Rupee rises 18 paise to 86.26 against U.S. dollar in early trade

Rupee strengthens against the dollar on positive domestic equities, upcoming budget, and weakening dollar trend.

Rupee appreciated 18 paise to 86.26 against the U.S. dollar in morning trade on Friday (January 24, 2025), supported by positive domestic equities and soft American currency index.

Forex traders said weak crude oil prices and positive domestic markets supported the local unit, while sustained foreign fund outflows weighed on the local unit. Traders further noted that the upcoming Union Budget will play a crucial role in shaping market sentiment and the Rupee's trajectory.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the Rupee opened at 86.31 and touched 86.26 against the U.S. dollar, registering a rise of 18 paise from its previous close. The local unit also touched 86.33 against the U.S. dollar initial trade. On Thursday (January 23, 2025), the Rupee declined nine paise to settle at 86.44 against the U.S. dollar.

The Rupee has shown signs of resilience, appreciating over the past two trading sessions owing to a weakening dollar. Moreover, on a positive note, upcoming inflows from fundraising activities by IREDA of $570 million are expected to provide additional support to the Rupee, CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said.

"... The USD/INR pair is expected to trade within the range of 86.20–86.80. A break below 86.20 could pave the way for further downside toward 85.80–86.00 levels," Mr. Pabari added.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading lower by 0.15% at 107.88. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell by 0.22% to $78.12 per barrel.

On the domestic equity market front both the benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty opened on a positive note. The 30-share sensitive index Sensex was trading 166.71 points or 0.22% up at 76,687.09 in early trade. Similarly, the wide-based Nifty trading was trading higher by 49.30 points or 0.21% at 23,254.65 points.