Brazil stocks make 5th straight day of gains

Brazilian stocks made their fifth straight day of gains on Friday after a weak start that echoed declines in Europe.

Brazil's Bovespa index was up 0.8 percent at 36,488 in early-morning trading. The market had opened down 0.2 percent to 36,159.

The nation's currency, the real, lost ground against the dollar.

Mexican stocks also enjoyed a lift, with the IPC index opening up 0.9 percent to 20,202. Chile opened lower and then recovered, rising by a modest 0.1 percent to 2,435. Argentina proved to be the exception, with its Merval index opening down 0.7 percent at 965.

Brazilian shares enjoyed one of their best weeks in months as investors cheered the U.S. government's rescue of Citigroup Inc. and additional economic stimulus plans around the world.

In Europe on Friday, markets fell modestly on profit-taking and ahead of an expected lower opening on Wall Street following the Thanksgiving holiday.

Wall Street was selling off modestly Friday as investors braced for what's expected to be a weak holiday shopping season. The session was expected to be quiet with the stock market closing three hours early and many traders gone for the long holiday weekend. Thin trading volume could exacerbate some of the market's moves, however.

In the first few minutes of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average was down about 45 points at 8,680.