The Argentine central bank will shortly start operating as a counterparty in the local swap market traded at the country’s main fixed-income exchange, the Mercado Abierto Electrónico.
Argentina has weak long-term capital markets and the central bank will start intervening in the swap market within the next two months as a way to stimulate greater medium- and long-term commercial lending at fixed rates.
Eventually, it wants to improve the liquidity in maturities of up to five years and a combined sum of up to Ps12 billion ($4 billion).
MAE will trade standardized interest rate contracts, whereby one intervening bank – at first the central bank – will pay...
