Rupee spurts 57 paise to scale new 7-mth peak on strong fund flows
The Indian rupee Monday surged by 57 paise to close at an over seven-month high of 68.53 against the US dollar, also marking a sixth straight session of gains, driven by sustained foreign fund inflows and narrowing trade deficit.
Besides, weakness in the greenback against major global currencies and a heavy buying in domestic equities aided the forex market sentiment domestically.
The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.20 per cent to 96.40.
At the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the rupee opened at 68.92 and advanced to a high of 68.45 during the day. It finally settled at 68.53, a rise of 57 paise against the dollar over its previous close. This was the highest closing level for the rupee since August 1, 2018 -- when it ended at 68.43.
On Friday, the domestic currency had closed at 69.10 against the US dollar.
In the last six trading sessions, the rupee has appreciated by 161 paise.
"Indian rupee continues advancing for the ...