Indian rupee touches new low of 90.56 against US dollar
What's the story
The Indian rupee has hit an all-time low, falling by 24p to ₹90.56 against the US dollar in early trade today. The fall comes amid uncertainty over the India-US trade deal and continued foreign fund outflows, which have affected investor sentiment. Forex traders say aggressive dollar buying by importers due to rising global precious metal prices is putting pressure on the rupee.
Market trends
Rupee's performance in the interbank foreign exchange market
In the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at ₹90.43 against the US dollar before falling further to ₹90.56, a decline of 24p from its previous close. On Thursday, it had fallen by 38p to close at a low of ₹90.32 against the greenback. Anil Kumar Bhansali from Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP said today's trading range should be between ₹90 and ₹90.60 with a close watch on RBI's actions as India-US trade talks continue today.
Global indicators
Dollar index and Brent crude oil prices
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six currencies, was trading 0.02% higher at 98.37. Meanwhile, Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for oil prices, was up by 0.67% at $61.69 per barrel in futures trade. On the domestic front, India's Sensex and Nifty were also trading higher by 170.40 points and 98.40 points respectively, amid these global market trends.
Currency outlook
Indian rupee's performance
The rupee has been Asia's worst performer this year, falling nearly 6% against the dollar year-to-date. This is largely due to steep US tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods, which have hurt exports and made local equities less appealing for foreign investors. Traders have cited the firm dollar bids in the non-deliverable forwards market and hedging demand from importers as reasons behind today's decline of the currency.