Rupee rises 39 paise to 82.36 against US dollar

Centre's fiscal deficit narrowed to 6.4 per cent of the GDP in 2022-23 from 6.71 per cent in FY22.

Mumbai: The rupee gained 39 paise to 82.36 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday as positive macroeconomic data strengthened investor sentiments.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 82.54 against the dollar and then rose to 82.36, registering a gain of 39 paise over its previous close.

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On Wednesday, the rupee closed at 82.75 against the US currency.

On the domestic macroeconomic front, the Centre’s fiscal deficit narrowed to 6.4 per cent of the GDP in 2022-23 from 6.71 per cent in FY22.

Unveiling the revenue-expenditure data of the Union government for 2022-23, the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) said the fiscal deficit in absolute terms was Rs 17,33,131 crore (provisional), marginally down from the amount projected in the Revised Estimates (RE) in the Budget.

Moreover, according to official figures released on Wednesday, India’s economy grew by 6.1 per cent in March quarter of 2022-23, pushing the annual growth rate to 7.2 per cent on account of better performance by agriculture, manufacturing, mining and construction sectors.

“The given economic releases suggest resilience of domestic activity and hence will have a positive impact on the rupee. Though there are some caveats to this from the global front, such as Fed’s return to a rate hike, geopolitical concerns, and the banking crisis,” CR Forex Advisors MD-Amit Pabari said.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.09 per cent to 104.23.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, declined 1.20 per cent to USD 72.66 per barrel.

In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 50.55 points or 0.08 per cent to 62,672.79. The broader NSE Nifty rose 22.80 points or 0.12 per cent to 18,557.20.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the capital market on Wednesday as they purchased shares worth Rs 3,405.90 crore, according to exchange data.