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.

On the domestic market front, Sensex jumped 504.32 points to 77,416.16, while the Nifty was trading up 118.85 points to 24,198.55 in early trade.

Foreign institutional investors purchased equities worth ₹407.99 crore on a net basis on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), according to exchange data.

The rupee traded in a narrow range and depreciated 6 paise to 95.28 against the U.S. dollar in early trade on Friday (August 7, 2026), tracking a firmer dollar and a rise in U.S. treasury yields.

Forex traders said dollar demand from importers and profit-taking after the rupee’s recent appreciation appear to have outweighed the favourable global backdrop.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.27, then touched 95.28 against the American currency, registering a fall of 6 paise from its previous close.

On Thursday (August 6, 2026), the rupee depreciated 14 paise to close at 95.22 against the U.S. dollar.

“With oil back near $83, the dollar firm near 100, and U.S. yields elevated, 95.00-95.10 stands out as a solid support for the rupee, and the currency climbing back towards the 96.00-96.20 zone looks like reality. Global developments, particularly around oil prices and the dollar, are likely to remain the key drivers for the rupee in the near term, keeping the overall bias tilted towards weakness,” said CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.02% higher at 99.95. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 1.20% higher at $83.48 per barrel in futures trade.

“The rise in U.S. Treasury yields and renewed geopolitical concerns around the Strait of Hormuz are providing some support to the dollar,” said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP. On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 235.36 points to 78,699.80 in early trade, while the Nifty fell 24.30 points to 24,608.25.

Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth ₹17.86 crore on a net basis on Thursday (August 6, 2026), according to exchange data.