Debt talks on Argentina’s defaulted bonds in the hands of holdout hedge funds ultimately collapsed this week due to disagreements over prices and the absence of a government guarantee to honor payments on the paper, sources close to the discussions said.
George Soros’s 28 billion family office boosted its stake in YPF SA, making Argentina’s largest oil company its biggest U.S.-traded stock holding in the second quarter. Soros Fund Management LLC added 8.47 million shares of YPF, according to a regulatory filing Thursday, bringing its total position to 3.5% of the company’s American depositary receipts.
Holders of Euro-denominated Argentine bonds have appealed judge Thomas Griesa's ruling blocking Argentina from making payments on their debt, according to a court filing.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation passed on Friday a motion condemning the actions of the 'vulture funds' against Argentina and calling ”not to allow the vulture funds to paralyze the debt-restructuring processes of developing countries or prevent states from exercising their right to protect their citizens under international law”, according to a release from the Argentine embassy in London.
Argentine inflation rose 1.4% during July leaving consumer prices 16.7% higher than at the beginning of the year, official data showed on Friday. The July index was slightly higher than the 1.3% of June and confirms Argentina is experiencing one of the highest inflation rates in the world and only second to Venezuela in Latin America.
Argentina's government will use an anti-terrorism law for the first time to seek criminal charges against a U.S.-based international printing firm which closed its Argentine plant without warning, president Cristina Fernández said on Thursday. She linked the company to some of the hedge funds in litigation with Argentina over defaulted bonds.
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) will hold an auction on August 21 to settle Argentina’s default swaps. The auction, run by Creditex and Markit, will determine the payout that holders of protection on Argentine debt (CDS) will receive as a result of the default on July 30.
The US dollar in Argentine money markets continued its rising path on Thursday with a new record climb to close at 13.20 Pesos. This so-called “blue” dollar had jumped 20 cents to 13.15 pesos on Wednesday, breaking its 13.06 Pesos record from 23 January.
July consumer prices index in Argentina according to the so called Congressional index, climbed 2,47% and 39.71% in the last twelve months. The same index marked 2.2% in June indicating a growing tendency.
Argentine state-controlled energy company YPF on Thursday announced a shale oil find in the southwestern province of Neuquen in Patagonia. The discovery was made at the Agrio formation, according to CEO Miguel Galuccio, who said at a press conference that production operations will be carried from the neighboring province of Mendoza.