By IANS,
Mumbai : Late buying helped a benchmark index for the Indian equities markets to rise for the third consecutive session, closing Thursday trade 100 points higher amid volatility. Broader markets too nudged up amid mixed global cues.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE, which opened at 17,118.08 points, closed at 17,165.54 points, up 100.54 points or 0.59 percent from its previous close at 17,065 points.
In a volatile trading day, the Sensex slipped to an intra-day low of 16,987.37 points and touched a high of 17,209.66 points.
The 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange too followed a similar trajectory to end at 5,153.25 points, up 0.56 percent.
Broader markets too closed with moderate gains. The BSE midcap index was ended 0.32 percent, while the BSE small cap index moved up 0.75 percent.
IT, capital goods, telecom and consumer durable stocks were among the major gainers, while FMCG scrips fell.
According to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), foreign institutional investors bought stocks worth $81.3 million Thursday.
Major gainers on the Sensex included: RIL, up 2.62 percent at Rs.853.50; Tata Motors, up 2.59 percent at Rs.788.95; ICICI Bank, up 2.51 percent at Rs.919.30; and Infosys, up 2.07 percent at Rs.2,338.65.
Among losers were Jindal Steel, down 1.57 percent at Rs.553.50; Coal India, down 1.35 percent at Rs.385.95; Tata Steel, down 1.05 percent at Rs.492.70; and Bharti Airtel, down 0.96 percent at Rs.398.05.
The recent rally at Asian markets seemed to fizzle out Thursday.
Japan’s Nikkei closed 0.34 percent up at 8,793.12 points, while China’s Shanghai Composite index closed 0.68 percent down at 2,498.94 points.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index closed 0.67 percent lower at 19,912.82 points.
European stocks, which opened weak, rose into the green ahead of key speeches by US President Barack Obama and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke on economy reviving measures and announcements from the US and interest rate decisions by the Bank of England and European central bank.
Britain’s FTSE 100 was trading 0.61 percent up at 5,351.21 points, while the German DAX was ruling 0.72 percent higher at 5,444.40.
The French CAC 40 was also up 0.69 percent at Rs.3,094.31 points.