Argentina’s Peso Holds a Tight Blue Premium as the Merval Digests a Record Spike
Key Points
- The blue-dollar premium stayed tight, suggesting limited cash-dollar panic despite persistent policy noise.
- The dollar index hovered near 97.1 as yen-intervention talk kept the “Sell America” theme alive.
- Charts showed steady USD/ARS stabilization and an equity pullback that looked like digestion, not rupture.
Argentina opened January 27 with a steady FX tape and an equity market cooling after a fresh record.
On the reference feed used in your charts, USD/ARS traded near 1,437.5 around 08:18 UTC ($0.98). The week’s range on that screen ran from 1,427.0 to 1,441.5 ($0.98 to $0.99).
The split between “official” and “street” prices stayed the daily stress test. Market boards put the official Banco Nación sell rate at 1,460 per $1 ($1.00). The blue dollar was quoted near 1,490 per $1 ($1.02). That implies about a 2% premium versus retail.
Alternative rails carried the sharper message for institutions. MEP was near 1,469.2 per $1 ($1.01). CCL sat near 1,516.3 per $1 ($1.04). The market was still saying offshore hedging costs more than domestic hedging.
Policy plumbing mattered in the background. Reports said the central bank bought about $39 million in the official market on January 26. Published updates also put reserves near $45.74 billion. The same coverage noted the FX band’s top near 1,558.5 per $1 ($1.07).
Global headlines added a second driver. DXY was around 97.1, close to recent lows. Commentary centered on renewed “Sell America” positioning and speculation about yen support. U.S. 10-year yields were around 4.22%, keeping rates a live input for dollar direction.
Technicals matched a “pause, not panic” read. On the 4-hour USD/ARS chart, RSI was near 59.4, consistent with a rebound phase.
On the daily view, RSI near 44.4 stayed soft, pointing to consolidation. On the weekly view, RSI near 57.4 kept the broader trend intact.
Equities remained firm but choppy. The S&P Merval closed near 3,131,277, up about 1.22% ($2,145). It printed an intraday nominal record near 3,210,421 ($2,199). Daily RSI near 60.5 stayed constructive, while the 4-hour candle showed profit-taking.
Top 5 Winners
- TGNO4 (Transportadora de Gas del Norte): +6.5%
- IRSA: +5.2%
- TRAN (Transener): +5.19%
- CEPU (Central Puerto): +4.0%
- EDN (Edenor): +3.08%
Top 5 Losers
- TXAR (Ternium Argentina): -4.43%
- TECO2 (Telecom Argentina): +0.13%
- YPFD (YPF): +0.23%
- ALUA (Aluar): +0.37%
- LOMA (Loma Negra): +0.77%
ETF lens
ARGT closed at $99.31 on January 26, with about 786,300 shares traded. Net assets were listed near $824.27 million. Reliable same-morning net flow figures were not available in open sources.
This is part of The Rio Times’ daily coverage of Argentine markets and Latin American financial news.
For regional context, see the Brazil’s Ibovespa report for the same date: Brazil’s Ibovespa.
For regional context, see the Chile’s IPSA report for the same date: Chile’s IPSA.
Live Market IntelligenceArgentina — Live Market Board
Rio Times · Live Market Intelligence
Argentina — Live Market Board
+1.30%
171,031.73
+1.85%
65,729.18
+2.14%
11,338.38
+0.89%
2,913,184
+1.30%
2,459.23
+0.61%
58,698.13
+2.60%
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MERVAL | 2,913,184 | +1.30% | +30.51% | 3,022,485 | 3,042,365 | 2,991,150 | — |
| USD/ARS | 1,493 | +0.10% | +12.96% | 1,491 | 1,494 | 1,480 | — |
| YPF | 7,810 | +0.26% | +72.84% | 7,790 | 7,850 | 7,600 | 1,763,858 |
| GGAL | 6,980 | -0.78% | +1.82% | 7,035 | 7,115 | 6,920 | 1,564,062 |
| PAMPA | 5,115 | +0.69% | +26.70% | 5,080 | 5,140 | 5,000 | 721,190 |
| TXAR | 747.50 | -2.35% | +18.67% | 765.50 | 770.00 | 742.50 | 771,892 |
| ALUAR | 938.00 | -1.21% | +29.83% | 949.50 | 951.00 | 932.50 | 135,426 |
| TGS | 8,870 | -0.17% | +15.05% | 8,885 | 9,075 | 8,720 | 143,546 |
| CEPU | 2,156 | +1.84% | +28.36% | 2,117 | 2,165 | 2,086 | 404,146 |
| MIRGOR | 1,650 | -1.20% | -92.90% | 1,670 | 1,670 | 1,635 | 20,877 |
| COME | 40.93 | -0.73% | -30.47% | 41.23 | 41.60 | 40.50 | 4,258,884 |
| LOMA NEGRA | 3,130 | +0.08% | +5.80% | 3,128 | 3,205 | 3,090 | 182,992 |
| BYMA | 275.00 | -1.70% | +35.14% | 279.75 | 282.50 | 272.00 | 1,409,575 |
| TELECOM ARG | 4,233 | -0.70% | +55.19% | 4,263 | 4,335 | 4,160 | 31,896 |
| GLOBANT | 38.10 | -2.26% | -49.65% | 38.98 | 38.70 | 36.77 | 793,552 |
| MERCADOLIBRE | 1,870 | -3.59% | -20.71% | 1,940 | 1,927 | 1,870 | 329,640 |
Key Facts
— Deep Dive
— For the complete picture, read our in-depth guide: Latin America Stock Markets 2026: Ibovespa, Merval, COLCAP, IPSA and IPC Guide
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