NBE Floods the Market With $500 Million and the Birr Clears Near 160.21 per Dollar

As reported by StockMarket.et

Summary

• The National Bank of Ethiopia allotted $500 million at a special foreign exchange auction on August 20, 2026, clearing the market at a marginal rate of 160.2121 birr per U.S. dollar. Total bids reached $710.14 million, leaving about $210 million of demand unfilled at rates the central bank accepted. The weighted average rate for successful bids was 160.2144 birr per dollar, compared with 161.7994 birr at the regular auction on August 12.
• The sale was four times the size of auction number 25 and matched the full $500 million the NBE had earmarked for four bi-weekly auctions in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026/27. The result reversed a run of increases that had pushed the auction-cleared rate from about 157 birr in late June toward a record high above 161 birr in mid-August. Bloomberg had reported earlier that the central bank spent roughly $2.2 billion in 2026 supporting the currency.
• For BirrValue users, large NBE injections can briefly firm the birr at banks, but underlying demand for dollars often remains strong. Rates still differ by bank and by day. Compare quotes on [BirrValue](/banks) and check [Send Money](/send-money) when timing a conversion.