- Indian Rupee (INR) holds steady for another day
- Domestic equities jump higher
- US Dollar (USD) edges lower versus majors
- Housing data is due later ahead of the rate decision tomorrow
The US Dollar Indian Rupee (USD/INR) exchange rate is holding steady on Tuesday for a second straight session. The pair traded flat yesterday, settling at 79.69, trading in a range between 79.57 to 79.83. At 10:00 UTC, USD/INR trades +0.00% at 79.69.
The Rupee is showing resilience against the USD as amid rising optimism ahead of the festival season. Indian companies are already hiring at a faster pace than last year as peak festival season is set to be celebrated without COVID restrictions for the first time in three years.
The Confederation of all India Traders said that it expects 80 million small and medium businesses to generate sales of over $1.5 trillion in the Diwali season. This is 30% more than last year.
Separately, rising equities and falling oil prices are also supporting the Rupee. The Sensex trades +1.6%, over 60,000 at the time of writing. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate continues to struggle at around 85.00 per barrel amid concerns that rising interest rates will dampen global growth.
The US Dollar is holding steady against the Rupee but is falling against its major peers. The US Dollar Index, which measures the greenback versus a basket of major currencies, trades at -0.06% at the time of writing at 109.48 after booking losses of 0.1% in the previous session.
The USD dollar is edging lower but remains near a 20-year high as attention turns squarely to the US Federal Reserve’s 2-day FOMC meeting, which begins today. Investors are preparing themselves for a hawkish-sounding Federal Reserve after US inflation cooled by less than expected in August.
An interest rate increase of 75 basis points is widely expected by market participants. Although some are preparing for a 100 basis points rate hike as the US central bank tries to tame elevated inflation.
Ahead of the decision tomorrow, investors will look to today’s housing market data, which is expected to show that the sector is cooling as interest rates rise.
