The Rupee closed weaker on Friday, pressured by strong dollar demand from local oil companies, likely related to month-end payments. The currency was down about 0.1% week-on-week, extending its losing streak to the fourth straight week. Volatility in the Chinese yuan, outflows from local equities following a hike in capital gains taxes on equities in the budget, and tepid risk appetite hurt the rupee this week, dragging it to record lows for four out of five trading sessions. The dollar index was steady near 104.3. Asian currencies were mixed, with the yuan declining 0.3% while the Thai baht and Philippine peso gained. Investors now await the release of U.S. personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index data. The dollar eased fractionally along with Treasury yields after the release of U.S. price data that showed little worrisome inflation that would cause the Federal Reserve to rethink moving to a less restrictive monetary policy in the coming months. Meanwhile, the yen has dominated the currency markets this month after surging to a near three-month high of 151.945 per dollar on Thursday. It started the month at a 38-year low of 161.96 before Bank of Japan currency intervention and expectations that the Bank of Japan would deliver a hawkish policy tweak at its meeting next week flushed out yen carry-trade shorts. Dollar/yen was 0.23% firmer at 154.29. The euro was up 0.12% at $1.0857. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of six currencies including the yen and the euro, was unchanged at 104.33 having been up 0.08% before the data. Sterling strengthened 0.12% to $1.2866. The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes fell 3.1 basis points, while two-year note yields, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, fell were down 3.1 basis points after the report. Oil prices slipped on Friday and were on track for a third consecutive weekly decline, pressured by muted demand in China and hopes of a Gaza ceasefire deal that could ease Middle East tensions and accompanying supply concerns. Brent crude futures for September dipped 84 cents or 1.02% to $81.53 a barrel by 1320 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for September fell 78 cents, or 1% to $77.50.......