Rupee rises 17 paise to 95.56 against U.S. dollar in early trade

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Image used for representational purposes. File | Photo Credit: Reuters

The rupee appreciated 17 paise to 95.56 against the American currency in early trade on Thursday (August 20, 2026) tracking a weak U.S. dollar, after the U.S. Treasury announced that it would double its buyback operations for longer-dated Treasury bonds.

Forex traders said the dollar index fell to its lowest level since late May after the U.S. Treasury announced that 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.

Moreover, the dollar is also being weighed down by reduced expectations of further Federal Reserve tightening though the FED policymakers’ inflation concerns increased at the July meeting, according to the FED minutes.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 95.57, then rose to 95.56, higher by 17 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, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.82, lower 0.01%.

The U.S. Treasury has said that it will at least double how much it buys back in longer-term government bonds, from $2 billion to $4 billion per operation, starting September 9.

"Lower long-term yields and concerns around fiscal support can reduce the appeal of dollar assets," CR Forex Advisors MD, Amit Pabari said.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.32% at $91.91 per barrel in futures trade.

"Oil continues to trade above $90 with a nervous edge, keeping pressure on India's import bill. So while a weaker dollar offers some relief to the rupee, elevated oil prices remain a major counterweight," Mr. Pabari said.

According to Mr. Pabari, the immediate support for the rupee is near 95.30–95.50. As long as this holds, USD/INR is expected to gradually move towards 96.20–96.50, he said.

"The weaker dollar may create short-term pauses, but oil and sentiment remain fragile. Dips are therefore likely to be shallow and short-lived rather than a genuine trend reversal," he said.