Rupee extended its losing streak for a third consecutive session on Friday, slipping 10 paise to 90.44 against the US dollar. Persistent foreign fund outflows, and a stronger greenback, continued to drag down the domestic currency. In early interbank trade, rupee opened at 90.37 before drifting further to 90.44, down from its previous close. Earlier on Wednesday, the currency ended at 90.34, a decline of 11 paise, after a 6-paise drop the day before. Forex markets remained closed on Thursday for the Mumbai municipal corporation elections. Traders noted that the fall in rupee was cushioned by declining crude oil prices and a positive mood in the equity markets, which helped check sharper losses. Globally, the dollar index, which gauges the US currency’s performance against six major currencies, was marginally lower, slipping 0.02% to 99.10. Analysts said the dollar’s movement followed the release of US inflation data for December, which has lowered expectations of an immediate interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Pressure on Rupee further increased after official data released on Thursday showed India’s trade deficit widening slightly to $25.04 billion in December 2025, against a deficit of $24.53 billion in November and $22 billion in December 2024.Meanwhile in the commodities market, Brent crude was trading 0.34% lower at $63.54 per barrel in futures trade. On the domestic equities 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 upbeat equity trend, foreign institutional investors remained sellers, offloading shares worth Rs 4,781.24 crore on Wednesday, as per exchange data.
