<B>Norske Increases Stake in Brazil Company</B>

Norske Skogindustrier ASA, the world's second-largest newsprint maker, boosted its stake in a Brazilian forestry and paper project for $57 million, according to Bloomberg.

Norske unit Fletcher Challenge Produtos Florestias bought shares in Papel de Imprensa SA, or Pisa, from another shareholder, media company Grupo O Estado de Sao Paulo. The deal is expected to close by April.

Pisa was previously part-owned by New Zealand's Fletcher Challenge Paper. Norske bought Fletcher's paper operations in July for $2.5 billion.

Norske already has three other mills in the region, which produces less than half the two million metric tons of newsprint it uses annually.