Petrobras (PBR)

Markets

The São Paulo Stock Exchange

In Brazil, securities are traded only on the São Paulo Stock Exchange, with the exception of electronically traded public debt securities. Privatization auctions are conducted on the Rio de Janeiro Stock Exchange.

If you were to trade in our common or preferred shares on the São Paulo Stock Exchange, your trade would settle in three business days after the trade without adjustment of the purchase price for inflation. The seller is ordinarily required to deliver the shares to the exchange on the second business day following the trade date. Delivery of and payment for shares are made through the facilities of the clearinghouse, or Companhia Brasileira de Liquidação e Custódia, known as CBLC.

The São Paulo Stock Exchange is a nonprofit entity owned by its member brokerage firms. Trading on each exchange is limited to member brokerage firms and a number of authorized nonmembers. The São Paulo Stock Exchange has two open outcry trading sessions each day from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Brazil local time, except during daylight savings time in the United States. During daylight savings time in the United States, the sessions are from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Brazil local time, to closely mirror New York Stock Exchange trading hours. Trading is also conducted between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., or between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. during daylight savings time in the United States, on an automated system known as the Sistema de Negociação Assistida por Computador (Computer Assisted Trading System) on the São Paulo Stock Exchange. The São Paulo Stock Exchange also permits trading from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (or from 5:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. during daylight savings time in the United States) on an online system connected to traditional and internet brokers called the “After Market.” Trading on the After Market is subject to regulatory limits on price volatility and on the volume of shares transacted through internet brokers. There are no specialists or officially recognized market makers for our shares.

In order to better control volatility, the São Paulo Stock Exchange adopted a “circuit breaker” system pursuant to which trading sessions may be suspended for a period of thirty minutes or one hour whenever the indices of these stock exchanges fall below the limits of 10% or 15%, respectively, in relation to the index registered in the previous trading session.

The São Paulo Stock Exchange is less liquid than the New York Stock Exchange or other major exchanges in the world. At December 31, 2004, the aggregate market capitalization of the 394 companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange was approximately U.S.$340.9 billion and the ten largest companies represented approximately 49% of the total market capitalization of all listed companies. All the outstanding shares of an exchange-listed company may trade on the São Paulo Stock Exchange, but in most cases, less than half of the listed shares are

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actually available for trading by the public. The remainder is held by small groups of controlling persons, by governmental entities or by one principal shareholder.

Trading on the São Paulo Stock Exchange by a holder not deemed to be domiciled in Brazil for Brazilian tax and regulatory purposes (a “non-Brazilian holder”) is subject to certain limitations under Brazilian foreign investment legislation. With limited exceptions, non-Brazilian holders may only trade on the São Paulo Stock Exchange in accordance with the requirements of Resolution No. 2,689 of January 26, 2000 of the National Monetary Council. Resolution No. 2,689 requires that securities held by non-Brazilian holders be maintained in the custody of, or in deposit accounts with, financial institutions duly authorized by the Central Bank of Brazil and the CVM. In addition, Resolution No. 2,689 requires non-Brazilian holders to restrict their securities trading to transactions on Brazilian stock exchanges or qualified over-the-counter markets. With limited exceptions, non-Brazilian holders may not transfer the ownership of investments made under Resolution No. 2,689 to other non-Brazilian holders through a private transaction.

The Brazilian custodian for the common and preferred shares underlying the ADSs must, on behalf of the depositary for the ADSs, register with the Central Bank of Brazil to remit U.S. dollars abroad for payments of dividends, any other cash distributions or sales proceeds upon the disposition in Brazil of the shares. In the event that a holder of ADSs exchanges ADSs for common or preferred shares, the holder will be entitled to continue to rely on the custodian’s registration for five business days after the exchange. Thereafter, the holder may not be able to obtain and remit U.S. dollars abroad upon the disposition of the common or preferred shares or distributions relating to the common shares, unless the holder obtains a new registration. See Item 10. “Additional Information—Exchange Controls” and “—Additional Information—Brazilian Tax Considerations—Taxation of Gains” for a description of exchange controls and certain tax benefits extended to non-Brazilian holders who qualify under Resolution No. 2,689.

Regulation of the Brazilian Securities Markets

The Brazilian securities markets are principally governed by Law No. 6,385 of December 7, 1976, and the Brazilian Corporation Law, each as amended and supplemented, and by regulations issued by the CVM, which has regulatory authority over the stock exchanges and securities markets generally, the National Monetary Council, and the Central Bank of Brazil, which has licensing authority over brokerage firms and regulates foreign investment and foreign exchange transactions. These laws and regulations, among others, provide for disclosure requirements applicable to issuers of traded securities, restrictions on insider trading and price manipulation and protection of minority shareholders. They also provide for licensing and oversight of brokerage firms and governance of the Brazilian stock exchanges. However, the Brazilian securities markets are not as highly regulated and supervised as the U.S. securities markets.

Under the Brazilian Corporation Law, a company is either public (companhia aberta), such as we are, or privately held (companhia fechada). All public companies, including us, are registered with the CVM and are subject to reporting requirements. A company registered with the CVM may have its securities traded on the Brazilian stock exchanges or in the Brazilian over-the-counter market. Our common and preferred shares are listed and traded on the São Paulo Stock Exchange and may also be traded privately, subject to some limitations.

To be listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange, a company must apply for registration with the CVM and the São Paulo Stock Exchange.

We have the option to ask that trading in our securities on the São Paulo Stock Exchange be suspended in anticipation of a material announcement. Trading may also be suspended on the initiative of the São Paulo Stock Exchange or the CVM, among other reasons, based on or due to a belief that a company has provided inadequate information regarding a material event or has provided inadequate responses to the inquiries by the CVM or the São Paulo Stock Exchange.

The Brazilian over-the-counter market consists of direct trades between individuals in which a financial institution registered with the CVM serves as intermediary. No special application, other than registration with the CVM, is necessary for securities of a public company to be traded in this market. The CVM requires that it be given notice of all trades carried out in the Brazilian over-the-counter market by the intermediaries.

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PIFCo

PIFCo’s common stock is not registered and there is no trading market for it. PIFCo’s Senior Notes are listed in the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. PIFCo’s other debt securities have not been listed on any securities exchange.