By IANS,
Mumbai : A benchmark index of the Indian equities market Monday was ruling about 100 points higher in the afternoon, led by gains in metal and realty stocks.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,621.61 points, was ruling at 20,611.67 points, up 102.58 points or 0.5 percent from its previous close at 20,509.09 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was trading at 6,171.85 points, up 0.61 percent.
Broader markets were also in the positive, with the BSE midcap index ruling 1.03 percent up and the BSE smallcap index trading 1.66 percent higher.
Metal, realty and banking stocks saw good buying while IT scrips were ruling dull.
The market breadth was positive, with 2,127 stocks advancing, compared to 744 scrips on the decline, while 84 stocks were unchanged.
Among major gainers of the Sensex were Reliance Infra, Sterlite Industries, Tata Steel and Reliance Com, while prominent losers included Bajaj Auto, NTPC, Wipro and Hero Honda.
Though a few major bourses in Asia were closed on account of holiday, the ones that opened made a good start to the new trading year.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was trading 1.61 percent higher at 23,405.84 points.