By IANS,
Mumbai : Indian equities markets continued their rally for the second consecutive day Wednesday as the bulls pushed up a key index more than 339 points above its previous close.
The benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, closed at 15,466.81 points, 339.81 points or 2.25 percent higher than Tuesday’s close. The Sensex closed its day’s high after rising 453 points over its previous close.
Like the Sensex, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) too closed in the green, gaining 2.29 percent to close at 4,655.25 points.
The broader market indices did not do as well, with the BSE midcap index ruling 1.59 percent higher, and the BSE smallcap index up only 0.34 percent.
Of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE, only that for realty stocks ended in the red, while power, capital goods and consumer durables scrips found favour among buyers.
Top gainers on the Sensex were Tata Power, up 6.43 percent at Rs.1,213.65; Reliance Infra, up 5.99 percent at Rs.1,218.10; HDFC, up 5.56 percent at Rs.1,494.20 and Ranbaxy, up 5.44 percent at Rs.298.55.
Of the losers, Tata Motors was down 1.95 percent at Rs.361.30; DLF fell 1.71 percent at Rs.395.80; Sun Pharma, down 0.83 percent at Rs.1,324.80, and SBI, down 0.37 percent at Rs.1,756.75.
Other than frontline stocks, the top gainers in the broader market included LITL, LIC Housing, India Cements, Videocon Industries, Educomp, IVRCL Infra, Bharat Forge and Sintex Industries.
Among the big losers were HDFC, REI Agro, MMTC, Jai Corp, Aban Offshore, JP Hydro and Godrej Industries.
Profit booking in lesser scrips tilted the balance of advances to declines. Of the total stocks traded, 1,218 advanced, 1,553 declining and 60 remaining unchanged.
Among other Asian markets, a key index of Tokyo markets, the Nikkei, shut shop in the green gaining 204.67 points to end trade at 9,991.49 points.
The Hang Seng, the primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, soared 727.17 points to 18,785.66 points.
Market sentiments across Europe also were firm, with the FTSE in Britain trading 92.25 points higher at 4,497.04 points, and its French peer CAC 40 ruling 72.9 points up at 3,269.63 points.