PTI

New Delhi, Jul 6: Stocks opened higher on Monday as investors built positions ahead of the Union Budget. Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee will present budget at 11 am in Parliament which is expected to include measures to boost economic growth.

The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Monday regained 15,000-point level in opening trade on increased capital inflows from foreign funds, ahead of the Budget to be presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The 30-share index breached the 15,000-point mark, up 122.95 points, or 0.82 per cent, at 15,036 points in the first five minutes of trade, a level last seen on June 4.

The Sensex had surged by nearly 420 points in the past three sessions.

The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty moved up by 30.75 points to 4,455 points.

Stock brokers said expectations that the budget may include series of measures for the capital market and to boost country's economic growth, mainly sparked-off buying activity.

They said, covering-up of pending short positions by speculators also buoyed the sentiments.

Shares of power, realty, banking, PSUs and capital goods sectors were in good demand, attributing major support to the Sensex.

Major gainers were Reliance Industries up 0.70% to Rs 2,040, Reliance Infra by 1.49% to Rs 1,311.50, State Bank of India by 1.48% to Rs 1,837.40, and ICICI Bank by 1.05% to Rs 362 among others.