Sensex closes 46 points high; HUL, Dr Reddy’s up

Mumbai  :  A benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed 46 points higher, extending the rally for the third consecutive day. Oil and gas, PSU and health care stocks were the best performers.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 18,841.49 points, closed at 18,869.69 points, 45.78 points or 0.24 percent up from its previous day’s close at 18,823.91 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 18,905.62 points and a low of 18,816.57 points in intra-day trade. The BSE midcap index was up 38.51 points and the smallcap index edged 68.65 points higher.

The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also closed 0.22 percent higher at 5,731.25.

On the sectoral front, the BSE oil and gas index was up 85.10 points, followed by PSU index, up 46.85 points, and health care index, up 41.28 points.

Major Sensex gainers were Hindustan Unilever, up 2.37 percent at Rs.555.50; Dr Reddy’s Lab, up 2.21 percent at Rs.1,681.75; Coal India, up 1.98 percent at Rs.364.95; Hindalco Inds, up 1.55 percent at Rs.124.60; and TCS, up 1.46 percent at Rs.1,321.65.

The main losers were Jindal Steel, down 4.58 percent at Rs.415.80; Hero MotoCorp, down 1.66 percent at Rs.1,850; Bajaj Auto, down 1.56 percent at Rs.1,783.90; Infosys, down 1.17 percent at Rs.2,578.55; and ITC, down 1.15 percent at Rs.270.30.

Among other Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei closed 0.45 percent down while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended trading 0.23 percent higher. Shanghai’s composite index also closed 1.45 percent up.

At closing bell here, European markets were trading mixed. France’s CAC was down 0.09 percent while Germany’s DAX was up 0.20 percent. Britain’s FTSE 100 was trading 0.11 percent higher.

Photo  : AFP