IANS

New Delhi, Jul 20: Strong global cues and bullish sentiments over improved corporate earnings helped a key index Monday gain 446 points over its last closing figure.

The 30-scrip benchmark index of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the Sensex, which opened at 14,854.17 points, gained 446.09 points or 3.03 percent to close at 15,191.01 points.

Similarly, the Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed 2.91 percent higher at 4,502.25 points.

Broader market indices also ended in the positive terrain, with the BSE midcap index closing 2.54 percent up and the BSE smallcap index ending 2.52 percent higher.

All but one of the 13 sectoral indices on the BSE ended in the green, with those for IT, realty, and technology stocks gaining the most. FMCG stocks, however, came under selling pressure.

The market breadth was positive with 1,837 stocks advancing compared to 832 declining. Seventy-two remained unchanged.

Among those in the green were TCS, up 15.34 percent at Rs.500.10; Wipro, up 7.14 percent at Rs.460.05; ICICI Bank, up 6.01 percent at Rs.787.10; and Infosys, up 5.66 percent at Rs.1,972.70.

Losers included ITC, down 1.98 percent at Rs.225.45; Reliance Infra, down 1.23 percent at Rs.1,135.85; Reliance Communications, down 1.15 percent at Rs.270 and Tata Steel, down 0.42 percent at Rs.391.10.

Data with the market watchdog, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), showed that foreign funds were net buyers, lapping up scrips worth $53.4 million Monday.

In other Asian markets, the Nikkei 225 Stock Average, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed Monday at 9,395.32 points, up 51.16 points.

The Hang Seng, the primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, ended at 19,502.37 points, up 696.71 points.

European markets, which opened on a firm footing and were trading in the green with the FTSE 100, a key British index, ruling 65.28 points up at 4,454.03 points, while its French peer CAC 40 was ruling 46.62 points higher at 3,265.08 points.

Key US market indices futures rose Monday as retail and small business lender CIT managed to strike a deal with bondholders to raise $3 billion in an attempt to rescue the crisis-hit US lender.

While the Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 59 points, the Standard and Poor's 500 index future was up 6.2 points. The technology-scrip heavy Nasdaq futures added 9.25 points.