Mumbai, Jul 16 (PTI) The rupee depreciated for the fourth straight day, shedding 17 paise to settle at 96.42 against the US dollar, as volatile crude oil prices exacerbated the country's balance-of-payment challenges amid rising import bills.

According to forex traders, elevated dollar index following fresh tensions in West Asia also fuelled the outflow of foreign capital from domestic equity markets, weighing on the local currency.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 96.28 against the greenback and traded in a range of 96.22-96.42 during the session. It settled at 96.42, down 17 paise from its previous close.

The local unit, on Wednesday, settled 9 paise lower at 96.25 against the US dollar. In the past four sessions, the currency has lost 104 paise, or 1.5 per cent, from the closing level of 95.38 against the dollar recorded on July 10.

India's overall balance of payments recorded a deficit of USD 11 billion during the first two months of the current fiscal year, compared to a surplus of USD 5 billion in the same period last year, according to the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday.

The data, however, showed the country logging a current account surplus of USD 2.8 billion during April-May 2026, compared with a deficit of USD 4.1 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Analysts said that crude oil prices remain elevated amid back-and-forth strikes by the US and Iran across West Asia. Renewed threats to the Strait of Hormuz have shredded the interim deal to end the Iran war and could tip the region back into all-out war.

"We expect the rupee to trade with a negative bias on geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran as well as elevated crude oil prices. However, Donald Trump said Iran wants to make a deal with the US. This may lead to some improvement in global market sentiment. Any intervention by the RBI may also support the rupee at lower levels," Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst, Mirae Asset ShareKhan, said.

"Traders may take cues from retail sales and weekly unemployment claims data from the US. USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of Rs 96.10-96.60," he said.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading marginally up by 0.02 per cent at 100.50.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.39 per cent lower but stayed elevated at USD 84.62 per barrel in futures trade.

Stock markets closed on a flat note on Thursday with Sensex edging up a mere 1.44 points to 77,186.87, while the Nifty slipped 5.75 points to 24,072.75.

Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 4,205.56 crore on a net basis Thursday, according to exchange data. PTI TRB HVA