Argentine stocks flat after Chinese slump
BUENOS AIRES, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Argentina's stock, currency and bond market trends on Wednesday.
* MerVal stocks index .MERV closed almost flat, inching up just 0.02 percent to 1,728.21 points as surging U.S. stocks counteracted market unease over a slump in Chinese stocks.
* Pampa Energia (PAM.BA), Argentina's biggest integrated energy company, was one of the session's value leaders, gaining 2.2 percent to close at 1.37 pesos per share.
* On the broad market stocks volume was low at $9 million. Of active issues 37 advanced, 31 declined and 12 were unchanged.
* Prices for government bonds traded over-the-counter in Buenos Aires rose 0.6 percent on average, in light volume, as investors showed interest in dollar-denominated bonds due to uncertainty on global markets.
* The dollar-denominated Boden 2012 ARBODEN12D=RASL rose 1.15 percent to end at $26.30.
* In formal exchange between banks the peso softened slightly 0.06 percent to 3.8475/3.8500 per dollar ARS=RASL.
* In informal trade between foreign exchange houses, as measured by Reuters, the peso weakened 0.39 percent to end at 3.8750/3.8800 ARSB=. (Reporting by Walter Bianchi, writing by Luis Andres Henao; Editing by Diane Craft)
