The rupee rose by 18 paise to end at 73.37 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, supported by positive domestic equities amid improving risk appetite.

At the interbank forex market, the local unit opened at 73.32 against the greenback and witnessed an intra-day high of 73.31 and a low of 73.48.

It finally ended at 73.37 against the American currency, registering a rise of 18 paise over its previous closing. On Monday, the rupee had settled at 73.55 against the American currency.

The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, advanced 0.28 per cent to 91.29.

Meanwhile, Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.05 per cent to USD 63.66 per barrel.

On the domestic equity market front, the BSE Sensex ended 447.05 points or 0.90 per cent higher at 50,296.89, while the broader NSE Nifty advanced 157.55 points or 1.07 per cent to 14,919.10.

Foreign institutional investors were net buyers in the capital market as they purchased shares worth Rs 125.15 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.