*

Brazil's Hapvida jumps after higher Q1 profit

*

Argentina April CPI awaited

*

Both Latam stocks and FX indexes flat

By Shashwat Chauhan

May 14 (Reuters) - Most Latin American currencies

treaded higher on Tuesday with Brazil's real amongst top

gainers, while focus shifted to U.S. inflation data which could

dictate market perception of the Federal Reserve's interest rate

outlook.

Brazil's real gained 0.3% against the dollar after

minutes from the Brazil central bank's last policy meeting

showed the members who voted for a larger interest rate cut last

week supported the view that it was appropriate to adhere to the

previous guidance for a 50-basis-point reduction.

"In our assessment, despite the split vote, the minutes are

distinctively hawkish," Alberto Ramos, managing director - head

of Latam economics at Goldman Sachs ( GS ) said.

Copper producer Chile's peso appreciated 0.6% against

the dollar, tracking rising prices of the red metal.

Mexico's peso slipped 0.3%, while Peru's sol

also shed 0.4%.

As of 10:48 a.m. ET (1448 GMT) MSCI's index for Latin

American currencies was flat, while a gauge for

stocks edged 0.05% lower.

Regional heavyweight Brazil's main stock index

gained 0.3% early on, boosted by advancing health care and

information technology shares.

Hapvida jumped over 8% after the Brazilian

healthcare operator posted a first-quarter adjusted net profit

of 506.8 million reais ($98.3 million), up from 33.1 million

reais a year earlier.

Natura &Co shed over 4% after the cosmetics maker

reported a net loss of 934.9 million reais ($181.29 million) for

the first quarter, larger than the 652 million-real loss it had

posted a year earlier.

Shares in Mexico dipped 0.4%, while those in Peru

and Argentina gained 0.4% and 0.7%,

respectively.

In the lead up to a crucial U.S. inflation print on

Wednesday which could dictate the Fed's rate trajectory, fresh

data showed U.S. producer prices increased more than expected in

April, indicating that inflation remained stubbornly high early

in the second quarter.

Also on the radar would be data out of Argentina which is

expected to showed the country's monthly inflation rate likely

dipped back into single digits for the first time in half a year

in April, analysts polled by Reuters estimated, amid a gradual

slowdown in price rises as the country's economy stalls.

HIGHLIGHTS

** Brazil services sector grows more than expected in March

** Biden sharply hikes US tariffs on Chinese imports,

including chips, cars

Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies:

Latest Daily % change

MSCI Emerging 1081.77 0.28

Markets

MSCI LatAm 2495.31 -0.05

Brazil Bovespa 128541.92 0.3

Mexico IPC 57518.13 -0.37

Chile IPSA 6683.46 -0.18

Argentina MerVal 1387544.7 0.77

9

Colombia COLCAP 1393.25 0.21

Currencies Latest Daily % change

Brazil real 5.1337 0.34

Mexico peso 16.8512 -0.31

Chile peso 916.8 0.61

Colombia peso 3872.68 0.30

Peru sol 3.7257 -0.32

Argentina peso 885.0000 -0.06

(interbank)

Argentina peso 1035 0.97

(parallel)

(Reporting by Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru)