Rupee down by 6 paise against US dollar in early trade

The Indian rupee fell by 6 paise to Rs45.01 per US dollar in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange today, weighed down by a weak opening on the stock market.

The Indian rupee had shot up by 32 paise to end near a two-month high at 44.95/96 per US dollar in the previous session on Tuesday, supported by a sharp spurt in stocks amid sustained selling of the American currency by exporters and banks.

The forex market was closed yesterday on account of the Hindu festival of Mahashivratri.

Forex dealers said a lower opening in the stock market mainly put pressure on the rupee.

Meanwhile, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex fell by 147.66 points, or 0.80%, to 18,298.84 in opening trade today.