The Rupee opened weaker on Thursday after a hawkish surprise from the U.S. Federal Reserve boosted bets of an ?interest rate hike later this year. Fed policymakers struck a more hawkish tone than expected late Wednesday, with nine of 18 projecting at ?least one rate hike in 2026. Economists had anticipated far fewer, with ?Goldman Sachs saying it expected around three members to signal a ?hike. U.S. two-year yield jumped 12 basis points in response, equities dropped, and the dollar strengthened. The robust U.S. data added to the underlying hawkish tone on rates. Retail sales jumped 0.9% month-on-month in ?May versus 0.5% ?expected. Pending home ?sales rose 3.8% month on month, above all estimates. The data underscored U.S. economic resilience and came in the wake of ?the third straight month of robust job growth. The U.S. dollar clung to a more than two-month high on Thursday as markets ramped up wagers on Federal Reserve rate ?hikes this year, heaping fresh pressure on the Japanese yen toward intervention ?territory. The Fed funds futures market has ?now priced in an 83% chance of Fed tightening in December, according ?to CME FedWatch, with a strong retail sales reading further adding to hawkish bets. The euro last traded a shade stronger at $1.1511 and sterling ?strengthened to $1.3318 , after touching the currencies touched two-month lows earlier. The risk-sensitive Australian dollar ?and the New Zealand dollar were both up roughly 0.2% to $0.7025 and $0.5780, respectively. The dollar index , which ?measures ?the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, was little changed at 100.31. It surged 0.85% to the strongest level since March 31 in the previous session, in its biggest single-day gain since March 2. The Japanese ?yen weakened to as much as 160.760 after hitting its weakest since 2024 overnight, continuing to hover around the 160 level widely seen as a line in the sand ?for ?potential official intervention. Oil prices fell in early trading on Thursday after the U.S. and Iran signed an interim agreement that would end the Iran ?war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and waive U.S. sanctions on ?Tehran's oil, resolving the largest energy supply disruption in history. Brent crude futures were down 89 cents, or 1.12%, at $78.66 a barrel as of 0005 GMT, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate ?fell 98 cents, or 1.28%, to $75.81 a barrel.......