Argentina Default Worries Renewed as Fernandez Defiant

Bond trading shows investors are becoming less confident that Argentina will reach a settlement with holders of defaulted debt amid defiant comments by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Two weeks after a U.S. judge blocked Argentina from paying interest on its restructured bonds because it didn’t abide by a ruling to pay holdout creditors that won a court order for full repayment, Fernandez dismissed concern the nation risked reneging on its obligations again if it doesn’t reach a deal. The comment deepened the first weekly drop in Argentine bonds in a month, pushing losses to 5.6 percent since July 11 on benchmark notes due 2033.