The rupee appreciated by 32 paise to 69.70 against the US dollar in opening trade Tuesday, amid easing crude prices and weakening of the greenback vis-a-vis some currencies overseas.

The rupee opened strong at 69.83 at the interbank forex market, then gained further ground to touch 69.70 per dollar, displaying gains of 32 paise against the greenback over its previous close.

The benchmark BSE Sensex opened on a cautious note and was trading at 38,927.35, down 139.98 points or 0.36 per cent; while the NSE Nifty was trading 11,701.05, down 53.60 points or 0.46 per cent.