Sensex soars 293 pts to reclaim 35k-mark

The BSE Sensex surged 293 points today to close at an over three-month high of 35,208.14 while the broader Nifty recaptured the 10,700-mark as investors piled into recently-battered metal, energy, realty and banking stocks amid mixed global cues.

Fresh buying by domestic institutional investors added to the momentum.

The BSE benchmark Sensex opened higher at 34,983.59 and hovered in a range of 35,259.81 to 34,977.74 before finishing at 35,208.14, showing a gain of 292.76 points or 0.84 percent.

This is its highest closing since February 1, 2018, when it had finished at 35,906.66.

The gauge had lost 261.04 points in the previous two sessions.

The NSE 50-share Nifty also gained 97.25 points, or 0.92 percent, to 10,715.50 after shuttling between 10,725.65 and 10,635.65.

Meanwhile, domestic institutional investors bought shares worth a net Rs 1,084.09 crore, while foreign portfolio investors sold shares worth Rs 1,628.23 crore on Friday, provisional data showed.

Asian markets ended mixed despite a strong closing on Wall Street as investors digested last week's trade talks between the US and China, while US jobs data eased fears of a faster rate hike by the Federal Reserve.

However, US crude topped the USD 75 mark for the first time since 2014. Crude oil prices rose by 0.75 percent to USD 75.43 a barrel.