The Indian rupee appreciated 15 paise to 95.28 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday on improved market sentiment after reports that Saudi Arabia has slashed August crude oil prices for Asia amid easing of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Lower Middle East risk premium and higher traffic from the Strait of Hormuz kept the oil prices lower. At the interbank foreign exchange market the rupee opened at 95.33 and later touched 95.28 against the American currency, registering a gain of 15 paise from its previous close. Yesterday, rupee depreciated 20 paise to close at 95.43 against the US dollar, as a strengthening greenback weighed on emerging market currencies. Meanwhile, local markets are extending gains amid strong quarterly updates from banking heavyweights like HDFC Bank, favorable monsoon progress, and steady foreign institutional buying. The BSE Sensex was trading at 78,374.76, up by 89.69 points (0.11%), while the NSE Nifty 50 was up 38.90 points (0.16%) at 24,469.25. Powered by Capital Market - Live News |