German state elections put fresh pressure on Chancellor Merz
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his governmen...
The Indian rupee is expected to open stronger on Friday, supported by gains in other Asian currencies and a temporary pause in the U.S. dollar index’s upward trend.
The one-month non-deliverable forward suggests an opening in the 86.00–86.02 range, compared to Thursday’s close at 86.0750- the rupee’s first close below 86 in nearly a month.
A currency trader at a bank noted that while the rupee may gain at the open due to regional strength, any drop in USD/INR should be viewed as a buying opportunity, citing favourable risk-reward conditions and market positioning.
The U.S. dollar index eased by 0.2% in Asian trading to 98.40, boosting most Asian currencies. This follows a sharp rally on Thursday that brought the index close to 99, driven by strong U.S. economic data, including robust June retail sales and a three-month low in jobless claims, which reinforced the narrative of a resilient labour market.
MUFG Bank commented that the U.S. data continues to reflect economic strength, although U.S. Treasury yields remained mostly flat. Markets remained steady in their expectations regarding future rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, with little change in projections for a potential rate cut in September or the total expected in 2025.
Even with Friday’s dip, the dollar index is up 0.6% for the week, following a nearly 1% gain the previous week. MUFG Bank added that persistent short positions on the U.S. dollar could reverse and provide further support to the currency.
Key indicators:
- One-month non-deliverable rupee forward at 86.08
- Onshore one-month forward premium at 10 paise
- Dollar index at 98.41
- Brent crude down 0.1% to $69.50 per barrel
- U.S. 10-year Treasury yield at 4.44%
- Foreign investors sold $121.3 million in Indian equities on July 16 (NSDL data)
- Foreign investors bought $3.5 million in Indian bonds on the same day (NSDL data)
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that additional news organisations could be barred from the White House, hours after announcing bans on CNN, MS NOW and Politico over coverage he described as “fake news”.
Warren Buffett has stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, marking the end of one of the most influential leadership tenures in corporate history and completing a succession process that has been years in the making.
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote launched Africa's biggest-ever share sale on Monday, opening the oil refinery that has remade the country's fuel market to public ownership for the first time.
Volkswagen’s supervisory board has approved a major overhaul aimed at cutting 100,000 jobs by 2030 as the German carmaker battles weaker sales, falling profits and intensifying global competition.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called on American companies to expand their presence in China and pledged that Beijing would address their "reasonable concerns," as China looks to stabilise trade ties with Washington ahead of President Xi Jinping's planned visit to the U.S. later this month
Apple is entering a new era as Tim Cook steps down as chief executive after 15 years at the helm, handing the technology giant's leadership to longtime executive John Ternus.
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