Currencies

The world’s poorest countries are reeling from debt made worse by exchange rate fluctuations and worsening climate shocks, a new study has found, as officials considered ways to ease the burden at the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank this week.On Friday, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) issued new research showing that Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have been required to take out loans for their growth and development in foreign currencies – usually US dollars...

India’s foreign exchange reserves rose by USD 8.31 billion to reach USD 686.145 billion for the week ending April 18, marking the seventh consecutive week of growth.  | Photo Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters India's forex reserves jumped USD 8.31 billion to USD 686.145 billion for the week ended April 18, the RBI said on Friday. This is the seventh consecutive week of a rise in the kitty, which had jumped by USD 1.567 billion to USD 677.835 billion in the previous reporting week ended April 11. The forex reserves had touched...

Over the past six months, the Indian rupee has fallen sharply by close to 4% against the US dollar, according to Bloomberg. This marks one of the most prominent declines in recent times, with the rupee hitting a massive single-day decline of around 0.7% in January 2025. As of early April 2025, the exchange rates hover around Rs 85 per USD, hinting at a downward trend.  For Indian students studying abroad or aspiring to study abroad, this volatile environment raises alarm. A weakening rupee has a direct impact on amplifying the...

Rupee pared its initial gains and ended the day lower by 7 paise at 85.40 against the US dollar on Friday, due to heightened geopolitical tensions and a negative trend in domestic markets. Forex traders attributed the rupee's decline to escalating geopolitical tensions, particularly following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which weighed on market sentiment. Additionally, a muted trend ia stronger US dollar inden domestic equities and x further dampened investor confidence. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 85.17 and fluctuated between an...

“Markets are discovering the real Trump trade is ‘Sell America’,” say Saleha Mohsin and Carter Johnson on Bloomberg. Stocks soared late last year on bets that the incoming president would initiate an American golden age. It hasn’t worked out like that. The dollar has dropped 9% against other major currencies in 2025.The US relies on international capital to finance its budget and trade deficits. As Torsten Slok of Apollo Management notes, foreigners own $19 trillion of US equities and $7 trillion of government bonds, equivalent to 20%-30% of the market....

As the world economy enters a phase of volatility, Indian investors are increasingly questioning the wisdom of keeping their portfolios confined to domestic markets. The Mumbai edition of Mint Horizons, hosted on April 11 at the MCA, Bandra Kurla Complex, brought together some of the most prominent voices in finance and investing to explore why diversification across geographies and currencies is no longer optional — it's essential.Reframing the India-only mindsetNeil Borate, Deputy Editor at Mint, opened the event by highlighting the limited discourse in India around global investing. “This is...

Rupee jumped 25 paise to 85.08 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, buoyed by robust foreign fund inflows and positive remarks from the US Treasury Secretary indicating India could be the first to sign a trade tariff treaty with the US. Forex analysts noted that India is emerging as a symbol of “quiet strength,” supported by improving macroeconomic fundamentals and increasing global interest. The Reserve Bank of India, in its latest bulletin, highlighted the country’s growing economic resilience, pointing to diversified trade ties and favourable market sentiment....

Stacks (STX) price rises, hitting a new weekly high at $0.90 during the Asian session on Friday. The Bitcoin layer-2 protocol shows bullish resilience, trading at $0.88 at the time of writing, reflecting growing institutional interest in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. STX's breakout appears strong enough to sustain the uptrend, targeting highs above $1.00 in the coming days. Bitcoin (BTC) traded above $93,000 on Thursday as rumors of US-China tariff easing stirred a rebound in price, sending the percentage of supply in profit at current price levels to 87.3%, 5% above...

The Indian Rupee furthers its upward move in Friday’s Asian session.Positive developments in the trade talks and continued foreign inflows support the INR. Escalating geopolitical tensions after the Kashmir attack might cap the pair’s upside. The Indian Rupee (INR) strengthens on Friday. The optimism surrounding US-India trade talks provides some support to the Indian currency. Currently, the 26% reciprocal tariff on India that the US imposed is on a 90-day pause. The suspension will expire on July 8. However, India does face a 10% tariff as other nations per the US trade...

(Repeats story published on Thursday, with no change to text) India rates recover slightly from 22-month low In Vietnam, demand from buyers hasn't picked up, trader says Bangladesh begins purchasing 1.7 million tons of rice from local farmers April 25 (Reuters) - Prices of rice shipped from India and Thailand edged higher this week, aided by currency fluctuations, although gains were capped by subdued demand, while Vietnamese rates were little changed. Indian rice prices recovered from a 22-month-low, with the 5% broken parboiled variety being quoted at $389-$396 per metric...