Rupee propped up by cenbank intervention as outflows, oil prices weigh
By Jaspreet Kalra
MUMBAI, Oct 4 (Reuters) -The Indian rupee managed to hold above its record low on Friday on the back of intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a surge in oil prices and outflows from local equities pressured the local unit.
The rupee INR=IN was at 83.96 against the U.S. dollar as of 11:30 a.m. IST, barely changed from its close at 83.9675 in the previous session. The currency had hit its all-time low of 83.9850 last month.
The Indian central bank likely intervened in the non-deliverable forward and the local spot market to help the rupee stay above the psychologically important 84 mark, traders said.
Overseas investors have net sold more than $3.5 billion of local equities in the last three trading sessions.
Brent crude oil futures jumped 5% on Thursday to extend their weekly advance on worries over supplies due to the widening conflict in the Middle East.
"Higher oil prices could slow or stall Fed rate cuts, putting renewed downward pressures on Asian currencies," MUFG Bank said in a note.
Asian currencies were mostly weaker between 0.1% to 0.7% on Friday, while the dollar index was little changed at 101.86, hovering close to its highest level in six weeks.
Investors now await the U.S. non-farm payrolls data due later in the day, which is expected to influence expectations on whether the Federal Reserve will cut rates by 50 or 25 basis points in November.
Interest rate futures currently signal a 34% chance of a 50-bp cut, down from about a 50% chance a week earlier, according to CME's FedWatch tool.
Reporting by Jaspreet Kalra; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala
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