Mumbai, Sep 2 (IANS) A benchmark index for Indian equities markets Friday closed 144 points higher Friday, its third straight rise as traders bought into heavyweight stocks including Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank.
Indian markets were closed Wednesday and Thursday on account of holidays for the Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi and were also catching up on the lost action seen in global bourses on these two days.
The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 16,963.67 points, closed at 16,821.46 points — up 144.71 points or 0.87 percent from its previous close at 16,676.75 points.
The Sensex had risen to almost touch the 17,000-mark in opening trade, before slipping.
The 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also ended higher, 0.78 percent up at 5,040 points.
Compared to last Friday’s close, the Sensex rose 6.14 percent in three days of trading this week, while the Nifty gained 6.15 percent.
Broader markets, too, saw some gains. The BSE midcap index closed 0.81 percent higher, while the BSE 100 rose 0.82 percent.
According to the sectoral indices on the BSE, metal, consumer durables, energy and auto stocks were among major gainers.
At the BSE, the market breadth was positive with 1,660 stocks advancing, 1,157 scrips declining and 121 remaining unchanged.
Foreign institutional investors were net buyers having picked up stocks worth $147.36 million Friday, according to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
Prominent gainers, according to their weights on the 30-scrip Sensex, were RIL, up 3.06 percent at Rs.805.40; ITC, up 1.6 percent at Rs.203.20; ICICI Bank, up 1.6 percent at Rs.887.20; and Bharti Airtel, up 1.1 percent at Rs.408.65.
Among losers on the Sensex were TCS, down 1.82 percent at Rs.1,021.65; Infosy, down 1.16 percent at Rs.2,315.55; BHEL, down 1.74 percent at Rs.1,737; and Maruti Suzuki, down 1.03 percent at Rs.1,081.05.
Other Asian markets closed lower as traders booked profits, making most of the recent rally.
The benchmark Japanese Nikkei closed 1.21 percent down at 8,950.74 points, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended 1.81 percent lower at 20,212.91 points.
Chinese stocks were also in the red. The Chinese Shanghai Composite index shed 1.09 percent to end at 2,528.28 points.
European markets too were ruling lower, hit by profit booking.
The German DAX was ruling 2.84 percent lower at 5,567.71 points, while the French CAC 40 was trading 2.41 percent down at 3,187.12 points.
In Britain, the FTSE 100 was trading 1.68 percent down at 5,327.4 points.
