Sensex climbs 174 points; Nifty closes at 15,799

Key indices ended with small gains on Friday, June 11, 2021, amid positive global cues. The S&P BSE Sensex today hit an all-time 52,641.53, while the broader Nifty 50 index claimed 15,835.55-mark in the morning deals.

The S&P BSE Sensex rose 174.29 points or 0.33 per cent to end at 52,474.76. The Nifty 50 index gained 61.60 points or 0.39 per cent to close at 15,799.45. However, the Nifty Bank index fell 83.80 points or 0.24 per cent and settled lower at 35,047.40.

In the broader markets, the BSE MidCap index closed 0.14 per cent up while the BSE SmallCap index ended 0.40 per cent higher. In the intraday trade, these two indices also touched new peaks of 23,045.01 and 25,248.88 levels, respectively.

Buyers outpaced sellers. On the BSE, 1,782 shares rose and 1,400 shares fell. On the Nifty 50 index, 23 shares advanced and 27 shares declined. The top five gainers on Nifty 50 were Tata Steel (up 4.37 per cent), JSW Steel (up 3.78 per cent), Coal India (up 3.67 per cent), Dr Reddy's (up 3.17 per cent) and Hindalco (up 2.08 per cent). The top five losers were Axis Bank (down 0.91 per cent), Divi's Laboratory (down 0.86 per cent), IndusInd Bank (down 0.85 per cent), Larsen & Turbo (down 0.8 per cent) and Bajaj Finserv (down 0.78 per cent).

COVID-19 Update

Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide were at 17,48,73,997 with 37,73,547 deaths. India reported 11,21,671 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 3,63,079 deaths while 2,77,90,073 patients have been discharged, data showed.

Unemployment Benefits in the US

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the sixth straight week as the US economy reopens rapidly after being held back for months by the Coronavirus pandemic. Jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 376,000 from 385,000 the week before, the Labour Department reported on Thursday.

Prices paid by US consumers rose in May by more than forecast, extending a months-long build-up in inflation that risks becoming more established as the economy strengthen. The consumer price index climbed 0.6 per cent, the second-largest advance in more than a decade. Though distorted by the pandemic, CPI jumped 5 per cent from a year ago, the largest annual gain since August 2008, according to Labour Department data on Thursday.

The gains were in large part driven by the pricing snapback in categories associated with a broader reopening of the economy. The CPI report showed steady growth in the costs of used vehicles, household furnishings, airfares and apparel. The increase in previously owned cars and trucks accounted for about one-third of the total monthly advance in the CPI, the Labour Department said.