KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened lower against the US dollar today on lack of buying interest, said a dealer.

       At 9 am, the local note stood at 4.1870/1890 against the greenback from yesterday's closing of 4.1830/1855.

       The dealer said lack of market moving catalysts, coupled with the stronger greenback due to higher US Treasury yields, dragged down the local note’s performance in the early session.

       "However, the steady benchmark Brent crude oil prices capped the ringgit’s fall," he said.

       At the time of writing, Brent crude oil rose 0.28 per cent to US$78.86 per barrel.

       The ringgit performed better against a basket of major currencies.

       The local note rose against the Singapore dollar to 3.0760/0777 compared with 3.0821/0844 at Wednesday's close and improved versus the British pound to 5.6277/6304 from 5.6579/6613 previously.

       It also appreciated vis-a-vis the euro to 4.8586/8609 from 4.8799/8828 yesterday and strengthened against the Japanese yen to 3.7417/7435 from 3.7586/7609. - Bernama