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The rupee appreciated 3 paise to settle at 83.43 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on Friday, tracking a weak American currency and retreating crude oil prices.
Forex traders said a massive selling in the domestic equity market and outflow of foreign funds capped the gains in the local currency.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 83.40 and moved in the range of 83.34 and 83.44 against the greenback during the session.
The local unit finally settled at 83.43 (provisional) against the dollar, registering a rise of 3 paise from its previous close.
The rupee had settled 3 paise lower at 83.46 against the dollar on Thursday.
Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, said the rupee gained on a weak U.S. dollar and a decline in crude oil prices. However, weak domestic markets and FII outflows capped sharp gains.
The weak dollar was attributed to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to keep the key interest rate unchanged for the sixth consecutive time, citing slower progress on the inflation front.
Mr. Choudhary further said the rupee is expected to trade with a slight negative bias on weak domestic markets and selling pressure from foreign investors. However, a weak tone and a soft U.S. dollar may support the rupee at lower levels.
“Traders may remain cautious ahead of non-farm payrolls report and ISM services PMI data from the U.S. today. Encouraging non-farm payrolls may support the dollar while dismal data may weigh on the greenback. USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of ₹83.20 to ₹83.60,” he added.
India’s manufacturing PMI fell to 58.8 in April 2024 from 59.1 in the previous month, a monthly survey said on Thursday.
The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), however, recorded the second fastest improvement in operating conditions in three-and-a-half years supported by buoyant demand.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, declined 0.10% to 105.07.
Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, slipped 0.04% to $83.64 per barrel.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex tumbled 732.96 points, or 0.98%, to settle at 73,878.15, and Nifty tanked 172.35 points, or 0.76%, to close at 22,475.85.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) were net sellers in the capital markets on Thursday, as they sold shares worth ₹964.47 crore on a net basis, according to exchange data.
