The Sri Lankan rupee ended firmer on Thursday as foreign investors sold dollars to buy local bonds on hopes of higher returns after the central bank's policy rate hike, dealers said. The spot rupee, which was last actively traded on June 13, resumed trading on Thursday. It traded at 145.60/68 per dollar, compared with Wednesday's indicative price of 145.80/90, a dealer said.
The spot rupee is usually managed tightly by the central bank, and market participants use the forward market levels for guidance on the currency. One-week rupee forwards ended at 145.80/88 per dollar, up from Wednesday's close of 146.00/15.