Rupee trades flat 83.18 against dollar amid mixed trend in Asian currencies

The rupee opened flat against the dollar in step with mixed trade in Asian currencies. At 9.10am, the home currency traded at 83.18 a dollar, up 0.01 percent from its previous close at 83.19.

The rupee had closed lower at 83.18 on December 19 after the Reserve Bank brought it down amid rising demand for dollar from oil companies, traders said.

Asian currencies were trading mixed ahead of the US consumer confidence index. The forecast suggests that the CB Consumer Confidence Index might go up from 102.0 to 104.0. The Houthi militant attacks on ships in the Red Sea kept oil soaring to $ 79.28 per barrel.

The South Korean won and the Malaysian ringgit jumped 0.58 percent each while Philippines peso and Taiwan dollar gained 0.28 percent each on December 20. The Thai Baht and the Chinese renminbi were down 0.25 percent each, while the Japanese yen and the Singapore dollar fell 0.05 percent each.