Mumbai, March 29 (Inditop.com) A benchmark index for Indian equities Monday closed 0.38 percent higher, closing at a level not seen in the last two years, even though buying sentiments remained slack across the market breadth.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,639.18 points, closed at 17,711.35 points, 66.59 points or 0.38 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 ended at 5,302.85 points, a gain of 0.39 percent or 20.85 points from its previous close.
Broader markets were mixed, with the BSE midcap index ending 0.25 percent higher, while the BSE small cap index came under selling pressure, closing 0.44 percent lower.
Capital goods, FMCG and banking stocks saw buying interest, while IT and telecom scrips came under selling pressure.
The market breadth was negative, with 1,028 stocks advancing, compared to 1,852 on the decline, while 78 remained unchanged.
Among the gainers on the 30-scrip Sensex were Hindalco, up 3.23 percent at Rs.183.95; M&M, up 2.69 percent at Rs.553.35; HDFC, up 2.04 percent at Rs.2,663.95; and Sterlite, up 2.01 percent at Rs.836.20.
Top losers included Infosys, down 2.23 percent at Rs.2,715.65; TCS, down 1.7 percent at Rs.811.45; Tata Motors, down 1.33 percent at Rs.739.65; and RIL, down 0.47 percent at Rs.1,093.85.
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 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.
European markets were ruling in the green at the time of closing bell here.
The FTSE 100, the benchmark index of the London Stock Exchange, was ruling at 5,710.12 points, up 0.12 percent, while its German peer, DAX, was trading 0.7 percent higher at 6,163.1 points.
The French CAC 40 index was in the green, up 0.29 percent at 4,000.54 points.
