Benchmark equity indices were trading higher in today’s afternoon session, driven by strength in auto and energy sectors, following the positive performance of global counterparts.
BSE Sensex was up by 152 points or 0.21 percent to trade at 72,556 points. Broader NSE Nifty-50 was trading 73 points or 0.33 percent higher at 22,031 level when the reports last came in.
The blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 settled at 22,055.2, up 97.7 points, or 0.44 per cent while the leaner Sensex index, snapping the 3-day fall, rose 260.3 points, or 0.36 per cent, to settle at 72,664.47.
Among the Nifty companies, 38 were advancing while 12 were declining. BPCL, Power Grid, NTPC, Hero MotoCorp and Eicher Motors led the gains, while TCS, Cipla, LTIMindtree, Kotak Bank and Infosys were the top decliners.
The domestically focussed Nifty SmallCap 100 and Nifty MidCap100 were up 0.69 per cent and 0.86 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, Nifty Bank settled over 50 pts lower at 47,421.1.
Europe’s benchmark stock index hit a record high on Friday, on track for its biggest weekly gain since late January, as risk appetite was bolstered by growing bets of interest rate cuts in the region and a strong earnings season.
The pan-European STOXX 600 (.STOXX) climbed 0.8 per cent, as of 0830 GMT, with Germany’s benchmark index (.GDAXI) also touching a record high.