The rupee depreciated 9 paise to close at 85.73 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, as strong dollar demand from importers and foreign fund outflows dented investor sentiments.
Forex traders said the dollar gained against most currencies during 2024 and continued to remain on a strong footing this year. Moreover, persistent foreign fund outflows further dented investors' sentiments.
Additionally, global markets are expected to see low volumes as the holiday season is underway in major economies like those in Europe.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened on a weak note and witnessed an intra-day low of 85.79 and a high of 85.68 against the American currency. The local unit settled for the day at 85.73 (provisional), registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close amid a sharp recovery in domestic equities.
On Wednesday, the rupee settled flat at 85.64 against the US dollar.
On December 27, the local currency touched its lifetime intra-day low of 85.80 against the greenback.
"We expect the rupee to trade with a negative bias on strength in the US Dollar and dollar demand from importers. Sustained FII outflows may further pressure the rupee," said Anuj Choudhary -- Research Analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan.
"However, any intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may support the rupee at lower levels. USDINR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 85.50 to 86, Choudhary added.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.02 per cent lower at 108.46.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.91 per cent to USD 75.32 per barrel in futures trade.
Meanwhile, India's manufacturing sector growth fell to a 12-month low in December, as new business orders and production expanded at softer rates, a monthly survey said on Thursday.
The seasonally adjusted HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index was at 56.4 in December, down from 56.5 in November, indicating a weaker improvement in operating conditions.
In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex settled at 1,436.30 points, or 1.83 per cent, up at 79,943.71 points, while the Nifty was higher by 445.75 points, or 1.88 per cent, to 24,188.65 points.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded Rs 1,782.71 crore in the capital markets on a net basis on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
On the domestic macroeconomic front, the total gross goods and services tax (GST) revenue grew 7.3 per cent to Rs 1.77 lakh crore in December as compared to Rs 1.65 lakh crore in the same month a year ago.
In November, GST mop-up was Rs 1.82 lakh crore with 8.5 per cent annual growth. The highest-ever collection was in April 2024 at over Rs 2.10 lakh crore.
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