The Indian rupee is expected to open lower compared with the U.S. currency on Wednesday, weighed down by likely position adjustments, traders said.
The non-deliverable forwards indicate the rupee will open at 82.25-82.28, compared with 82.1875 in the previous session.
The spot date for USD/INR is now April 3, compared with March 31 as of Tuesday. The date shift to the new fiscal year has increased the carry cost for holding long dollar positions or the returns for holding short dollar positions overnight.
“We suspect that at the open, traders who took positions for the carry will rush for cover,” a trader at a Mumbai-based bank said. “It will not surprise us if we see an uptick (on USD/INR) immediately.”
Asian currencies were mostly rangebound on the day and the dollar index was little changed at about 102.50. The abatement of acute fears around the U.S. banking sector has impacted demand for the safe haven dollar.
An agreement to buy all of failed U.S. lender Silicon Valley Bank’s deposits and loans alongside steps taken by financial regulators have alleviated fears around U.S. banks.
Further Michael Barr, the Federal Reserve’s vice chairman for supervision, said SVB‘s problems were due to “terrible” risk management, suggesting the lender’s collapse could be an isolated issue.
DBS Research noted that pricing of the Fed’s policy path “has swung from one extreme to another” amid the developments around the SVB.
Futures are now pricing in about 50 basis points of rate cuts this year and a Fed rate of 4.35% by December, compared with sub-4% at the peak of the crisis.
The 2-year Treasury yield is now above 4%, about 50 basis points off its recent lows.
