Rupee falls 3 paise to settle at 83.19 against U.S. dollar

The rupee slipped 3 paise to settle at 83.19 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar amid a strong American currency and outflow of foreign funds.

The rupee slipped 3 paise to settle at 83.19 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on December 26 amid a strong American currency and outflow of foreign funds.

A positive equity market sentiment and softer crude oil prices, however, provided a cushion and restricted the fall in the Indian currency, Forex traders said.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic currency opened at 83.17 and traded between a peak of 83.10 and a low level of 83.21 against the greenback during intra-day deals. The local unit settled at 83.19 (provisional) against the dollar, registering a loss of 3 paise from its previous close.

On Friday, the domestic currency settled at 83.16 against the dollar. Forex markets were closed on Monday on account of Christmas.

Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, said the Indian rupee depreciated on recovery in the US dollar and FII outflows. However, positive domestic markets and a decline in crude oil prices cushioned the downside.

He said the rupee is expected to trade with a slight positive bias amid rising expectations of a reduction in interest rates by the US Federal Reserve.

"However, demand for the US dollar from imports and selling pressure from FIIs may cap the upside. Geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea may also weigh on rupee at higher levels. Traders may take cues from house price index data from the US. USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of Rs 82.90 to Rs 83.50," Choudhary added.