Argentina's Central Bank: Reserves Surge Past $49.5B, Official Dollar Slides

The Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (BCRA) published its customary daily report of #PrincipalesVariables on Thursday, August 13, 2026, via its official X (formerly Twitter) account. The post, released at 4:45 PM local time, includes a direct link to the institution's website with the full list of indicators and a chart tracking the evolution of #ReservasBCRA.

This report arrives at a pivotal moment for Argentina's economy, with the foreign exchange market showing a unique dynamic and international reserves at a level closely watched by analysts and traders.

International Reserves: Above USD 49.5 Billion

According to the BCRA's data, International Reserves reached USD 49,586 million as of August 11, 2026 (provisional figures subject to valuation changes). This level reflects a positive trend in foreign currency accumulation, a metric the market monitors with particular interest.

On the same day, private operators reported BCRA purchases in the MULC (Mercado Único y Libre de Cambios, Argentina's unified and free foreign exchange market) totaling USD 56 million, representing approximately 9% of the total traded volume, which reached USD 618 million. Over the last five trading sessions, the Central Bank's net purchases amounted to USD 154 million, and for 2026 so far, the accumulated figure stands at USD 13,576 million, according to data from consultancy MJP Markets.

Official Dollar: Continuing Downward Trend

The BCRA report also reveals the exchange rates for various dollar segments. The Retail Exchange Rate (Communication B 9791, average seller) stood at ARS 1,515.66 per dollar, while the Wholesale Exchange Rate (Communication A 3500, reference) was ARS 1,491.8387.

These values fall within the current Exchange Rate Band System, with daily limits set at ARS 1,859.49 (upper band) and ARS 748.10 (lower band) per dollar.

Interest Rates: Personal Loans at 65%

Regarding interest rates, the report highlights that the TAMAR (rate for overdrafts in Argentine pesos) at private banks stood at 23.1875% nominal annual (n.a.) and 25.80% effective annual (e.a.) as of August 12. The BADLAR (rate for fixed-term deposits over one million pesos) reached 21% n.a. and 23.13% e.a.

For personal loans, the average rate was 65.34% n.a., while overdrafts on checking accounts registered 27.03% n.a. Thirty-day fixed-term deposits at financial institutions offered an average rate of 20.04% n.a.

Monetary Base and Deposits: Expanding Figures

The Monetary Base totaled ARS 46,138,834 million as of August 11, with currency in circulation at ARS 28,665,052 million. Banknotes and coins held by the public amounted to ARS 26,433,040 million, while cash held by financial institutions was ARS 2,232,012 million.

Cash deposits at financial institutions totaled ARS 231,147,483 million, distributed among checking accounts (ARS 32,821,450 million), savings accounts (ARS 75,695,276 million), and fixed-term deposits (ARS 107,811,565 million, including investments and excluding CEDROS).

Inflation and Expectations: Encouraging Data

The report also includes the latest inflation figures. Monthly inflation for July 2026 was 2.1%, while year-on-year inflation stood at 33.8%. Market expectations, as surveyed by the REM (Market Expectations Survey), project inflation of 21.8% for the next 12 months.

Other Key Indicators

The BCRA report also includes other relevant data for daily economic analysis:

These indicators are essential for understanding Argentina's economic evolution and are used by analysts and investors for decision-making. The BCRA updates these figures daily on its official website, where complete historical series are available.

Source: BCRA (Central Bank of Argentina) - @BancoCentral_AR on X