The public bill fell five pesos to $1.375 at Banco Nación. Reserves again surpassed USD 41 billion. The sharp drop on Wall Street following the employment data pushed the S&P Merval index to a 1.8% loss and bonds to a 0.9% loss.

Meanwhile, the wholesale dollar fell 10 pesos, reaching $1.364. The monetary authority's intervention, through a 10-percentage-point increase in reserve requirements, seeks to calm exchange rate tensions and reduce market liquidity, while the Central Bank's international reserves increased to USD 41.03 billion.

The Central Bank implemented an important measure: an increase in reserve requirements for interest-bearing mutual fund accounts and stock market guarantees, from 30% to 40%.

This action aims to absorb excess pesos from the market. According to Ignacio Morales, Chief Investment Officer of Wise Capital, these measures will reduce the amount of pesos available, which should keep the dollar close to $1,300 or even lower.

Volatility in international markets

The fall of the Argentine stock market was influenced by the collapse of international indices.

On Wall Street, the decline was even greater: the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.2% and the S&P 500 dropped 1.6%, driven by a U.S. jobs report that showed signs of a slowdown in the labor market. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite plunged 2.2%, posting its own weekly loss of 2.5%.

Economist Gustavo Ber noted that the dollar is attempting to stabilize, but volatility remains. Despite the Central Bank's intervention, the market continues to analyze the impact of monetary policies and the uncertainty surrounding the economic situation."The wholesale dollar is seeking respite, but the market remains uncertain about the sustainability of the current system," he expressed.

ADRs and bonds fell as much as 4% this Friday amid a wave of global uncertainty following news that US President Donald Trump had raised tariffs on nearly 70 economies. Furthermore, local currency volatility is dampening expectations in the city and impacting Argentine assets. The previous day also saw the IMF Board approve the first review of the EFF agreement.

ADRs closed with widespread losses, the largest being: BBVA (-4.0%) and Grupo Supervielle (-3.8%); Grupo Financiero Galicia (-3.2%); and Banco Macro (-3.1%). As for dollar-denominated bonds, almost all were in the red. The most notable declines were: the Bonar 2041 (-1.3%), the Bonar 2029 (-1.1%), and the Bonar 2035 (-1.1%).

In this context, the S&P Merval fell 1.8% to 2,278,848.710, while its dollar counterpart fell 2.3% (1.8% weekly). Among the leading securities, the biggest decliners were: Banco Supervielle (-3.9%), Sociedad Comercial del Plata (-3.8%), Metrogas (-3.5%), and Banco Macro (-3.0%).

On Wall Street, the major indices had a rough day: the S&P 500 fell 1.6%, while the Dow Jones fell 1.2%. The Nasdaq 100 fell 2.3%, and the Russell 2000 fell 2.1%. The S&P 500 thus recorded its biggest drop since April 20, halting the bullish rally the US stock market has experienced over the past three months, which has brought it to all-time highs.

Analysts' projections on inflation and the dollar

Analysts expect inflation to continue to moderate, although they warn that if the dollar continues to rise, regulated prices and imported costs could be impacted. Leo Anzalone, director of CEPEC, commented:"If the dollar continues to rise or remains high, disinflation could be threatened."

The main challenge is the high level of uncertainty facing investors in the country."Beyond the dollar's continued adjustment due to monetary policy, the market is alert to any unexpected changes in fiscal and monetary policy," added analyst Juan Manuel Franco. Movements in the foreign exchange market will continue to be key, as a sustained rise in the dollar could jeopardize the government's disinflation policy and price stability.

How much did the official dollar close at today, Friday, August 1st

In the wholesale segment, the market benchmark, the dollar fell $8 and closed at $1.364 per unit. This week, the exchange rate gained $84 (+6.6%).

How the dollar futures traded today, Friday, August 1st

Dollar futures contracts, after rising sharply on Thursday, took a break this Friday and fell as much as 1%. The market is pricing in the wholesale exchange rate at the end of December reaching $1.516.

MEP value today, Friday, August 1

The MEP dollar is trading at $1,365.22, and the spread against the official rate is just 0.1% above the official rate.

CCL dollar value today, Friday, August 1

The Cash Settlement Dollar (CCL) is trading at $1,368.52, with a gap of 0.3%.

Price of the card dollar today, Friday, August 1

The card or tourist dollar and the savings (or solidarity) dollar, equivalent to the official retail dollar plus a 30% surcharge deductible from Income Tax, stood at $1,787.50.

Crypto dollar price today, Friday, August 1

The crypto dollar or Bitcoin dollar is trading at $1,354, according to Bitso.

Bitcoin value today, Friday, August 1

Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency on the market, is trading at $113,393, according to Binance.

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