Rupee ends firm

The rupee closed steady against the dollar in the interbank foreign exchange market on Friday, dealers said.

The rupee finished unchanged at 138.89/dollar. Dealers said the currency traded in a range-bound manner due to routine dollar demand from importers and the corporate sector.

“We expect the rupee to trade at 138-139 next week,” an analyst said. The rupee closed at 140 against the dollar, compared with 140.10/dollar on the previous business day.