educacional Slumps Most in 4 Weeks as CEO Resigns

Anhanguera Educacional Participacoes SA (AEDU3), Brazil’s largest education company by market value, dropped the most in four weeks after its chief executive officer resigned as second-quarter profit fell to the lowest since 2009.

Shares slumped 11 percent to 22.51 reais at the close of trading, the most since Oct. 3. The benchmark Bovespa index fell 1.7 percent.

Anhanguera said in a statement today that CEO Alexandre Silveira Dias had resigned. He’ll be replaced by Ricardo Leonel Scavazza, who previously held the position of deputy finance director, according to the statement.

“Management resignations normally lead to uncertainties,” and Silveira Dias’ case was “worsened by Anhanguera’s weak second quarter and recent share underperformance,” Banco BTG Pactual SA’s analysts JC Santos and Pedro Montenegro wrote in a note to clients today.

BTG Pactual cut the stock from “buy” to “neutral” following the CEO’s resignation.

Anhanguera tumbled 37 percent this year through yesterday, while the Bovespa index fell 16 percent in the same period. The company reported second-quarter net income of 8 million reais ($4.6 million), the lowest since the three months ended in December 20009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ney Hayashi in Sao Paulo at ncruz4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: David Papadopoulos in New York at papadopoulos@bloomberg.net