The rupee is likely to open solider on Monday as optimism from the recent aid deal for Greece, strong growth pointers from Germany and a fluidity injection expected from the European Central Bank help progress global risk appetite.

* Traders said the rupee should open around 48.75 to the dollar and move between 48.65 and 49.10. It closed at 48.9450/9550 on Friday, strengthening 0.6 percent last week, its second straight week of gain.

* The European Central Bank will this week offer, for the second time, an unlimited volume of cheap three-year loans to European banks.

* However, the MSCI index of Asian stocks ex-Japan was down 0.41 percent at 0221 GMT and the Nifty India stock futures index in Singapore was 0.29 percent lower.

Domestic Equity Outlook – NIFTY closes the week

with loss of 2.5%

Indices took breather last week after advancing for seven straight weeks

in row adding about 20.1% to index. Last week NIFTY started on a

strong note however rally soon fizzled out as NIFTY met with strong

technical hurdle around 5,655 mark. By end of the week, NIFTY closed

with a loss of 2.5% at 5,426 mark while BSE Sensex closed the week

with loss of about 2% at 17,921 mark. None of the sectoral indices closed