The Rupee opened steady on Tuesday, helped by growing expectations of a December Federal Reserve rate cut. After allowing the rupee to slice through the heavily defended 88.80 level on Friday, the RBI demonstrated on Monday that it would not tolerate much further weakness. The reassertion of the central bank's presence on Monday reminded traders that while the RBI may occasionally let the rupee decline, it remains firmly opposed to rapid depreciation. Dipti Chitale, CEO at FX advisory firm Mecklai Financial, said that after the RBI's intervention she expects the rupee to firm up in December and push back past the 89 handle. The U.S. dollar was steady on Tuesday as investors deliberated the chances of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates next month after dovish comments from policymakers while the frail yen remained on intervention watch. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said the job market is weak enough to warrant another quarter-point rate cut in December, though action beyond that depends on a flood of impending data delayed by the government shutdown. The sudden shift in rate cut wagers has weighed slightly on the dollar. The euro last bought $1.1522 after eking out small gains overnight while sterling was at $1.3103. The dollar index , a measure of the U.S. currency against major rivals, was at 100.2 in early trading. Fed officials though remain divided on the next steps with the central bank still lacking the full suite of data as government statistical agencies dig through the backlog of work from the 43-day shutdown that ended November 14. Despite the dollar's slight weakness this week, the Japanese yen has been on the defensive, trading at 156.95 per dollar in early Asian hours, not far from the 10-month low of 157.90 it touched last week. Traders have been waiting for signs of Tokyo officials stepping in to support the Japanese currency, which has weakened by 10 yen since the start of October as fiscal dove Sanae Takaichi took over as Japan's prime minister. With verbal jawboning from officials failing to stem yen weakness, market analysts believe official intervention similar to last year and in 2022 could be on the cards. Traders see intervention looming somewhere between 158 and 162 yen per dollar, but do not expect the move to be highly effective. The New Zealand dollar was little changed at $0.5607, having slid more than 2% this month ahead of an expected rate cut from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand on Wednesday. The Australian dollar was at $0.6461 in early trading. Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday after rising in the previous session as concerns supply will exceed demand next year outweighed worries Russian shipments will remain under sanctions as talks to end the Ukraine war remain inconclusive. Brent futures fell 17 cents, or 0.3%, to $63.20 a barrel as of 0158 GMT. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined 12 cents, or 0.2%, at $58.71.......