Brazil stocks down on U.S. jobs data, real firms

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SAO PAULO, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Brazilian stocks posted their first loss in four sessions on Friday as investors, worried by weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data, showed little appetite for risk.

The benchmark Bovespa index .BVSP declined 0.54 percent to 64,466.13, nonetheless off the day's lows, when the index dipped as much as 1.9 percent.

U.S. employers cut a deeper-than-expected 190,000 jobs in October, driving the country's unemployment rate to the highest since April 1983. [ID:nN04495174]

"The figures were really bad and dragged down the market," said Luiz Roberto Monteiro, financial adviser at the Souza Barros brokerage.

But shares rallied later in the day on a combination of factors, said Alessandra Ribeiro, an economist with Tendencias consultancy in Sao Paulo.

Continuing expectations of growth in Brazil over the coming year have drawn investors to the country, she noted.

In addition, she said, China is slated to release several economic indicators next week, including retail sales and industrial output. Investors could be anticipating strong showings from those numbers, too.

Brazil's currency, the real (BRBY), firmed 0.17 percent to 1.719 per dollar.

On the stock market, widely traded shares Vale and Petrobras pulled the market lower as prices of commodities plunged on expectations a weak U.S. economy would pressure demand for metals and energy. The 19-commodity Reuters Jefferies index .CRB shed 1.77 percent.

Mining giant Vale (VALE5.SA), the world's largest iron ore producer, fell 0.69 percent to 41.61 reais.

Petrobras (PETR4.SA) lost 0.96 percent to 36.05 reais as crude oil plunged 2.75 percent in New York CLc1 on the U.S. unemployment data.

Shares of steelmaker Gerdau, banking giant Itau Unibanco and others that had rallied in recent days after positive third-quarter earnings also declined as investors took profits.

Gerdau (GGBR4.SA) was down 2.96 percent to 27.22 reais, after jumping 6.7 percent over three days, while Itau Unibanco (ITUB4.SA) declined 0.44 percent to 36.54 reais, reversing a three-day, 9.6 percent surge.

Bucking the trend in the market, Lojas Americanas (LAME4.SA), the country's largest Internet retailer, added 7.29 percent to 12.95 reais. The company said late on Thursday its third-quarter net income soared to 36.5 million reais from 6.7 million reais a year earlier. A company official said on Friday that the retailer planned to open 400 new stores in Brazil over the next four years.

Gafisa (GFSA3.SA), Brazil's second-largest real estate developer, rose 1.02 percent to 27.80 reais. The company said third-quarter profits more than doubled to 85.8 million reais, more than the 79 million reais average analyst forecast in a Reuters poll, on the back of a surge in sales.