Rupee appreciates 6 paise to 73.02 against US dollar in early trade

The Indian rupee appreciated 6 paise to 73.02 against the US dollar in opening trade on Thursday, tracking a positive trend in domestic equities and sustained foreign fund inflows.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 73.04 against the dollar, then surged higher to 73.02, up 6 paise over its previous close.

In initial deals, the local unit also touched a low of 73.10 against the American currency.

On Wednesday, the rupee had settled at 73.08 against the US dollar.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was up 0.08 per cent at 92.52.

Foreign institutional investors were net buyers in the capital market on Wednesday as they purchased shares worth Rs 666.66 crore, as per exchange data.

On the domestic equity market front, BSE Sensex was trading 143.94 points or 0.25 per cent higher at 57,482.15, while the broader NSE Nifty advanced 40.30 points or 0.24 per cent to 17,116.55.

Meanwhile, global oil benchmark Brent crude futures fell 0.27 per cent to USD 71.40 per barrel.