Rupee slips 30 paise, closes below 74 level for the first time

NEW DELHI: The rupee hit yet another record low on Monday as it closed at an all-time low of 74.07 against dollar by falling 30 paise, following unabated foreign fund outflows.

The local currency opened the day at lower at 73.96 against Friday's closing level of 73.77.

Foreign investors have pulled out around Rs 9,000 crore from the domestic capital market in October so far.

The latest withdrawal comes following a net outflow of over Rs 21,000 crore from the capital markets (both equity and debt) last month. Prior to that, they had put in a net amount of Rs 7,400 crore in July-August.

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty ended positive in a highly volatile session. Value-buying in recently-battered banking, oil and gas and auto stocks reversed the three-session losing streak, helping the Sensex and Nifty to gain around 0.30 per cent each.

The Sensex swung over 660 points both ways on alternate bouts of selling and buying.

The 30-share Sensex ended 97.39 points up at 34,474.38, while the NSE Nifty index closed 31.60 points, higher at 10348.05.