(Updated at 1515 GMT)

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Shekel falls as Hamas casts doubt on ceasefire talks

*

Rouble down 6% since Ukraine's Aug. 6 attack

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Azul shares fall after results

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Polish stocks gain over 3%

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Latam stocks up 0.3%, currency index flat

By Lisa Pauline Mattackal

Aug 12 (Reuters) - Latin American stocks tracked global

equities higher as attention shifted to key data later in the

week for clues on global economic growth, while Russia's rouble

and Israel's shekel slumped on worries about escalating

geopolitical risks in both countries.

MSCI's index of Latin American stocks gained

0.3% and touched a three-week high, with Colombian stocks'

1.3% rise leading gains among regional indexes.

Investors awaited key U.S. inflation and retail sales data

later in the week for signals on growth in the world's largest

economy, as well as retail sales and industrial production

figures from China.

Meanwhile, Israel's shekel dropped 1.4% to 3.77 per

dollar, nearly erasing all of Friday's gains, on increasing

worries about a possible attack from Iran.

Israeli stocks slipped 1.5%.

""Expectations of a ceasefire are low and declining and the

specter of an Iranian retaliation remains, Add to this the

better polling numbers for (presidential candidate Kamala)

Harris in the U.S. and these are clear headwinds for Israeli

assets," said Hasnain Malik, head of equity research at Tellimer

Research.

Russia's rouble, meanwhile, plunged 2.9% to 91.70 per

dollar, a near three-month low, as Russia evacuated parts of

regions bordering Ukraine. The rouble has lost over 6% since

Ukraine's attack on the Kursk region on August 6.

Higher crude prices, as traders priced in potential

disruptions to Middle East supply, lifted currencies of Latin

American producers. Colombia's peso and Brazil's real

both rose 0.1% against the dollar.

A rally in copper prices lifted the Chilean peso

0.2%, however, Peru's sol slipped 0.9%, on course for

its worst day in two months.

Emerging market assets have broadly recovered from last

week's sharp sell-off, sparked by concerns about growth in both

the U.S. and China, and the week's upcoming data will likely

test whether risk sentiment has truly recovered.

Mexican assets also lagged, with stocks flat and the

peso down 0.6% against the dollar after rising for three

straight sessions. Consumer confidence slipped slightly in July.

Despite the day's declines the currency has recouped all

losses from last week, when it touched a near two-year low as

Japanese yen-funded carry trades unwound.

Citigroup upgraded its stance on Mexican equities to

neutral, while it downgraded South Korean equities to the same

stance.

On the equities front, Brazilian-listed shares of Azul

lost nearly 10% after the airline reduced its

estimate for 2024 core earnings while bumping up its leverage

forecast.

Elsewhere in Europe, Poland's main stock index

leapt over 3.4%, on course for its best day since last November,

on strong second-quarter results from Orlen ( PSKOF ).

HIGHLIGHTS

** Brazil's central bank to pursue inflation target

regardless of leadership change

** Billions in dollar and euro notes reach Russia despite

sanctions

** Iron ore outlook dims as China inventories, steel output

fade: Russell

Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies

MSCI Emerging 1069.57 0.58

Markets

MSCI LatAm 2256.07 0.28

Brazil Bovespa 131445. 0.64

8

Mexico IPC 53023.0 -0.05

6

Chile IPSA 6348.05 0.43

Argentina Merval 1594355 0.66

.36

Colombia COLCAP 1327.77 1.32

Currencies Latest Daily %

change

Brazil real 5.4997 0.12

Mexico peso 18.9317 -0.57

Chile peso 929.8 0.24

Colombia peso 4063 0.14

Peru sol 3.7449 -0.89

Argentina peso 938.5 -0.1598

(interbank) 29515

Argentina peso 1335 1.49812

(parallel) 7341