The Rupee opened flat and hold a narrow range on Wednesday, with traders balancing mild weakness across Asian currencies against persistent central bank backstop in the 90.70–90.80 zone. The rupee has repeatedly found support in the 90.70–90.80 area in recent sessions, with bankers flagging that the Reserve Bank of India has been actively intervening across levels in that zone. They say that the RBI has been consistently on offer around 90.70–90.80 on the interbank order-matching system, absorbing dollar demand and reinforcing the pair's near-term ceiling. This round of intervention over the past three sessions contrasts with the episode before that, when the RBI was seen stepping in aggressively before the start of local trading, front-loading dollar sales to shape sentiment at the open rather than leaning against moves during the session. Asia currencies were marginally lower on Wednesday, while the dollar index inched up to the 97.20 level. The dollar drew support from comments by Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr that the central bank is likely to be on hold for some time amid inflation risks. Investors are currently pricing in about two rate cuts by the Fed this year, with the first most likely in June. The minutes of the Fed's latest policy meeting, due later in the day, will provide further clarity on the thinking of policymakers. The dollar held its ground on Wednesday as geopolitical risks kept markets on edge and investors awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve for signals on future rate cuts. The yen was steady after data showing a rebound in Japanese manufacturer sentiment and President Donald Trump announced the first tranche of mega-investments Tokyo is making in the U.S. The kiwi dollar was the main mover in currency markets in the Asian morning, with sellers getting into the act after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand held pat on rates and said policy would need to remain accommodative. Iran and the U.S. reached an understanding on the main "guiding principles" in a second round of indirect talks over their nuclear dispute on Tuesday, although a deal is not imminent, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said. Elsewhere in Geneva, negotiators from Ukraine and Russia concluded the first of two days of U.S.-mediated peace talks in Geneva, with Trump pressing Kyiv to act fast to reach a deal to end the four-year conflict. The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, was little changed at 97.16 after a two-day advance. The euro slid 0.06% to $1.1846. The yen held steady at 153.23 per dollar, and sterling weakened 0.07% to $1.3558, after a 0.5% slide in the previous session. The Australian dollar weakened 0.1% versus the greenback to $0.7076, as the kiwi slid 0.4% to $0.6016. Oil prices fell slightly on Wednesday as talks between the United States and Iran progressed, raising hopes for a de-escalation of bilateral tensions and lowering risks of supply disruptions from the Middle Eastern oil producer. Brent futures dropped 3 cents or 0.04% to $67.39 a barrel at 0139 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude lost 5 cents or 0.08% to trade at $62.28. Both are trading around two-week lows.......
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