Pakistan rupee registers marginal gain against US dollar

The Pakistani rupee posted marginal gain, appreciating 0.01% against the US dollar in the inter-bank market on Thursday. At close, the local currency settled at 278.06, a gain of Re0.01 against the greenback. On Wednesday , the rupee closed at 278.07 against the dollar. The US dollar held firm against most major currencies on ​Thursday. The dollar fetched 162.41 yen , hovering near the strongest level since July 1. The euro and the British pound were largely flat and traded at $1.1426 and $1.3392, respectively. The New Zealand dollar remained well bid after the previous ​day’s rate hike and the central bank’s hawkish stance, extending its gains by 0.5% to $0.5725. The Australian dollar ​added 0.1% at $0.6936. The US dollar index, which measures the currency against a basket of ⁠six peers, was little changed at 100.96. Moreover, oil prices rose more than 1% on Thursday after the US carried out fresh strikes on Iran. Brent crude futures rose 86 cents, or 1.1%, to $78.88 a barrel by 0352 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 85 cents, or 1.2%, at $74.37 a barrel. Both crude benchmarks, WTI and Brent, rose more than a dollar in post-settlement trade on Wednesday after the US military began launching fresh strikes on Iran.