Rupee weakens 15 paise to open at 73.43 against the US dollar

Indian rupee lost 15 paise lower against the US dollar in opening trade on Friday on growing concerns over rise in fiscal deficit after crude oil prices resumed their upward spiral.

At 09:10 AM, the rupee was trading at 73.43 a dollar, down 15  paise from its Thursday’s close of 73.28. The home currency opened at 73.43 and touched a high and a low of 73.42 and 73.46 a dollar, respectively.

The rupee depreciated by 11 paise to close at 73.27 against the US dollar Thursday due to steady capital outflows and sharp decline in domestic equities amid intensifying geopolitical tensions.

Adding to the concerns was oil prices, which rose 1 percent on Thursday, following the US stock market higher a day after Wall Street's biggest drop since 2011.

Brent crude futures rose 72 cents to settle at $76.89 per barrel as US equities rose amid strong corporate earnings. The global benchmark has lost almost $10 a barrel since hitting a high of $86.74 on Oct. 3.

Unabated capital outflows by foreign funds continued to dampen the sentiment, according to market experts.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) pulled out around Rs 1,495.71 crore on a net basis from capital markets Thursday with stocks declining 1 percent in line with global sell-off. FPIs had pulled out Rs 2,046.54 crore on net basis Wednesday.

The rupee is the worst performing emerging market currency having lost almost 15 percent since January this year. Between April and September, the rupee has plummeted more than 7 percent to the dollar.

In debt markets, the yields on the 10-year government bonds fell 0.06 percent to 7.87 percent after closing at 7.87 percent on Thursday. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.