Sri Lankan rupee forwards gained slightly on Friday due to stock-related dollar inflows, dealers said, while the country's central bank in a surprise move let the spot currency rise 10 cents, after allowing it to trade up 10 cents on Wednesday. The central bank has permitted the rupee to depreciate 60 cents in three calibrated steps since April 30 through Tuesday amid downward pressure on the currency, but it reversed the trend to enable it to move up on Wednesday and Friday.
"Forwards ended a tad firmer on stock-related inflows, but the import pressure is still there," said a currency dealer asking not to be named. Actively-traded two-month forwards ended firmer at 135.35/40 per dollar compared with Thursday's close of 135.50/65. One-month forwards ended at 134.50/60 per dollar, firmer than Thursday's close of 134.70/90.