At the interbank forex market, the local unit opened strong at 79.32 against the greenback and witnessed an intra-day high of 79.26 and a low of 79.48.It finally ended at 79.45 against the American currency, registering a rise of 29 paise over its previous close of 79.74.The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.06 per cent to 79.74.
The 30-share pack settled 417.92 points higher at 60,260.13. Its broader peer, Nifty50, advanced 119 points and managed to top the 17,900 mark. This was the seventh consecutive day of gains for the index.