The rupee recovered 15 paise from its all-time low level to close at 87.65 against the US dollar on Thursday, amid lower crude prices and suspected RBI interventions, after US President Donald Trump's announcement of 25 per cent tariffs on Indian imports and a penalty for buying Russian crude.
Forex traders said the rupee, after plunging 89 paise, logging its steepest single-day fall in over three years on Wednesday, recovered some lost ground but the broader outlook remains weak.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 87.66 against the greenback, touched an intra-day low of 87.74 and a high of 87.51 against the American currency.
At the end of Thursday's trading session, the local unit settled at 87.65, down 15 paise over its previous closing price.
Forex traders said following the US' move to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports triggered risk-off sentiment and heightened concerns regarding further rupee depreciation.
Till there is clarity on the tariff front, pressure on the rupee is likely to persist, CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said, adding that a meaningful reversal can only be expected if the pair breaks below 87.20, which currently acts as a key support level.
According to Harsimran Sahni, EVP & Head - Treasury, Anand Rathi Global Finance, the US tariff announcement triggered risk-off sentiment and heightened concerns regarding further rupee depreciation.
He further said the RBI conducts weekly VRRR (variable rate reverse repo) auction of around Rs 2 lakh crore, reflecting its intention to withdraw surplus liquidity and maintain stability in short-term interest rates. These measures aim to align money market rates more closely with the policy rate.
"Today, the RBI is suspected to have intervened in the market around the level of 87.75/USD to control volatility which led the rupee to appreciate to 87.52/USD and recovery in the equity market helped the rupee to stabilise in the current level," Sahni added.
On Wednesday, the rupee closed at an all-time low of 87.80 against the US dollar after America announced a sweeping 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports in the absence of a trade deal ahead of the August 1 deadline.
It was not clear if the 25 per cent duty will be imposed in addition to the existing 10 per cent baseline tariff. The 10 per cent tariff, which currently applies to most Indian goods barring a few, was announced by Trump on all countries on April 2.
Also, the exact quantum of the penalty is unclear.
Meanwhile, negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement are on as a US team is visiting New Delhi on August 25 for the sixth round of talks.
The top officials of the two countries concluded the fifth round recently in Washington.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose by 0.03 per cent to 99.84.
Brent oil prices fell 0.67 per cent to USD 72.75 per barrel.
In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined 296.28 points, or 0.36 per cent, to close at 81,185.58, while the Nifty fell 86.70 points, or 0.35 per cent, to settle at 24,768.35.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 5,588.91 crore on a net basis on Thursday, according to exchange data.
Meanwhile, the US Fed held interest rates steady and signalled it is too early to consider rate cuts, which has supported the dollar throughout the month of July.
This report includes content sourced from Press Trust of India (PTI), edited for clarity and context.
