Most Latin American currencies strengthened on Friday as rising Chinese shares brought solace to investors following weeks of losses driven by escalating global trade frictions. The Colombian and Mexican peso currencies appreciated the most, gaining 0.59 percent and 0.52 percent, respectively. China stocks posted their best week in over two years as historically low valuations brought back buyers. That triggered a bounce-back across riskier emerging-market assets, which have taken a beating in recent weeks. Most foreign exchange markets across Latin America followed along, while the Brazilian real and Chilean peso dipped slightly. "Brazilian currency markets are likely to track foreign markets while the presidential race remains 'on pause' and without major economic indicators set to be released," analysts at H.Commcor brokerage wrote in a report. Brazil's benchmark Bovespa stock index also rose, but saw some volatility due to a heavy batch of corporate news. Shares of Cielo, Brazil's largest payment processor, plummeted after its chief executive officer resigned, citing personal and family-related issues. In Brazilian commodities, soybean farmers will expand the area planted to a record next season, agricultural consultancy Safras & Mercado predicted on Friday, with strong demand from China boosting the outlook for the coming crop. The area will likely grow by 2.3 percent to a record-high 36 million hectares (88.9 million acres), the consultancy said, referring to the season that kicks off in September. Mexico's benchmark S&P/BMV IPC index, meanwhile, was down 0.6 percent as investors awaited most major listed companies' second quarter earnings reports over the next couple weeks. In Peru, the annual inflation rate may drop below last month's 1.43 percent pace in the third quarter but is not expected to fall under 1 percent, the central bank said on Friday. Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 2059 GMT: Stock indexes Latest daily % change YTD % change MSCI Emerging Markets 1075.64 0.5 -7.15 MSCI LatAm 2577.21 0.36 -8.87 Brazil Bovespa 76594.35 0.97 0.25 Mexico IPC 48406.01 -0.6 -1.92 Chile IPSA 5305.39 0.41 -4.66 Chile IGPA 26849.63 0.32 -4.04 Argentina MerVal 26514.16 -0.71 -11.81 Colombia IGBC 12262.15 0.14 7.84 Venezuela IBC 102081.18 -3.12 7981.54 Currencies Latest daily % change YTD % change Brazil real 3.8504 -0.02 -13.95 Mexico peso 18.8850 0.52 4.31 Chile peso 649.6 -0.16 -5.38 Colombia peso 2856.95 0.59 4.38 Peru sol 3.271 0.03 -1.04 Argentina peso 27.2100 0.07 -31.64 (interbank) Argentina peso 28.67 -0.77 -32.93 (parallel) (Reporting by Bruno Federowski Editing by Phil Berlowitz and James Dalgleish)