inr-bank-notes - INR
  • Indian Rupee (INR) holds steady
  • Nifty & Sensex fall for fifth straight session
  • US Dollar (USD) trades higher versus major peers on risk inflows
  • US GDP Q4 expected to show 4% annualized growth

The US Dollar Indian Rupee (USD/INR) exchange rate is trading flat on Thursday. The pair settled +0.2% at 73.06. At 12:15 UTC, USD/INR trades steady at this same level.

The Indian Rupee is showing resilience despite a steep selloff in domestic equities. Indian shares ended at their lowest level in over a month on Thursday weighed down by losses in information technology and consumer companies.

The blue chip Nifty 50 fell -1% whilst the benchmark Sensex closed -1.1%. This was the fifth consecutive losing session for both indices.

Meanwhile weaker oil prices are offering some support. West Texas Intermediate trades 0.25% lower on the day at $52.75 per barrel amid rising near term demand concerns as lockdown restrictions tighten across the globe, but particularly in China ahead of its Lunar New Year. This is typically a period of high levels of travel.

Earlier in the week the IMF upgraded Indian’s GDP forecast to 11.5% in 2021, reclaiming the status of the world’s fastest growing economy. This will mean India is the only major economy to register double digit growth this year.

Whilst the US Dollar is trading flat versus the Indian Rupee the greenback is advancing versus its major peers. The US Dollar Index trades +0.1% at the time of writing, extending gains from the previous session.

The Federal Reserve left monetary policy unchanged on Wednesday as expected. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell expressed his concerns over the health of the US economic recovery. His downbeat comments dragged on sentiment and lifted demand for the safe haven US Dollar.

Attention will now turn to the US economic calendar with preliminary reading of the fourth quarter GDP and jobless claims due to be released. The data is expected to show fourth quarter annualized growth of 4%.