The Mexican peso weakened against the US dollar on Thursday, October 8, 2026, trading near 18.01 units per greenback, a decline of about 0.22 percent, according to MILENIO. The move came as the US currency approached its strongest level in roughly 18 months and as investors waited for the release of minutes from Banco de México's most recent monetary policy meeting.
MILENIO reported that the dollar's rise followed the publication of minutes from the US Federal Reserve, which showed officials viewed inflation as the main risk to their outlook. Higher oil prices and climbing eurozone bond yields also weighed on the euro, adding pressure to emerging-market currencies including the peso.
Why it matters
The exchange rate is more than a market number in Mexico. Banco de México set its FIX rate for the session at 18.1128 pesos per dollar, a reference the central bank calculates from wholesale foreign-exchange quotes. Economist Jonathan Heath, cited by MILENIO, noted that this rate matters because it is the benchmark used to settle dollar-denominated obligations payable inside Mexico — the closest thing the country has to an official exchange rate.
That means the day's moves ripple into debt payments, import costs and household budgets, not just trading desks.
A global dollar and local inflation data
The dollar index, which tracks the US currency against six major peers including the euro, rose 0.2 percent to 102.40, MILENIO reported, after gaining 0.4 percent earlier. The peso's slide came alongside the release of local inflation figures, with investors positioning ahead of Banxico's meeting minutes later in the day.
Gabriela Siller, director general of Grupo Financiero Banco Base, told MILENIO that the peso stood out as the most depreciated currency, tying the move mainly to the upcoming publication of the minutes from Banxico's latest rate decision.
The session's range was not one-directional. Banco Base said in a report that the peso opened the day with little change, up 0.07 percent, or about 1.3 centavos, at roughly 17.97 per dollar. The exchange rate touched a high of 18.06 and a low of 17.9503 during the session, according to the firm.
Bloomberg data cited by MILENIO put the interbank rate at 18.03 pesos per dollar at the start of trading, a gain of 0.28 percent for the dollar. The peso had closed the previous day, Wednesday, October 7, at 17.98 units, down 0.02 percent.
What the FIX rate means for everyday conversions
For anyone converting money, the gap between market quotes and the FIX rate matters. MILENIO noted that the FIX is determined from an average of wholesale exchange-market quotes, which is why it is treated as the practical reference for settling dollar obligations in Mexico.
The outlet also advised that people looking to buy dollars should use institutions regulated by financial authorities, and should compare rates across banks and exchange houses, since pricing and commissions vary by provider.
What to watch
Attention now turns to Banxico's meeting minutes and whether they reinforce or soften the market's read on the peso's path, with the dollar's broader strength and inflation data remaining the key forces in play.
