Mumbai:May 09,2016:The rupee strong by 7 paise to 66.47 against the USD in early trade today on enlarged selling of the American exchange by banks and exporters. Forex dealers said, “ besides sustained selling of the greenback by banks and exporters, a higher opening of the domestic equity market backed up the rupee at the Interbank Foreign Exchange.”

“Meanwhile, the US currency's strength alongside other currencies foreign covered the rupee's gain”, they added.

Before the market closed foe weekend, on Friday, the rupee had finished marginally higher by 1 paise at 66.54 beside the USD on mild selling of the US dollars by banks and exporters on the back of inferior greenback external.

However, the yardstick BSE Sensex rose 265.10 points, or 1.05 % , to 25,493.60 in early trade.