Merval edges down

The panel of leading stocks index edged down 1.7 percent to 3,505.68 points.

Argentina's country-risk meanwhile increased 2.3 percent to 525 basis points in the JP Morgan EMBI index.

The US currency traded for ARS$4.045/ARS$4.00, increasing 0.05 cent compared to the previous closing price in the main banks and foreign exchange houses in Buenos Aires downtown.

The main indicator of the Brazilian stock market's average performance declined 2 percent to 64,197 points. It has dropped 6.6 percent so far in 2011.

Meanwhile, the US dollar dropped 0.2 percent to R$ 1,663 on the local spot market.