CURRENCY OVERVIEW

 

 

The Indian rupee outperformed its regional peers on Tuesday, boosted by new central bank measures to alleviate pressure on the Asian currency and likely spot ‌market intervention that magnified their impact. The currency rose to a peak of 95.0725 per dollar in early trading before trimming gains to settle at 95.28, up 0.5% from the previous close. The Reserve Bank of India has taken a series of tough regulatory steps aimed at supporting the rupee by re-routing oil dollar demand to a special facility, imposing margins on hedging current account liabilities and banks' hedging their own assets and liabilities. Oil prices were on track for their first decline in nearly a week as traders weighed the prospect of additional diesel supplies from Russia. Oil prices were mixed on Tuesday as hopes the US-Russia diesel deal could free up more supplies from Moscow offset attacks in Saudi Arabia ‌and Yemen that could result in additional supply disruptions. Brent futures were down 59 cents, or 0.6%, at $106.06 per barrel at 12:59 p.m. EDT (1659 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 73 cents, or 0.8%, to $94.47. Diesel prices rose to record highs in many parts of the world in recent ‌weeks due to global supply disruptions linked to Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and Iran's attacks on Middle East energy infrastructure. The dollar index was down 0.2% at 102.3 while Asian currencies were largely range bound. The dollar slipped from an 18-month high on Tuesday as oil prices retreated and investors reassessed the AI-fueled rally that has supported demand for US assets this year, while awaiting fresh clues on the Federal Reserve's interest rate path. Markets expect US President Donald Trump  to avoid ‌escalation in the Middle East, as a wider conflict could hurt his standing ahead of the midterm elections next month. Oil prices fell  0.86% to $105.75 per barrel on Tuesday, as traders weighed the prospect of additional Russian diesel supplies. Russia said it can restore diesel exports beyond levels Trump outlined in a deal with Moscow. The euro rebounded from a roughly 17-month low on Tuesday despite another jump in gas prices, a key driver of euro zone inflation, while concerns over France's fiscal outlook persisted. It was up 0.3% at $1.1189 after hitting $1.11525 on Monday, its lowest level since May 2025. The yen strengthened 0.15% to 158.38 against the dollar after Bank of Japan data showed wholesale prices rose 6.8% in the year to September, missing a median market forecast of 7.6% but still enough to justify market fears of higher interest rates. The euro was last up 0.21% at 177.32 versus the Japanese currency , after hitting 176.25, its lowest level since November 2025. Gold prices were largely steady on Tuesday, as investors looked out for key ‌US inflation data and remarks from the Federal Reserve Chair later this week to gauge future monetary policy. Spot gold fell 0.1% to $4,164.70 per ounce by 11:26 a.m. EDT (1526 GMT). US gold futures for December delivery were down 0.1% at $4,188.40 per ounce. Elsewhere, spot silver fell 1.5% to $59.44 per ounce, platinum edged 0.8% lower to $1,672.25 per ounce and palladium dropped 1.3% to $1,128.45 per ounce.

 

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