Today, the exchange rate of the hryvnia against the dollar again decreased by 10 kopecks, which emphasizes the seriousness of the economic situation in the country.
If yesterday the interbank trade on the Bloomberg platform ended at UAH 40.31/$, today the market opened already at UAH 40.40/$. Around noon, currency purchases intensified, and quotes reached UAH 40.425/$.
However, the real breakthrough happened closer to noon - a wholesale buyer of the dollar entered the market and began, as it is called, "rowing the currency with a shovel." From that moment, the trading volume jumped almost 4 times (from $130 million), and reached $488.6 million by 15:28.
Usually, at such moments, the National Bank's principle of flexible exchange rate, which treasurers call the "secret formula" of the NBU, is activated, and the dollar rate begins to rise in proportion to the growth in demand for it and foreign exchange sales from the regulator's gold and foreign exchange reserves. However, this time it was exactly the opposite. With an almost fourfold increase in trading volume, the exchange rate moved from UAH 40.425/$ to UAH 40.41/$ - and at this level most of the volume was sold, and it was at UAH 40.41/$ that trading on Bloomberg closed.
As our sources reported, the National Bank did not go for a new increase in the interbank exchange rate at lunch for a reason (following the increase in demand), and even pushed it back a little. And all because the dollar was bought by one of the state banks for military purposes. What exactly will be paid with this dollar is unknown and is a state secret. But it is clear that more than $300 million was spent on military needs today.
The current trading volume is an absolute record for 2024. To understand: last week the average daily volume of currency trading on this platform was $175.7 million, and at the peak of demand in March-2024 (the last week) it reached $202.1 million, while today $488.6 million was traded here at once. The last time the market was bigger up to October 3, 2023 - $550.2 million, the second day after the National Bank canceled the interbank and official exchange rates fixed at the beginning of the war, and switched to the adjustable flexible exchange rate, as the regulator called it.
The volume of dollar sales by the National Bank, according to financiers' estimates, slightly exceeded $400 million today, and this indicator also set a record for 2024. In recent weeks, the regulator's average daily foreign exchange sales rarely exceeded $100 million.
According to the results of the day, the NBU lowered the official exchange rate of the hryvnia from UAH 40.3012/$ to UAH 40.3958/$.
On the black market, the selling rate of the dollar today increased from 40.65 UAH/$ to 40.91 UAH/$, and the buying rate - from 40.3 UAH/$ to 40.4 UAH/$.
At bank counters, the maximum cash exchange rate for sale immediately jumped by 44 kopecks, broke through the 41st level, and reached UAH 41.19/$ - it was set by Bizbank. Oxy Bank sold at UAH 41.15/$, and Kominbank – at UAH 41/$. The average selling price of cash dollars by banks was in the range of 40.60-41.15 UAH/$, purchase - 39.70-40.50 UAH/$.
The two largest retail state structures, Privatbank and Oschadbank, set purchase/sale prices at 40.25-40.85 UAH/$ and 40.30-40.80 UAH/$, respectively.
The maximum card selling rate of the dollar reached UAH 41.35/$, and the average was in the range of UAH 40.45-40.85/$. The average purchase rate on the cards was in the range of UAH 39.70-40.30/$.
