INR weakens near Rs 94 per dollar mark amid resurgence in oil prices

The Indian rupee weakened for the third straight session, losing 39 paise to settle at 93.83 (provisional) against the US dollar on Wednesday as oil prices resumed surge amid uncertainty on US-Iran peace talks eroded hopes of easing West Asia conflict. Intense selling in domestic equity markets and sustained outflow of foreign capital also weighed on the Indian currency. Indian shares fell sharply on Wednesday, with stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks, somewhat hawkish comments from Federal Reserve nominee Kevin Warsh at a Senate confirmation hearing, and a disappointing set of numbers for the fourth quarter from IT major HCL Technologies weighing on sentiment. The Sensex settled 757 points or 0.95% lower at 78,516, while the Nifty 50 ended 198 points or 0.8% lower at 24,378. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 93.69 and touched an intraday low of 93.87 against the greenback during the session, nearing the 94 level and its lowest level in three weeks.