MUMBAI, July 22 (Reuters) – The Indian rupee is poised to drop to a lifetime low against the U.S. dollar at open on Monday amid a decline in most Asian peers, unless, like in the past, the Reserve Bank of India intervenes.
Non-deliverable forwards indicate the rupee will open at 83.68-83.70 to the U.S. dollar, down from 83.6625 in the previous session and past the all-time low of 83.6650 hit in June.
The rupee was expected to open at a new low on Friday, but avoided it on likely RBI intervention in the non-deliverable forward market.
“The RBI will dictate how today’s session plays. If they intervene (in NDF) prior to market open and we have a soft opening, then expect a narrow 4-6 paisa range kind of session,” a currency trader at a bank said.
“And if we do get to 83.70 at open, it will be a much more interesting day.”
In recent days, the rupee has been persistently pressed due to dollar demand from public sector banks, which traders have said is likely related to oil and defence payments.
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The question many are asking at the beginning of the trading week whether there will be any impact on many of the so-called ‘Trump Trades’ that have already been expressed, Chris Weston, head research at broker Pepperstone, said in a note.
KEY INDICATORS:
** One-month non-deliverable rupee forward at 83.77; onshore one-month forward premium at 7 paisa
** Dollar index up at 104.29
** Brent crude futures up 0.4% at $82.9 per barrel
** Ten-year U.S. note yield at 4.23%
** As per NSDL data, foreign investors bought a net $604.1mln worth of Indian shares on Jul. 18
** NSDL data shows foreign investors bought a net $350.5mln worth of Indian bonds on Jul. 18
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Reporting by Nimesh Vora; Editing by Janane Venkatraman
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
