<p class="bodytext">The rupee depreciated 16 paise to 73.95 against the US dollar in opening trade on Tuesday tracking muted domestic equities and weakened risk appetite amid concerns about a new virus strain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Traders said the rupee is trading on a weak note against the US dollar as the greenback rebounded amid safe-haven appeal for the currency.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At the interbank forex market, the domestic unit opened at 73.95 against the US dollar, registering a fall of 16 paise over its previous close.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Monday, the rupee plunged 23 paise to end at a two-week low of 73.79 against the US dollar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.26 per cent to 90.27.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The risk sentiment was jolted by the news of a new strain of virus emerging in the UK and consequently about 40 countries imposing bans on flights arriving from the UK," said Abhishek Goenka, Founder and CEO, IFA Global.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The variant, which officials say is up to 70 per cent more transmissible than the original, triggered concerns about a wider spread which has prompted several European countries to take measures to prevent people arriving from Britain, including bans on flights and trains, Reliance Securities said in a research note.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Further, Asian currencies were weak this morning and could weigh on sentiments, the note added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex was trading 6.65 points lower at 45,547.31 and the broader NSE Nifty fell 2.10 points to 13,326.30.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Foreign institutional investors were net sellers in the capital market as they offloaded shares worth Rs 323.55 crore on a net basis on Monday, according to provisional exchange data.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.51 per cent to USD 50.56 per barrel.</p>
<p class="bodytext">The rupee depreciated 16 paise to 73.95 against the US dollar in opening trade on Tuesday tracking muted domestic equities and weakened risk appetite amid concerns about a new virus strain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Traders said the rupee is trading on a weak note against the US dollar as the greenback rebounded amid safe-haven appeal for the currency.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At the interbank forex market, the domestic unit opened at 73.95 against the US dollar, registering a fall of 16 paise over its previous close.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On Monday, the rupee plunged 23 paise to end at a two-week low of 73.79 against the US dollar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.26 per cent to 90.27.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The risk sentiment was jolted by the news of a new strain of virus emerging in the UK and consequently about 40 countries imposing bans on flights arriving from the UK," said Abhishek Goenka, Founder and CEO, IFA Global.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The variant, which officials say is up to 70 per cent more transmissible than the original, triggered concerns about a wider spread which has prompted several European countries to take measures to prevent people arriving from Britain, including bans on flights and trains, Reliance Securities said in a research note.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Further, Asian currencies were weak this morning and could weigh on sentiments, the note added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex was trading 6.65 points lower at 45,547.31 and the broader NSE Nifty fell 2.10 points to 13,326.30.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Foreign institutional investors were net sellers in the capital market as they offloaded shares worth Rs 323.55 crore on a net basis on Monday, according to provisional exchange data.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.51 per cent to USD 50.56 per barrel.</p>