MUMBAI: The Indian rupee remained firm, moving in a narrow band in afternoon trades on Tuesday boosted by positive domestic shares and a weak dollar overseas. At 2:38 p.m., the partially convertible rupee was at 46.335/345 per dollar, stronger than 46.40/41 at close on Monday when it had risen to 46.2650, its highest since Aug. 10.
* The rupee has traded in a band of 46.2800-46.3850 so far.
* Indian shares climbed to 32-month high for the third consecutive session on Tuesday, but met with resistance as investors began locking in profits.
* Strong dollar inflows have been one of the key factors behind the rise of stocks and the rupee.
* Foreigners have bought shares worth $13.7 billion so far in 2010, in addition to last year's record $17.5 billion purchases.
* The dollar extended losses versus the yen on Tuesday, falling to a 15-year low as the market looked to test Japanese officials' resolve over the strength of its currency after a ruling party leadership vote.
* The index of the dollar against six majors was down 0.1 percent.
* India's annual headline inflation eased in August but remained well above the comfort zone of the central bank that is still widely expected to raise interest rates at its policy review on Thursday.
* One-month offshore non-deliverable forward contracts were quoted at 46.38, weaker than the onshore spot rate.
* In the currency futures market, the most traded near-month dollar-rupee contracts on the National Stock Exchange and MCX-SX were both at 46.45, with the total traded volume on the two exchanges at about $4 billion.
