Late rally pushes Sensex above 17,000-point mark
Mumbai: A late rally by banking and energy stocks Friday helped a benchmark index close above the 17,000-point mark, up 1.41 percent, after languishing in the negative terrain for most of the day.
The sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) -- which opened at 16,772.75 points against Thursday's close at 16,785.65 points -- shut shop at 17,021.85 points, closing 236.2 points or 1.41 percent higher. The chart showing the 52 week performance of Sensex is on the left.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was ruling at 5,052.45 points, against the previous close at 4,989 points, a gain of 1.27 percent.
Broader market indices also ended in the green with the BSE midcap index up 1.08 percent and the BSE smallcap index closing 0.43 percent higher.
The market breadth was positive, with 1,452 stocks advancing, 1,240 declining and 98 remaining unchanged.
Out of the 30 Sensex stocks, 26 managed to end in the green. Prominent among them were ACC, up 4.55 percent at 
766.45; Hindalco, up 3.47 percent at 134.35; Jaiprakash Associates, up 2.73 percent at 232.90; and Tata Steel, up 2.66 percent at 551.60.
The four losers were Bharti Airtel, down 1.4 percent at 288.75; Reliance Infrastructure, down 0.62 percent at 1,098.40; Maruti Suzuki, down 0.26 percent at 1,542.45; and BHEL, down 0.06 percent at 2,261.55.
Among other prominent Asian markets, the Nikkei, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, shut shop at 9,479.68 points, down 0.54 percent or 51.79 points.
The Hang Seng, a benchmark index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange closed at 22,443.22 points, 0.83 percent or 187.32 points lower.
The Kospi, benchmark index of the Korean Stock Exchange, ended at 1,620.6 points, almost unchanged from Thursday.
In China, the Shanghai composite index also closed in the red at 3,308.35 points, down 0.37 percent.
Major European markets were trading flat.
Britain's FTSE 100 index was ruling at 5,266.76 points, down 0.02 percent, while its French peer, CAC 40, was trading 0.14 percent lower at 3,755.13 points.
The German index, DAX, was trading at 5,699.12 points, 0.05 percent down from its last closing figure.
Source: IANS
766.45; Hindalco, up 3.47 percent at 134.35; Jaiprakash Associates, up 2.73 percent at 232.90; and Tata Steel, up 2.66 percent at 551.60.
The four losers were Bharti Airtel, down 1.4 percent at 288.75; Reliance Infrastructure, down 0.62 percent at 1,098.40; Maruti Suzuki, down 0.26 percent at 1,542.45; and BHEL, down 0.06 percent at 2,261.55.
Among other prominent Asian markets, the Nikkei, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, shut shop at 9,479.68 points, down 0.54 percent or 51.79 points.
The Hang Seng, a benchmark index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange closed at 22,443.22 points, 0.83 percent or 187.32 points lower.
The Kospi, benchmark index of the Korean Stock Exchange, ended at 1,620.6 points, almost unchanged from Thursday.
In China, the Shanghai composite index also closed in the red at 3,308.35 points, down 0.37 percent.
Major European markets were trading flat.
Britain's FTSE 100 index was ruling at 5,266.76 points, down 0.02 percent, while its French peer, CAC 40, was trading 0.14 percent lower at 3,755.13 points.
The German index, DAX, was trading at 5,699.12 points, 0.05 percent down from its last closing figure.