Rupee tumbles to new all-time low of 68.75 against dollar

The rupee plunges to a new record low of 68.75 per dollar in the late morning trade on persistent dollar demand from banks and importers due to further fall in equity market amid rise in crude oil prices. The rupee resumed lower at 66.90 per dollar as against the last closing level of 66.24 per dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market and dropped further to an all-time low of 68.75 per dollar at 1045 hrs. Persistent capital outflows by foreign funds also affected the rupee value against the dollar, a forex dealer said. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 1,373.99 crore yesterday as per the provisional data from stock exchanges. Oil prices rose in Asian trade today on concerns over possible US military action against Syria after Washington warned President Bashar al-Assad's regime that it would face action over an alleged chemical weapons attack. New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in October, was up 57 cents to USD 106.49 in mid-morning trade. Meanwhile, the benchmark Sensex tumbled by 457 pts or 2.54 per cent to 17,510.89 at 1035 hrs.   PTI