Indian Rupee holds steady as traders await Fed rate decision

The Indian Rupee (INR) trades sideways on Monday despite the softer US Dollar (USD). The upside for INR is likely to be limited after reaching an all-time low last week, pressured by continuous USD demand from oil importers and India’s outflows from local equities. Additionally, the rising geopolitical risks in the Middle East might boost the safe-haven Greenback ahead of the key US events this week. On the other hand, traders expect the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to continue intervening in the foreign exchange (FX) market to limit volatility. This, in turn, might cap the pair’s upside in the near term. 

The US Federal Reserve (Fed) Interest Rate Decision will take centre stage on Wednesday, with no change in rate expected. Investors will take cues from Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks to gauge the future path of US interest rates. Any dovish comments from the Fed officials or hope of a rate cut by the Fed in September might drag the Greenback lower. Later this week, the attention will shift to the Indian HSBC Manufacturing PMI on Thursday and the US Nonfarm Payrolls for July on Friday.

Daily Digest Market Movers: Indian Rupee flat lines despite multiple headwinds

• The RBI was likely selling US Dollars on Monday to support the local currency, which was pinned near its all-time low, five traders told Reuters.
• The Dollar-Rupee pair is likely to move higher steadily with support "shifting upward to 83.45 while getting resisted at 83.85," said Dilip Parmar, a foreign exchange research analyst at HDFC Securities.
• Foreign investors have net sold about $1 billion worth of Indian equities since July 23, when the Indian government proposed to raise taxes on profits from equity investments and on equity derivative transactions.
• The Golan Heights attack on Saturday has raised worries about a war between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel accuses Hezbollah of carrying out the strike on a football pitch, which killed at least 12 people, including children, and it has promised to react. However, Hezbollah denies being involved in the attack, per the BBC. 
• The US Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index rose rose 2.5% on a yearly basis in June, compared to 2.6% in May, in line with the market consensus. On a monthly basis, the PCE Price Index increased 0.1% after staying unchanged in May.
• The US Core PCE inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, climbed to 2.6% in the same period, matching May's increase and coming in above the estimation of 2.5% The core PCE Price Index increased 0.2% MoM in June, compared to 0.1% in May. 
• The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index jumped to 66.4 in July, better than the estimation and the previous reading of 66. 

Technical analysis: Indian Rupee’s bearish picture remains intact 

Indian Rupee trades on a flat note on the day. The USD/INR pair keeps the bullish vibe unchanged as the chart shows an uptrend line, while the price holds above the key 100-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) on the daily chart. The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands above the midline near 58.90, suggesting the long-term trend appears to be bullish. 

Bullish candlesticks above the all-time high of 83.85 could draw in enough buyers to push USD/INR up to the 84.00 psychological level. 

The initial support level could be found at the uptrend line around 83.70. If bearish momentum continues, look for further downside towards 83.51, a low of July 12. The next potential support level is seen at 83.44, the 100-day EMA.