Firm US mkts propel key indices up

Mumbai : Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended higher on Monday amid buying in blue-chip stocks Reliance Industries, Infosys and HDFC Bank along with a firm trend in the US markets. Recovering the early lost ground, the BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 445.29 points or 0.56 per cent to settle at 80,248.08. During the day, it hit a high of 80,337.82 and a low of 79,308.95. The NSE Nifty surged 144.95 points or 0.60 per cent to 24,276.05.

“Markets started the week on a positive note, rising over half a per cent despite mixed signals. The session opened weak on disappointing GDP data but saw a recovery as select heavyweight stocks across sectors gained momentum,” said Ajit Mishra, Sr V-P (research), Religare Broking Ltd.

The rupee depreciated 13 paise to close at an all-time low of 84.73 (provisional) against the US dollar.

The BSE midcap jumped 1.05 per cent and smallcap climbed 0.84 per cent. As many as 2,508 stocks advanced, while 1,550 declined and 179 remained unchanged on the BSE.

Among sectoral indices, realty surged 3.16 per cent, consumer durables climbed 2.26 per cent, commodities (1.59%), metal (1.28%), healthcare (1.21%), consumer discretionary (1.14%) and IT (1.02%). Utilities and bankex were the laggards.

From the 30-share Sensex pack, UltraTech Cement, JSW Steel, Adani Ports, Tech Mahindra, Titan, Maruti, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Steel and Reliance Industries were the biggest gainers. NTPC, Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank and Larsen & Toubro were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul settled lower while Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong ended higher. European markets were trading mostly lower. US markets ended in the positive territory on Friday. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs4,383.55 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.