- Indian Rupee (INR) rises after two days of losses
- Manufacturing PMI rose to 57.5 up from 55.4
- The US Dollar (USD) is falling versus major peers
- US Supreme Court rules Trump’s tariffs illegal
The US dollar-to-Indian rupee (USD/INR) exchange rate is falling after two days of gains. The pair rose 0.26% in the previous session, settling on Thursday at 91.03. At 18:30 UTC on Friday, the pair is down -0.22% to 90.82. The pair is on track to rise 0.29% across the week.
The Indian rupee is rising after data showed that India’s private-sector activity accelerated in February, boosted by robust demand for goods, even as services growth remained broadly steady.
The flash composite PMI rose to 59.3 in February, up from 58.4 in January, marking the strongest level in three months. This was also ahead of forecasts of 59. The level 50 separates expansion from contraction.
The improvement was supported by solid new orders, which rose at the fastest pace since November. Businesses noted that strong demand, local tourism and marketing efforts led to strong growth, whilst international sales also increased at the fastest pace in five months.
The manufacturing PMI rose to 57.5 from 55.4, and the services PMI was almost unchanged at 58.4, down from 58.5 in January.
The US Dollar is depreciating across the board. The US Dollar Index, which measures the US dollar against a basket of major currencies, is down 0.14% to 97.77, after three days of gains.
The US dollar is dropping to a two-week low after the US Supreme Court ruled against Trump’s sweeping tariffs and after US GDP growth fell short of expectations.
The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, upheld the lower court’s decision that President Trump’s use of the 1977 law to implement trade tariffs exceeded his authority. This is a law used in national emergencies. The market will need to see how Trump responds; however, it appears there are other ways tariffs can be implemented.
The dollar was initially higher following hotter-than-expected US inflation. With core PCE, the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge for inflation, rising two 3% year on year in December, up from 2.8%. This was ahead of the 2.9% forecast
However, the Commerce Department posted figures showing that GDP rose by 1.4% in the fourth quarter, well below the 3% growth pace economists expected. This was because of a larger-than-expected impact from the US government shutdown. The data pulled the USD lower.
