By IANS,
Mumbai : A benchmark index for Indian equities closed 230 points higher Thursday, buoyed by an upswing in major Asian markets and gains in some heavyweight stocks.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 15,928.28 points, shut shop at 16,152.59 points, up 230.42 points or 1.45 percent over its previous close.
The Sensex ended trade in the green for the first time in five trading sessions.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty ended at 4,826.85 points, against the previous close at 4,757.2 points, a gain of 1.46 percent or 69.65 points.
Broader market indices were also in the green, with the BSE midcap index up 0.78 percent and the BSE small cap index ending 0.82 percent higher. Auto, energy and realty stocks gained the most.
The market breadth was positive, with as many as 1,617 stocks advancing, compared to 1,194 on the decline and 95 remaining unchanged.
Of the 30 scrips on the Sensex, 28 were in the green. Among top gainers were Hero Honda, up 4.13 percent at Rs.1,690.20, Jaiprakash Associates, up 3.51 percent at Rs.132.70, ICICI Bank, up 3.22 percent at Rs.826.30, and M&M, up 3.17 percent at Rs.987.25.
Two prominent losers were Tata Power, down 0.78 percent at Rs.1,265, and Bharti Airtel, down 0.29 percent at Rs.314.40.
According to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors were net sellers Thursday, having sold scrips worth $5.07 million.
Among other Asian markets, the benchmark Japanese index, Nikkei, closed 0.31 percent higher at 9,963.99 points, while the Hang Seng of Hong Kong Stock Exchange shut shop 1.85 percent higher at 20,290.69 points.
The Chinese Shanghai Composite Index, too, closed in the positive territory, at 2,985.5 points, up 0.1 percent, while the South Korean Kospi ended 1.76 percent higher at 1,597.81 points.
European markets, however, were sluggish at the time of closing bell here.
The FTSE 100, the benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling 0.46 percent higher at 5,155.71 points, while its German peer DAX was trading at 5,513.68 points, down 0.41 percent.
The French CAC 40 index was down 0.13 percent at 3,630.78 points.