By IANS,
Mumbai : Indian equities markets were holding on to slender gains Thursday, with a key index 0.49 percent in the green, about half an hour before noon.
At this time, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) sensitive index (Sensex), which opened at 10,876.15 points, was at 10,794.91 points, 0.49 percent or 52.57 points higher than its previous close Wednesday.
Similarly, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) was at 3,351.05 points, 0.24 percent up from its last close at 3,342.95 points.
Broader market indices like the BSE midcap and BSE smallcap were doing better, with the BSE midcap index trading 1.74 percent higher, and the BSE smallcap index up 1.8 percent.
Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, the indices for realty, metal and capital goods stocks gained the most.
Among the gainers on the Sensex were Tata Motors, up 4.12 percent at Rs.231.45; Larsen and Toubro, up 3.53 percent at Rs.835.05; Sterlite, up 3.14 percent at Rs.395.80; and Jaiprakash Associates, up 2.78 percent at Rs.109.
The losers included Hindustan Unilever, down 2.01 percent at Rs.235.95; ONGC, down 1.97 percent at Rs.889; ITC, down 1.21 percent at Rs.187.50; and Mahindra and Mahindra, down 1 percent at Rs.444.80.
Other Asian markets were also ruling in the green Thursday, with a key Japanese index – the Nikkei of the Tokyo Stock Exchange – 303.16 points higher at 8,898.17 points a little before close.
The Hang Seng, a key index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, was ruling at 14,808.78 points, 2.31 percent higher than its last close.
In the US, stocks rose on Wall Street Wednesday as investors bought consumer stocks and industry data indicated that consumption was on the verge of a rise with a drop in wholesale inventories.
The blue-chip Dow industrials rose 47.55 points or 0.61 percent to 7,837.11 points, while the broader Standard and Poor’s 500 index gained 9.61 points, or 1.18 percent to 825.16 points.
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index was up 29.05 points or 1.86 percent to close at 1,590.66.