Overview
- Banco Nación’s retail dollar rose ARS 15 to ARS 1,495 and the wholesale rate closed at ARS 1,475 on the first day of the inflation-indexed band, which is set to adjust 2.5% through January off the November CPI.
- Dollar segments diverged, with CCL around ARS 1,540, MEP near ARS 1,505, the blue at ARS 1,530, and the crypto dollar quoted near ARS 1,54x.
- The central bank reported gross reserves up US$1.934 billion to US$43.099 billion, made no FX purchases despite a stated daily buy target of about 5% of MLC volume, and faces roughly US$4.2 billion in obligations within a week.
- Mexico’s peso held below 18 per dollar with a modest gain after a 2025 appreciation near 13.7%–13.8%, as analysts flag the 2026 T‑MEC review and the Fed’s path as key drivers; Peru’s sol opened stable around S/3.36.
- Crypto markets were calm to positive, with Bitcoin trading near US$89,000–90,000 and major altcoins higher, even after reported net ETF outflows of about US$3.5 billion in November and US$1.1 billion in December.