Sensex ends 142 points higher; pharma, metal stocks rally amid buying by foreign, domestic institutional investors

Mumbai: Extending gains for the second session, the BSE Sensex rose 142 points on Thursday led by pharma, metal, auto and banking stocks amid buying by foreign and domestic institutional investors.

The 30-share Sensex settled 142.09 points, or 0.40 percent higher at 35,898.35. The broader NSE Nifty gained 54.40 points, or 0.51 percent, to 10,789.85.

Tata Motors was the biggest gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying 2.94 percent. It was followed by Vedanta, Bajaj Finance, Sun Pharma, ONGC, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Auto, Tata Steel, RIL, HDFC duo, L&T and SBI, rising up to 2.78 percent.

On the other hand, Yes Bank, Coal India, Infosys, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Bank, Axis Bank, ITC and TCS slipped up to 1.33 percent.

Sectorally, the BSE metal index, consumer durables, health care, finance and bankex rose up to 1.14 percent; while IT and teck indices ended with losses.

Broader indices outperformed the benchmark. The BSE Midcap index climbed 0.88 percent while the small-cap gauge rose 1.07 percent.

According to traders, state-owned banks rose after the finance ministry on Wednesday announced infusion of Rs 48,239 crore in 12 public sector banks (PSBs) in this fiscal to help them maintain regulatory capital requirements and finance growth plans.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs), who had been heavy sellers over the past few sessions, net bought equities worth Rs 713.47 crore on Wednesday, while domestic institutional investors bought equities worth Rs 113.27 crore, provisional data showed.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.41 percent and Japan’s Nikkei ended 0.15 percent higher; while Shanghai Composite Index shed 0.34 percent and Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.04 percent.

In the Eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX was up 0.28 percent, Paris CAC 40 fell 0.06 percent, and London’s FTSE was down 0.63 percent in early deals.

The benchmark Brent crude futures fell 0.12 percent to $67 per barrel.

Meanwhile, the rupee depreciated marginally to 71.14 against the US dollar intra-day.