The Indian rupee lost momentum in opening trades on Wednesday as international oil prices and dollar firmed up following renewed tensions between US and Iran. Reported US air strikes on Iran drove oil prices higher, fueling inflation concerns and reinforcing expectations of interest rate hikes that kept dollar index upbeat. Meanwhile, investors also wait for the minutes of the Federal Reserve's June meeting for additional insight into the policy outlook. INR opened at Rs 95.15 per dollar and hit a low of 95.19 so far during the day. Local equities are also seen in negative tracking global peers on concerns that the AI-fueled rally in chipmakers may be losing momentum. The Nifty 50 has fallen below 24,250 while the BSE Sensex has tumbled over 550 points, trading around the 77,600'77,800 range. Yesterday, rupee appreciated 48 paise to close at 94.95 against the US dollar, on improved global risk sentiments as higher traffic flows through the Strait of Hormuz reduced supply uncertainties. Market sentiment was also buoyed after Saudi Arabia slashed August crude oil prices for Asia by USD 11 per barrel.
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