Overview
- On Friday the official wholesale rate closed near $1,497 and Banco Nación’s retail price at $1,520, both nominal highs recorded during the week.
- The central bank intensified its buy-side policy, purchasing USD 345 million on the last trading day and taking 2026 net FX accumulation above USD 13.1 billion after 134 consecutive net-buying sessions.
- Sovereign risk rose toward about 440–445 basis points as local equities and many bonds fell and investors pushed up demand for financial-dollar and blue-dollar coverage.
- Parallel and financial-dollar markets moved higher this week, with the informal blue peaking near $1,560 intraday before easing to roughly $1,545 and MEP/CCL trading around the mid-1,500s to low-1,600s.
- Policy context matters: the official band leaves a statutory ceiling near $1,836, the government downplayed a spokesman’s $1,700–$1,800 projection, and markets will watch BCRA reserve flows, global oil and tariff developments, and the 2027 electoral cycle for the next pressure points.