Rupee registers marginal gain against US dollar

Rupee's Performance Against US Dollar Since 04 March 2025

The Pakistani rupee registered marginal gain against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on Friday.

At close, the local currency settled at 281.02, up by Re0.01 against the US dollar, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

The local unit closed at 281.03 on Thursday.

Pakistan’s central bank is expected to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 11% on Monday (October 27), a Reuters poll showed, as analysts said flood-driven food inflation and a low base effect are likely to limit the scope for further monetary easing.

All 10 analysts surveyed expect the SBP to keep the policy rate unchanged, extending its pause as recent floods ravaged farmland and border closures with Afghanistan drove up prices of staples like tomatoes and apples.

Globally, the US dollar was steady on Friday, poised to eke out a small weekly gain against major rivals as investors braced for delayed inflation data unlikely to deter the Federal Reserve from lowering interest rates next week.

The Japanese yen was flat at 152.58 per US dollar after weakening in the previous session as data showed Japan’s core consumer prices stayed above the central bank’s 2% target, keeping alive expectations of a near-term rate hike.

Beyond central bank meetings in Japan and the US next week, investor focus is also on the looming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, leaving the currency market fairly subdued on the day.

The Trump-Xi meeting next week in South Korea has spurred some expectations of a resolution to the escalating trade war between the world’s top two economies.

Investors are watching out for the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for September due later on Friday, expecting a 0.4% increase for the headline number and a 0.3% rise in the core figure month-on-month.

While analysts do not expect the data to hinder the Fed’s path to cut rates next week by 25 basis points, it could provide cues on what the central bank might do in its December meeting.

Traders are almost fully pricing in a rate cut next week and another one at the December meeting.

Oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, edged up on Friday, extending the previous day’s surge and on track for a weekly gain as US sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies over the war in Ukraine spurred supply concerns.

Brent crude futures rose 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $66.12 by 1301 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures also advanced 6 cents, or 0.1%, to $61.85.

Inter-bank market rates for dollar on Friday

BID                            Rs 281.02

OFFER                      Rs 281.21

Open-market movement

In the open market, the PKR gained 3 paise for buying and remained unchanged for selling against USD, closing at 281.57 and 282.05, respectively.

Against Euro, the PKR lost 9 paise for buying and 35 paise for selling, closing at 326.47 and 330.07, respectively.

Against UAE Dirham, the PKR lost 1 paisa for buying and 3 paise for selling, closing at 76.80 and 77.58, respectively.

Against Saudi Riyal, the PKR lost 1 paisa for buying and remained unchanged for selling, closing at 75.07 and 75.66, respectively.

Open-market rates for dollar on Friday

BID                            Rs 281.57

OFFER                      Rs 282.05