New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) The rupee fell three paise to close at 88.73 (provisional) against the US dollar on Friday, weighed down by the strength of the American currency and rising crude oil prices.

Forex traders said a rebound in domestic equities following a sweeping mandate for the ruling alliance in the Bihar polls supported the rupee at lower levels.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 88.70 against the US dollar. During the day, the domestic unit witnessed an intra-day low of 88.75 against the greenback.

The rupee finally settled for the day at 88.73 (provisional), down three paise over its previous close.

On Thursday, the rupee settled eight paise lower at 88.70 against the US dollar.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.12 per cent higher at 99.27.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 1.59 per cent higher at USD 63.98 per barrel in futures trade.

On the domestic equity market front, Sensex rose 84.11 points to settle at 84,562.78, while Nifty was up 30.90 points to 25,910.05.

Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 383.68 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.

On the domestic macroeconomic front, wholesale price inflation fell to a 27-month low of (-) 1.21 per cent in October, led by a sharp deflation in food items like pulses and vegetables, and lower prices of fuel and manufactured items.

Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation was 0.13 per cent in September and 2.75 per cent in October last year, government data showed on Friday.

Meanwhile, Moody's Ratings on Thursday projected India's economy to grow at 7 per cent in 2025 and 6.5 per cent in the next year, supported by domestic and export diversification, amid a neutral-to-easy monetary policy stance.

Moody's, in its Global Macro Outlook, said India's economic growth is supported by robust infrastructure spending and solid consumption, although the private sector remains cautious about business capital spending. PTI DRR TRB

Foreign exchange market: rupee weakens as dollar strength and higher crude exert downward pressure on local currency. The rupee settled lower against the US dollar as dollar strength and higher Brent crude futures exerted downward pressure, despite modest support from a rebound in domestic equities. Foreign institutional investor selling and sensitivity to the dollar index contributed to the move. Domestic wholesale price inflation eased markedly, while an external ratings projection cited ongoing GDP growth supported by infrastructure and consumption-factors that bear on medium-term exchange rate dynamics and monetary policy stance.