Positive economic data sends Sensex up by 111 points in early trade

Mumbai: The benchmark BSE Sensex extended gains for the second straight day by adding nearly 111 points in early trade today on sustained capital inflows after the country reported positive economic data yesterday. The 30-share barometer rose 110.69 points, or 0.43 percent, to 25,686.90 with stocks of realty, capital goods, power, PSU, metal and oil & gas sectors leading the gains. The index had jumped 102.32 points in the previous session. [caption id=“attachment_1544489” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational Image. Agency[/caption] Similarly, the National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 8.30 points, or 0.11 percent, to 7,658.20. Brokers said buying activity gathered momentum as the factory output growth rebounded to 13-month high of 3.4 per cent in April and retail inflation eased to 8.23 percent in May on account of falling prices of essential food items. They said, however, a weak trend on other Asian bourses on concerns about the growing crisis in Iraq and overnight losses in the US markets, capped the gains.  Among other Asian markets, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell by 0.32 per cent while Japan’s Nikkei shed 0.87 percent in early trade today. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.65 percent lower in yesterday’s trade. PTI