Markets hit a new high
Mumbai — Indian shares rose by 0.95 percent Friday to surge to an all time record high buoyed by market heavyweights to move past the 14,400 mark for the first time.
The 30-share benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex was up 1.95 percent at 14,403.77 points, a gain of 136.50 points.
The wider 50-share National Stock Exchange index Nifty too surged 1.12 percent to 4183.50, up 46.30 points at close of trade Friday.
Leading the charge at the Sensex was Bharti Airtel Ltd., Larsen & Toubro and HDFC.
The leading mobile service provider was the top Sensex gainer, up 5.39 percent at Rs.771.05, a gain of Rs.39.40 from its last closing, followed by leading engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro, up 4.79 percent at Rs.1,677.40, and HDFC up 4.26 percent at Rs. 1,743.75.
Fresh from its acquisition of the UK-based Anglo-Dutch Steel makers Corus, Tata Steel Ltd. too was among the gainers of the day.
Among the main losers were NTPC Ltd, India’s leading lender state-owned State Bank of India and leading two-wheelers maker Hero Honda Ltd.
NTPC was down 2.30 percent at Rs.142.35, followed by State Bank of India (SBI), down 1.81 percent at Rs.1,181.35, and Hero Honda Ltd, down 1.10 percent at Rs.716.10.
Sensex heavyweights like Infosys Technologies Ltd. and ICICI Bank Ltd were among those whose shares were in the red