Klabin Rises to Record as Profit Beats Estimate: Sao Paulo Mover

Klabin SA (KLBN4), Latin America’s biggest paper maker, headed to a record high after posting higher-than- expected profit in the fourth quarter.

Shares rose 1.4 percent to 8.66 reais at 3:12 p.m. in Sao Paulo. A close at that price would sinsbe the highest since at least August 1994. The benchmark Bovespa index gained 1.3 percent.

Klabin’s net income fell 46 percent to 122 million reais ($71 million) in the fourth quarter of 2011 from 225 million reais a year earlier, the company said in an e-mailed statement today. The result beat the average estimate of 90.63 million reais for adjusted net income, according to a Bloomberg survey of six analysts.

The results were “a bit better” than expected, Pedro Galdi, head strategist at brokerage firm SLW Corretora, said by phone from Sao Paulo. “The reaction also follows the Bovespa index rising,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Katerina Petroff in Sao Paulo at kpetroff@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Helder Marinho at hmarinho@bloomberg.net; David Papadopoulos at papadopoulos@bloomberg.net