• Indian Rupee (INR) falls despite risk on market mood
  • Indian domestic equities rise, Omicron cases hit 8-month high
  • US Dollar (USD) falls as PPI misses & jobless claims gain
  • Could the turning point in inflation be arriving?

The US Dollar Indian Rupee (USD/INR) exchange rate is moving higher on Thursday after booking minor gains in the previous session. The pair settled +0.01 higher on Wednesday at 73.79. At 15:30 UTC, USD/INR trades +0.22% at 73.93.

The India Rupee is falling despite risk on trade. Equities across the globe are heading higher as fears of additional moves by the US Federal reserve ease. Domestic equities in India closed the session higher.

Omicron cases continue to rise. The country reported the highest number of new daily infections since mid-May, 247,417 cases. However, some experts say that cases could peak as soon as next week in some big cities such as the capital New Delhi and Mumbai.

Trade talks between India and the UK are progressing well. India’s proposed trade pact with Britain could help double bilateral trade over the coming decade.

The US Dollar is rising versus the Rupee but falling versus major peers. The US Dollar Index, which measures the greenback versus a basket of major currencies trades -.2% at the time of writing at 94.79 after steep losses in the previous session.

The US Dollar is losing ground after producer price index, which measures inflation at wholesale level rose by less than expected in December. PPI rose 9.7% year on year, up from 9.6% in November. However, this was less than the 9.8% that analysts had priced in.

PPI is often considered a lead indicator for consumer price inflation (CPI). US CPI reached 7% in December. However, the slower increase in PPI could be an early sign that inflation in the US maybe starting to slow.

US jobless claims rose in the week ending 7th January to 230,000 Americans signing up for initial claims. This was up from 207,000 the previous week and well ahead of the decline to 200,000 that was forecast. The increase in jobless claims comes as COVID cases rise steeply.