usd-inr-bank-notes
  • Indian Rupee (INR) slips after two days of gains
  • GDP growth of 4.6% is forecast
  • US Dollar (USD) rises on hawkish Fed bets
  • US consumer confidence data is due

The US Dollar Indian Rupee (USD/INR) exchange rate is rising on Tuesday, reversing losses from the previous session. The pair settled -0.30% lower on Monday at 82.65. At 10:00 UTC, USD/INR trades +0.8% at 82.71 and trades in a range of 82.65 to 82.75.

The Indian Rupee is heading lower in risk-off trade as investors fret over central banks hiking interest rates for longer amid inflation which is proving to be stickier than first thought. Domestic equities are also struggling for direction.

Attention is firmly on Indian GDP data, which is due to be released shortly and is expected to show that growth slowed in the December quarter to 4.6% year on year amid weak global demand. The concern is that higher interest rates could dampen demand further. The economy grew 6.3% in the preceding quarter.

The US Dollar is rising across the board. The US Dollar Index, which measures the greenback versus a basket of major currencies, trades +0.12% at the time of writing at 104.79, after two days of losses.

The US dollar fell in the previous session was investors digested mixed data. On the one hand, the US house price index rose by 0.8%, which was higher than expected.

On the other hand, US durable goods orders fell by 4.5%, which was more than the 4% expected. However, the data wolf and as bad as it appeared on this surface as business equipment orders increased by the most in five months, suggesting that businesses continued to make long-term investments despite elevated borrowing costs and ongoing economic uncertainty.

Looking ahead today, the focus remains very much on US economic calendar with the release of U.S. consumer confidence data. Consumer morale is expected who increase to 108.5 in February, up from 107.1, as it extends a positive trend dating back to July last year. Stronger than forecast consumer confidence could boost the US dollar.