$ 1,500 million. With U.S. $ 300 million projected, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA (NYSE: SQM-fertilizer-firm) seeks enhanced worldwide funding through an alliance. To double its selling space, the Falabella Group (IPSA: FALAB) plans to invest U.S. $ 900 million this year and an equal number the next. With investments of U.S.
$ 240 million by 2009, Banco Santander Chile SA (NYSE: SAN), seeks to maintain industry leadership and that is why, among other plans, this year plans to open over 40 branches. In the case of Empresas CMPC SA (IPSA: CMPC), it will invest U.S. $ 500 million in its modernization. Banco de Chile (NYSE: BCH), has plans to improve its services and technological processes following the merger with Citi (NYSE: C) by a value of U.S. $ 100 million. Cencosud (IPSA: CENCOSUD), meanwhile, will allocate about U.S. $ 1,000 million to consolidate its markets.
The other two companies in the top ten of the Santiago Stock Exchange, Pacific Steel Company SA (IPSA: CAP) and Colbun (IPSA: Colbun), also have ambitious plans for expansion. S. CAP Ainvertira U.S. $ 1,600 million increase production to achieve more than doubled, while Colbun has projects for about U.S. $ 1,500 billion over the next five years. What is taking these firms to pursue such ambitious plans expansion? Undoubtedly, there are two factors depending on the orientation of the company, and are the strength of the Chilean economy beyond the difficulties it is currently facing, and seeking to strengthen both regional diversification of activities as who are carrying out some major companies. In the article two weeks ago while seeking to resolve the current problems, Chile Future Watch, I commented about the long-term vision of the Chilean government, which ensures that bottlenecks that may face the economy are minimized. With these companies, which have an interesting perspective, the investor has a wide variety of opportunities to diversify their portfolio. As I comment more than a month The Outlook for Investing in Chile is … beyond the economic problems currently facing the Chilean economy, macroeconomic fundamentals remain strong.