Rupee ends flat; RBI intervention offsets pressure from weak Asia FX
By Jaspreet Kalra
MUMBAI, Sept 12 (Reuters) -The Indian rupee ended nearly flat on Thursday, with intervention by the Reserve Bank of India helping to stabilize the currency despite a broader decline among most Asian peers.
The rupee INR=IN closed at 83.9650 against the U.S. dollar, nearly unchanged from its close at 83.9775 in the previous session.
The rupee traded within a narrow range of less than 2 paisa throughout the day, as dollar outflows and a dip in peer currencies applied pressure. This was offset by dollar sales from state-run banks, likely acting on behalf of the RBI, traders said.
While there is "sufficient and more," dollar demand to push the rupee below 84, the RBI doesn't seem open to allowing that, a foreign exchange trader at a state-run bank said.
Till that changes, the rupee is expected to trade sideways within the 83.90-83.98 range, the trader added. Last week, the currency touched an all-time low of 83.9850.
The dollar index was flat at 101.7 while US bond yields rose after consumer inflation data released on Wednesday dampened hopes of a 50-basis point rate cut by the Federal Reserve next week. FEDWATCH
Focus will be on the European Central Bank's policy decision due later in the day alongside US jobless claims and wholesale inflation data.
"With lingering concerns about a sharp deterioration of the jobs market, a significant downside surprise could persuade markets that a 50bp cut in September is still a possibility," ING Bank said in a note.
Meanwhile, benchmark Indian equity indices, the BSE Sensex .BSESN and Nifty 50 .NSEI rose to record highs before ending the session higher by 1.7% and 1.9%, respectively.
India's consumer inflation data is due later on Thursday as well and is expected to show that CPI held below the RBI's 4.0% medium-term target for a second month in August, according to a Reuters poll.
Reporting by Jaspreet Kalra; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee
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