<p>Benchmark indices bounced back on Wednesday after two days of decline with the Sensex climbing 324.61 points in early trade amid positive trends in Asian markets.</p>.<p>The 30-share BSE Sensex opened on a positive note and advanced 324.61 points to 54,211.22. The broader NSE Nifty climbed 81.3 points to 16,139.60.</p>.<p>Markets edged higher, boosted by consumer stocks, as plunge in oil prices provided some relief to the country that saw unrelenting inflation in June.</p>.<p>India's annual consumer inflation remained painfully above the 7% mark, beyond the central bank's tolerance band for a sixth month in a row, official data showed on Tuesday, raising prospects of more rate hikes by central bank next month.</p>.<p>Global benchmark Brent crude tumbled $7 on Tuesday to settle below $100 a barrel for the first time in three months.</p>.<p>Among the Sensex constituents, Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Power Grid, Larsen & Toubro and Bajaj Finance were the major gainers.</p>.<p>HCL Technologies, Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank were the laggards.</p>.<p>"The major positive development from India's economic and market perspective is the crash in Brent crude to below USD 100. The bulls are likely to latch on to this good news. But FIIs again turning sellers will be a dampener," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, in Asia, markets in Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong were trading in the green.</p>.<p>Now market focus is on US consumer price index due later in the day, to gauge the path of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.</p>.<p><em>(With agency inputs)</em></p>
<p>Benchmark indices bounced back on Wednesday after two days of decline with the Sensex climbing 324.61 points in early trade amid positive trends in Asian markets.</p>.<p>The 30-share BSE Sensex opened on a positive note and advanced 324.61 points to 54,211.22. The broader NSE Nifty climbed 81.3 points to 16,139.60.</p>.<p>Markets edged higher, boosted by consumer stocks, as plunge in oil prices provided some relief to the country that saw unrelenting inflation in June.</p>.<p>India's annual consumer inflation remained painfully above the 7% mark, beyond the central bank's tolerance band for a sixth month in a row, official data showed on Tuesday, raising prospects of more rate hikes by central bank next month.</p>.<p>Global benchmark Brent crude tumbled $7 on Tuesday to settle below $100 a barrel for the first time in three months.</p>.<p>Among the Sensex constituents, Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Power Grid, Larsen & Toubro and Bajaj Finance were the major gainers.</p>.<p>HCL Technologies, Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank were the laggards.</p>.<p>"The major positive development from India's economic and market perspective is the crash in Brent crude to below USD 100. The bulls are likely to latch on to this good news. But FIIs again turning sellers will be a dampener," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, in Asia, markets in Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong were trading in the green.</p>.<p>Now market focus is on US consumer price index due later in the day, to gauge the path of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.</p>.<p><em>(With agency inputs)</em></p>
