Mirgor Leads Argentina’s Merval Stock Index Higher

BUENOS AIRES (Dow Jones)–Argentine stocks closed higher Tuesday in light trading while the peso was little changed against the U.S. dollar.

The Merval index rose 1.2% to 2,483.13 points in volume totaling ARS43.3 million ($10.2 million).

The auto parts and equipment maker Mirgor (MIRG.BA) led the gains, rising 3.7% to ARS92.2.

It was followed by the steel producer Siderar SA (SDDFF, ERAR.BA), which rose 3.4% to ARS22.50. Petrobras Argentina (PZE, PESA.BA) led the declines by falling 2.6% to ARS6.4.

Traders offered little explanation for the Merval’s performance, saying simply that stocks had rebounded.

The Global X FTSE Argentina 20 ETF, which tracks shares of Argentine companies listed on international markets, rose 0.55% to $10.80 in New York.

Bonds were mixed.

The price of the benchmark peso-denominated 2033 bond rose 1.2% to ARS114.90, yielding 14.2%.

The peso closed at ARS4.2589 on the MAE local foreign-exchange wholesale market, compared with ARS4.2585 in the previous session.

-By Taos Turner, Dow Jones Newswires; 5411-4103-6728; taos.turner@dowjones.com

Source: http://online.wsj.com