EMERGING MARKETS-LatAm equities tick higher in shortened holiday session; Peru, Colombia lead

Latin American stocks rose, led by Peru and Colombia, during a thinly traded session, with the MSCI index up 0.2%. The region is on track for its best year since 2009. Analysts caution against overestimating political change in Venezuela. The Colombian peso gained 0.5% against the dollar. Citi analysts maintain an overweight rating on EM equities, expecting Brazil to shift to aggressive easing and Mexico to continue easing. The MSCI Latin American index has gained nearly 46% this year, despite potential political volatility.