Rupee settles on flat note, higher by 3 paise at 95.70 against U.S. dollar

Rupee settles on flat note, higher by 3 paise at 95.70 against U.S.

Key points

• While the Nifty surged 153.55 points to 24, 231.85, on the domestic market front, Sensex jumped 628.04 points to settle at 77, 537.72.
• Foreign institutional investors purchased equities worth ₹407.99 crore on a net basis on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), according to exchange data.
• On Wednesday (August 19, 2026), the rupee stayed almost flat, ending just 1 paisa higher at 95.73 against the U.S.
• At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 95.57 against the greenback and traded in a range of 95.56-95.72 during the session.
• Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 2.22% at $93.65 per barrel in futures trade.

Rupee settles on flat note, higher by 3 paise at 95.70 against U.S. Dollar Forex traders remarked while a weaker U.S. Dollar eases some depreciation pressure on the domestic currency, crude oil hovering above $90 would continue to keep pressure on India's import bill. Published – August 20, 2026 04: 24 pm IST – Mumbai. File photo for representational purposes only. Photo Credit: Reuters.

As the backing from the weaker dollar index was negated by elevated crude oil costs, the rupee pared initial gains and settled for the day with gains of just 3 paise at 95.70 against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday (August 20, 2026).

Forex traders remarked while a weaker U.S. Dollar eases some depreciation pressure on the domestic currency, crude oil hovering above $90 would continue to keep pressure on India's import bill.

Meanwhile, the dollar index fell to its lowest level since late May after the U.S. According to Treasury, it would double its buyback operations for longer-dated Treasury bonds, pushing U.S. Long-term yields lower and reducing the dollar's yield advantage.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 95.57 against the greenback and traded in a range of 95.56-95.72 during the session. It eventually settled at 95.70 (provisional), higher by 3 paise from its previous close.

On Wednesday (August 19, 2026), the rupee stayed almost flat, ending just 1 paisa higher at 95.73 against the U.S. Dollar.

Meanwhile, the dollar index. It gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.61, lower by 0.22 per cent.

According to Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Mirae Asset ShareKhan, the rupee opened higher on subdued dollar and positive domestic markets. Nevertheless, rupee pared initial gains on rising crude oil costs.

We expect the rupee to trade with a slight negative bias on renewed geopolitical tensions between the U.S. And Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed crushing economic sanctions against Iran.

"Rising crude oil rates and inflation worries may additionally drag the rupee lower. Nevertheless, a falling the US dollar against the backdrop of diminishing rate hike expectations may backing the rupee at lower levels. Traders may take cues from weekly unemployment claims data from the US. USDINR spot cost is anticipated to trade in a range of 95.50 to 96, " Mr. Choudhary remarked.

In short, rupee settles on flat note, higher by 3 paise at 95.70 against is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.