Mumbai, March 29 (Inditop.com) A benchmark index for Indian equities Monday rose to levels not seen since February 2008 and then slipped a bit to rule 95 points higher than its previous close in afternoon trade.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,639.18 points, was ruling at 17,740.33 points, 95.57 points or 0.54 percent higher than its previous close.
It had earlier risen 148 points to touch 17,793.01 points, levels last seen in February 2008.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was ruling at 5,305.1 points, a gain of 0.44 percent or 23.1 points from its previous close.
Broader markets were in the positive terrain as well, with the BSE midcap and small cap index ruling 0.26 percent and 0.18 percent higher, respectively.
Consumer durables, banking, FMCG and realty stocks saw buying interest, while IT and telecom scrips came under selling pressure.
The market breadth was negative, with 1,160 stocks advancing, compared to 1,664 on the decline, while 85 remained unchanged.
Other Asian markets were a mixed bag.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed 0.88 percent higher at 21,237.43 points, while the Chinese Shanghai composite index was up 2.09 percent higher at 3,123.8 points.
However, the South Korean Kospi ended trade in the red, down 0.34 percent at 1,691.99 points, while the Japanese Nikkei shut shop on a flat note at 10,986.47 points, down 0.09 percent.
