- USD/INR snaps two-day uptrend, steps back from intraday top.
- Doubts over India’s vaccination success join fears of Delta Plus covid variant to back buyers.
- Indecision over Fed’s next moves, US President Biden’s infrastructure spending passage tests immediate moves.
- US data, Fedspeak and macro relating to covid, stimulus become important for fresh impulse.
USD/INR pares weekly gains with a recent pullback to 74.20, down 0.05% intraday, amid the initial hour of Thursday’s Indian trading session. In doing so, the Indian rupee (INR) pair drops for the first in three days amid the market’s indecision over the coronavirus (COVID-19) conditions in India and the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) next moves, not to forget US President Joe Biden’s infrastructure spending plan.
INR bulls cheer the latest declines in the COVID-19 cases, easing of virus-led activity restrictions in states and record surge in daily vaccinations. The latest data from the Indian Health Minister, per Reuters, mention a 54,069 daily rise in coronavirus infections, taking a total to 30.08 million, whereas the pandemic-led fatalities increased 1,321 to 391,981.
Even so, the New York Times (NYT) gives India 93rd rank for its inoculation, versus 82nd during early June, while marking a meager 3.8% fully vaccinated Indians.
On the contrary, the US dollar gains safe-haven bids as Fed policymakers and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen could not convince markets of any challenges to the easy money policies. Also, doubts over how the US Senators will be able to bridge a large gap between the Republicans’ demands and Democrats’ push ahead of a two-week holiday session add to the market jitters. Furthermore, the covid variant fears regain traction in the US after an Epidemiologist warns over the jump in the cases this fall and add to the greenback’s strength.
Against this backdrop, Indian shares track mildly bid US stock futures while the US dollar index benefited from a firmer US 10-Treasury yield by the press time.
Moving on, USD/INR traders may keep struggling for clues ahead of the key US Durable Goods Orders. Also important will be the comments from the Federal Reserve (Fed) officials, as well as virus and stimulus updates.
Read: US Durable Goods Orders May Preview: Is the consumer really absent?
Technical analysis
USD/INR rebound from the 74.00 needs acceptance from mid-April lows near 74.55 to keep the pair buyers hopeful. Otherwise, a 50-day SMA level of 73.64 will be the key to watch during the fresh downside below the weekly low.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
USD/JPY holds positive ground around 151.50 following Japanese CPI data
The USD/JPY pair holds positive ground for the second consecutive day near 151.45 on Friday during the early Asian trading hours. The cautious approach from the Bank of Japan to keep monetary conditions accommodative exerts some selling pressure on the Japanese Yen.
AUD/USD depreciates on risk aversion amid a stronger US Dollar
AUD/USD extends its losses for the second successive session on Friday. However, market activity is expected to be subdued due to light trading on Good Friday. Meanwhile, the US Dollar strengthens as recent data indicates annualized economic expansion in the United States, driven by consumer spending.
Gold price finishes Thursday’s session set to reach new all-time highs
Gold price rallied during the North American session on Thursday and hit a new all-time high of $2,225 in the mid-North American session. Precious metal prices are trending higher even though US Treasury yields are advancing, underpinning the Greenback.
Top 3 Price Prediction BTC, ETH, XRP: Retail watches from the sidelines with a bias for shorts
Bitcoin is showing strength as markets head into the Easter holidays. As it rises, altcoins are following suit, with Ethereum and Ripple posting almost similar gains. Meanwhile, there remains an unfilled CME Gap, with a lot of liquidity also resting above and below BTC price.
Bears have been standing before a steamroller so far this year
Despite a pushback on rate cuts from Christopher Waller, and what was supposed to be cautious trading sentiment ahead of critical US inflation data released later on Friday, the S&P 500 rose on Thursday, marking its best first-quarter performance in five years.