RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Pakistan's rupee sustained losses against the US dollar in the inter-bank market, depreciating 0.4% on Monday.

As per the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee closed at 219.86 after declining by Re0.88 against the greenback. It had closed at 218.98 on Friday.

The rupee had remained largely stable during the previous week, gaining 0.8% against the US dollar as the market factored in the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

Analysts expect the rupee to come under some pressure as Pakistan moves to import a higher amount of essential commodities in the wake of floods in the country. However, many also believe that the demand could be suppressed, keeping the current account balance in check.

Despite government measures, Pakistan’s trade deficit widened by 28.89% on a month-on-month basis to $3.53 billion in August 2022 when compared to $2.739 billion in July 2022.

Globally, the dollar hit a 20-year high against a basket of peers on Monday, with sterling and the euro the biggest losers as Russia's halt on gas supply down its main pipeline to Europe has sparked concerns over energy prices and growth.

The US dollar index hit a new two-decade high, surging to 110.08.

Meanwhile, oil prices, a key determinant of currency parity, rose more than $2 a barrel on Monday, extending gains as investors eyed possible moves by OPEC+ producers to cut output and support prices at a meeting later in the day.

Open-market movement

In the open market, the PKR lost 7 rupees for both buying and selling against USD, closing at 230 and 232, respectively.

Against Euro, the PKR lost 8 rupees for both buying and selling, closing at 228 and 230 respectively.

Against UAE Dirham, the PKR lost 3 rupees for both buying and selling, closing at 64 and 64.50, respectively.

Against Saudi Riyal, the PKR lost 2.30 rupees for both buying and selling, closing at 61.30 and 61.80, respectively.

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Open Bid Rs 230.00

Open Offer Rs 232.00

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Interbank Closing Rates: Interbank Closing Rates For Dollar on Monday

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Open Bid Rs 219.90

Open Offer Rs 220.90

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RUPEE IN LAHORE: The Pak rupee significantly declined its worth versus major currencies including the greenback and the British pound in the local currency market on Monday.

According to the local currency dealers, the short supply phenomenon of the greenback continued to prevail throughout the trading session which helped its appreciation for buying and selling at Rs 228.00 and Rs 230.00 against the previous close of Rs 223.00 and Rs 225.00, respectively.

Similarly, the local currency also followed suit in relation to the pound sterling that was bought and sold at Rs 263.00 and Rs 265.00 against Friday’s close of Rs 257.00 and Rs 259.00, respectively, they added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022