Rupee gains 9 paise at 46.31/$ in early trade

The rupee appreciated against the dollar by 9 paise to 46.31 in early trade today, tracking other firming Asian currencies.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the rupee appreciated by 9 paise to 46.31 a dollar. The rupee had ended lower by 8 paise at 46.40/41 in the previous session.

Forex dealers said firming Asian currencies against the US dollar and fresh inflow of overseas funds into domestic stock markets mainly influenced the trading sentiment.

The BSE benchmark Sensex was up 74.05 points, or 0.45 per cent to 16,328.25 in the opening trade today.