Mumbai, Feb 21 (PTI) The rupee pared initial gains and settled 4 paise lower at 86.68 against the US dollar on Friday, weighed down by sustained foreign fund outflows and a recovery in the American currency index.
Forex traders said the Indian rupee declined on weak domestic markets and a recovery in the US dollar index. However, weak crude oil prices cushioned the downside.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened on a positive note at 86.50 against the greenback. During the session it pared the gains and fell to an intra-day low of 86.77 before ending the session at 86.68 against the dollar, logging a loss of 4 paise from its previous close.
On Thursday, the rupee appreciated 34 paise to close at 86.64 against the US dollar.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.22 per cent higher at 106.61.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.42 per cent to USD 76.16 per barrel in futures trade.
“We expect the rupee to trade with negative bias on the back of weak domestic markets and selling pressure by FIIs. A bounce back in the US dollar pressurised the rupee further.
“However, any fresh intervention by the RBI and weak tone in crude oil prices may support the rupee at lower levels,” said Anuj Choudhary – Research Analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan.
Choudhary further noted that the USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 86.50 to 87.
Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst – Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities, said the rupee traded weak despite dollar index slipping to 106.60 as FII selling continued.
Additionally, he said, reports of a potential reduction in import taxes on EVs added further strain on the rupee, as it could impact trade balances. “Going forward, rupee is expected to trade in a range of 86.45-87.10, with global sentiment and capital flows playing a key role in determining direction.” In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined 424.90 points, or 0.56 per cent, to settle at 75,311.06, while the Nifty fell 117.25 points, or 0.51 per cent, to 22,795.90 points.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 3,449.15 crore on net basis on Friday, according to exchange data.
The latest RBI data released on Friday showed India’s forex reserves dropped by USD 2.54 billion to USD 635.721 billion in the week ended February 14, snapping the three-week streak of increase.
In the previous reporting week, the reserves had increased by USD 7.654 billion to USD 638.261 billion.
Meanwhile, Moody’s Analytics on Thursday said India’s growth will slow to 6.4 per cent in 2025, from 6.6 per cent in 2024, as new US tariffs and softening global demand weigh on exports.
In its report titled ‘Asia-Pacific Outlook: Chaos Ahead’, Moody’s Analytics said growth across the Asia-Pacific economy will slow in 2025 as trade tensions, policy shifts, and uneven recoveries knock the region’s fortunes. PTI DRR HVA
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