In early trading on Friday, the rupee slipped by 9 paise to reach 94.50 against the US dollar, driven by a robust dollar and surging crude oil prices. After a brief bounce-back, it peaked at 94.36. The domestic equity market exhibited mixed performance, with Sensex rising yet Nifty falling. Notably, Foreign Institutional Investors remained active, purchasing substantial equities, bolstering market optimism.