One to Watch

UNTIL recently, Latin America was regarded as a political and economic basket case. Today the more important economies – such as Brazil, Argentina and Mexico – are all, in their own way, repositioning themselves towards becoming important global economic engines. It helps having a powerful trading partner, such as the US, on your doorstep but this is not sufficient in itself to propel an economy forward.

There will be bumps along the way, I have no doubt. However, the Blackrock Latin American Investment Trust looks an excellent vehicle for participating in the growth potential of this area. Some 70 per cent of the portfolio is committed to Brazil.

While no guarantee to the future performance, the trust asset value has, over the past 12 months, risen by some 85 per cent. The trust pays a modest dividend, giving a yield of 1.5 per cent. The shares are standing at a discount to net asset value of about 5 per cent. South America must be regarded as a long-term prospect and could be interesting to follow.

The value of your investment could fall and you may get back less than you invested. You should take professional advice if you have any doubt about the suitability of this company for your portfolio.

Experian

599.5p +7.5p

Broker says BUY

CHARLES Stanley has reiterated its "buy" recommendation on Experian following last year's full-year results from the credit reference agency. The broker noted: "The reduction in debt and strong cash generation has encouraged Experian to improve its distribution to shareholders."

Lonmin

1,616p -21p

Broker says SELL

PLATINUM miner Lonmin has suffered a further setback while trying to restart one of its furnaces. Ambrian said: "Whilst we think all the platinum producers are over-valued, if you hold Lonmin and want platinum exposure, we suggest swapping into Aquarius for 'pure play' exposure or Anglo American for diversified exposure."