Rupee rises 1 paisa to 95.73 against U.S. dollar in early trade

The rupee depreciated 13 paise to close at 95.74 against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday (August 18). On Wednesday (August 19, 2026), the rupee rose marginally by 1 paisa to 95.73, supported by RBI intervention amid heightened tensions in West Asia. A rise in global crude oil prices added pressure to the local unit, while a decline in the dollar index and foreign institutional investor (FII) inflows provided support. The rupee opened at 95.72 before slipping to 95.73, up 1 paisa from its previous close. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee showed reasonable resilience despite oil price shocks, largely due to suspected continued RBI intervention. Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director at Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, noted that with oil prices above $91, there were bids from oil companies. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump stated the U.S. has no talks planned with Iran but affirmed the Strait of Hormuz remains open, despite limited traffic and a reported strike on a ship. The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 99.56, down 0.09%. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose by 0.71% to $91.67 per barrel. On the domestic equity market, Sensex declined 166.19 points to 77,070.93, while the Nifty fell 59 points to 24,096.75. Foreign institutional investors purchased equities worth Rs 1,651.53 crore on a net basis on Tuesday.