LatAm Pre-Open for Friday, September 18, 2026
Latin America — Pre-Open
Key Facts
- —Tokyo The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate to 1.25%, the highest in thirty-one years.
- —Wall Street The S&P 500 rose 1.14% to 7,637.76 and the Nasdaq gained 1.69% on Thursday.
- —Chile The Bolsa de Santiago is closed today and tomorrow for Fiestas Patrias.
- —Argentina INDEC publishes August trade figures at 16:00 in Buenos Aires, with forecasts near US$2.055 billion.
- —Colombia DANE releases the July economic activity index, against a June reading of 3.5%.
- —Currencies The Colombian peso fell 1.09% on Thursday, the region’s sharpest move.
Two of the week’s three central bank decisions have now landed on the same side of the ledger. The third went the other way, and it was Brazil’s.
Latin American desks open Friday behind a Japanese rate rise and a strong Wall Street session. Chile’s exchange is shut for Fiestas Patrias, which removes one of the region’s four main equity markets from the day.
The Overnight Ledger
The Bank of Japan raised its benchmark to 1.25% from 1.00% on Friday morning in Asia. That is a thirty-one-year high, and the Nikkei still closed up 1.38% at 65,024 points.
It follows the Federal Reserve’s increase to 3.75% to 4.00% on Wednesday, the first American rise since 2023. Brazil moved the other way the same day, cutting the Selic to 13.75%.
The practical result is a narrower carry cushion across the region. Borrowing in yen or dollars to hold Latin American paper costs more than it did a week ago.
What Thursday Left Behind
The S&P 500 rose 1.14% to 7,637.76 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.69%. The VIX fell 12.8% to 15.44, and the ten-year Treasury yield eased to 4.947%.
Oil softened as Saudi Arabia worked around the damaged East-West pipeline. West Texas Intermediate settled at US$101.91 and Brent at US$104.82.
Gold jumped to about US$4,346 an ounce and silver to roughly US$65.42. Both were rebounds after Wednesday’s rate decision knocked bullion lower.
Live Market IntelligenceLatin America — Cross-Market Board
Rio Times · Live Market Intelligence
Latin America — Cross-Market Board
+0.24%
185,992.03
+0.24%
63,873.32
+0.58%
11,381.18
+1.30%
3,061,512
+1.08%
2,521.85
+0.40%
58,965.05
+1.80%
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOV | 185,992.03 | +0.24% | +21.85% | 185,547.66 | 168,310 | 167,142 | — |
| IPSA | 11,381.18 | +1.30% | — | 11,235.60 | 11,210 | 10,984 | 1,513,213,483 |
| IPC MEX | 63,873.32 | +0.58% | +12.17% | 63,507.11 | 66,121 | 65,405 | 108,886,187 |
| MERVAL | 3,061,512 | +1.08% | +30.51% | 3,022,485 | 3,042,365 | 2,991,150 | — |
| COLCAP | 2,521.85 | +0.40% | — | 9.04 | 9.05 | 9.02 | 4,133 |
| BVL PERÚ | 58,965.05 | +1.80% | — | — | — | — | — |
| USD/BRL | 5.16 | +0.01% | -5.13% | 5.16 | 5.18 | 5.14 | — |
| EUR/BRL | 5.95 | +1.01% | -5.83% | 5.89 | 5.98 | 5.94 | — |
| USD/MXN | 17.06 | -0.24% | -8.58% | 17.10 | 17.08 | 17.01 | — |
| USD/CLP | 913.98 | +0.04% | -5.67% | 913.65 | 915.11 | 906.68 | — |
| USD/COP | 3,140 | +0.03% | -22.04% | 3,139 | 3,141 | 3,105 | — |
| USD/PEN | 3.36 | -0.66% | -4.82% | 3.38 | 3.38 | 3.35 | — |
| USD/ARS | 1,493 | +0.10% | +12.96% | 1,491 | 1,494 | 1,480 | — |
| USD/UYU | 40.27 | +1.24% | +1.80% | 39.77 | 40.27 | 40.23 | — |
| USD/PYG | 5,939 | +1.68% | -19.54% | 5,841 | 5,939 | 5,925 | — |
| USD/BOB | 11.64 | -0.76% | +72.04% | 11.73 | 11.72 | 11.64 | — |
| USD/DOP | 58.34 | +1.25% | -3.44% | 57.62 | 58.34 | 58.04 | — |
| USD/CRC | 445.92 | +0.89% | -9.71% | 441.97 | 448.50 | 445.92 | — |
The Regional Scoreboard
Brazil’s Ibovespa closed at 185,992, up 0.24%. Mexico’s IPC rose 0.58% to 63,873 in its first session after Independence Day.
Argentina’s Merval added 1.08% to 3,061,512 points. Chile’s IPSA gained 1.30% to 11,381.18 in a session that ended at one o’clock.
Colombia’s COLCAP rose 0.40% to 2,521.85. The Colombian peso was the outlier, weakening 1.09% to about 3,154 per dollar.
Today’s Calendar
Argentina’s statistics agency publishes August trade figures at 16:00 in Buenos Aires. Forecasts point to a surplus near US$2.055 billion against July’s US$2.115 billion.
Colombia’s DANE releases the July economic activity index. June came in at 3.5% year on year, and analyst forecasts for July run from 0.2% to 2.3%.
Brazil gets the Getúlio Vargas Foundation’s second September preview of the IGP-M index at 08:00. Mexico has no significant domestic release scheduled.
The Chile Gap
The Bolsa de Santiago is closed today for Independencia Nacional and tomorrow for the Día de las Glorias del Ejército. Thursday’s session had already been shortened, closing at one in the afternoon.
Chilean names therefore trade only through their New York listings until Monday. SQM led Thursday’s gains in Santiago as lithium prices steadied after a long slide.
What to Watch
The Colombian peso is the currency to follow after Thursday’s fall. Banco de la República’s survey this week lifted the median December inflation forecast to 6.81% from 6.60%.
In Brazil, the question is whether the real holds below R$5.15 with a smaller rate cushion. Argentina’s trade print will test a week in which the Merval rose while the economy shrank.
More: Latin America markets coverage, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Chilean stock exchange open today?
No. The Bolsa de Santiago is closed on Friday 18 September for Independencia Nacional and on Saturday for the Día de las Glorias del Ejército.
What did the Bank of Japan do?
It raised its policy rate to 1.25% from 1.00% on Friday 18 September. That is the highest Japanese benchmark rate in thirty-one years.
What Latin American data is due today?
Argentina publishes August trade figures at 16:00 in Buenos Aires and Colombia releases the July economic activity index. Brazil gets the second September preview of the IGP-M.
How did regional markets close on Thursday?
The Ibovespa rose 0.24%, Mexico’s IPC 0.58%, the Merval 1.08%, the IPSA 1.30% and the COLCAP 0.40%. Chile’s session was shortened for the holiday.
Which currency moved most on Thursday?
The Colombian peso, which weakened 1.09% to about 3,154 per dollar. The Brazilian real firmed 0.24% and the Chilean peso also strengthened.
Where is the Selic rate now?
Brazil’s Copom cut the Selic to 13.75% on 16 September, its fifth consecutive quarter-point reduction. The Federal Reserve raised its own range the same day.
Sources: Bank of Japan monetary policy statement, 18 September 2026; exchange data from B3, BMV, BYMA, the Bolsa de Santiago and the Bolsa de Valores de Colombia; INDEC and DANE publication calendars; Getúlio Vargas Foundation release schedule; Rankia calendar for the Bolsa de Santiago.
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