Flight to safety, rising oil put rupee's recovery to the test

The rupee's recovery faces headwinds from safe-haven flows and oil near $115, with traders expecting it to open around 94.84-94.88 per dollar.
The Indian rupee was expected to open at 94.84-94.88 per dollar on Friday, its recent recovery facing headwinds from a flight to safety and rising oil prices that threaten to spur increased hedging by importers.
Brent crude rose to just shy of $115 a barrel on concerns about further supply disruptions after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, while safe-haven US Treasuries and the Japanese yen rallied and US equities sold off.
Bankers were surprised by the speed of the rupee's reversal after it climbed to a six-week high near 94.30 in the previous session, adding another layer of uncertainty for the currency.



