Indian rupee breaches 60-mark, ends at six-week low of 60.16

The Indian rupee slipped below 60-mark and closed sharply down by 39 paise at a six-week low of 60.16 against the dollar on sustained demand for the American currency from oil importers, amid rising oil prices.

Weakness in local equities on the back of rise in wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation, also weighed down the rupee.

Increase in global crude oil prices to nine-month highs on escalating Iraq crisis compelled importers, mainly oil refiners, to buy more dollars to meet their requirements, a forex dealer said.

The dollar index was almost stable against a basket of six major global currencies.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the domestic unit commenced lower at 59.82 a dollar from previous close of 59.77 and immediately touched a high of 59.80. Later, it fell back to a low of 60.23 before settling at 60.16, a fall of 39 paise or 0.65 per cent. Last Friday, it had tumbled by 52 paise or 0.88 per cent. Previously, the rupee had finished at 60.21 against the USD on May 5, 2014.

Anindya Banerjee, currency analyst, Kotak Securities, said: "A cocktail of geo political risks, domestic monsoon worries and higher than expected wholesale inflation has pushed the rupee. A mix unwinding of shorts from large specs as well as hedging from importers has been responsible for the recent surge in the US dollar."

The BSE Sensex on Monday declined by another 37.69 points, or 0.15 per cent, while FIIs brought shares worth Rs 1,099.92 crore last Friday, as per provisional data.

Pramit Brahmbhatt, Veracity Group CEO, said: "Already the rupee was trading weak on the growing tensions in Iraq. In two days, rupee has depreciated nearly one and half per cent. The trading range for the Spot USD/INR pair is expected to be within 59.70 to 60.80."