Mumbai: Rupee damaged by 6 paise to 66.58 against the dollar in early traffic at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market mainly due to month-end demand for the US currency from importers.

Forex dealers aforesaid, “The month-end demand from banks and importers and a lower opening of the domestic equity market mainly weighed on the rupee”

They further added, “A weakness in the US dollar against some currencies in the global market hit by weaker-than-expected durable goods orders data, however, limited the fall”.

On Tuesday, the rupee had increased 10 paise to close at 66.52 beside the dollar on fag-end selling of the American unit by banks and exporters and a strapping bounce back by domestic equities.

However, the benchmark BSE Sensex was trading lesser by 122.06 points, or 0.46 %, at 25,885.24 in early deals.