Rupee strengthens slightly against US dollar
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani rupee posted a slight gain against the US dollar in Friday’s interbank trading, appreciating by 2.87 paisa to close at 279.17 per USD, compared to the previous close of 279.20.
During the session, the currency fluctuated within a narrow band, touching an intraday high (bid) of 279.25 and a low (ask) of 279.15.
In the open market, exchange companies quoted the dollar at 279.00 for buying and 280.25 for selling.
Against major international currencies, the rupee showed a broadly positive trend. It appreciated by 91.25 paisa (0.28%) versus the Euro to settle at 321.52, up from 322.44 a day earlier. The local unit also strengthened against the British Pound, gaining 76.41 paisa (0.21%) to close at 371.63 compared to 372.40.
Similarly, PKR advanced by 1.80 rupees (0.51%) against the Swiss franc, ending the session at 350.43. Against the Japanese Yen, it improved by 0.42 paisa (0.24%) to 1.7458 from 1.7500 in the previous session.
The rupee also made gains against regional currencies. It rose by 5.06 paisa (0.13%) versus the Chinese Yuan to close at 40.39, while inching up by 0.77 paisa (0.01%) against the Saudi Riyal to 74.41. Against the UAE Dirham, it gained 0.99 paisa (0.01%) to settle at 76.01.
On a broader scale, the rupee has strengthened by 4.59 rupees (1.64%) against the US dollar during the fiscal year, while it has appreciated by 95.03 paisa (0.34%) so far in the current calendar year.
Meanwhile, in the money market, the benchmark 6-month Karachi Interbank Bid and Offer rates edged up by 6 basis points to 11.28%. Staff Report
