The rupee extended its losing streak for the third straight session on Friday, falling 10 paise to 90.44 against the US dollar. Continued capital outflows from abroad and a stronger greenback continued to weigh on the domestic currency. In early interbank trade, the rupee opened at 90.37 before slipping further to 90.44, down from the previous close. Earlier on Wednesday, the currency closed at 90.34, down 11 paise, after falling 6 paise the previous day. Foreign exchange markets remained closed on Thursday due to the municipal elections in Mumbai. Traders noted that the rupee’s fall was cushioned by falling crude oil prices and positive sentiment in the stock market, which helped curb major losses. Globally, the dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency’s performance against six major currencies, was marginally lower, slipping 0.02% to 99.10. Analysts said the dollar’s move was due to the release of US inflation data for December, which dampened expectations of an immediate interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Pressure on the rupee increased further after official data released on Thursday showed India’s trade deficit widening slightly to $25.04 billion in December 2025, compared to a deficit of $24.53 billion in November and $22 billion in December 2024.Meanwhile, in the commodities market, Brent crude oil traded 0.34% lower at $63.54 a barrel in futures trading. On the domestic equity front, benchmark indices opened higher. The Sensex advanced 210.04 points to 83,592.75, while the Nifty gained 34.65 points to reach 25,700.25. Despite the positive trend in stocks, foreign institutional investors remained sellers and sold shares worth Rs 4,781.24 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
