Sensex extends gains, up 1.12 percent

At 12.04 p.m., the sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened higher at 17,117.9 points, was ruling at 17,218.05 points - 191.38 points or 1.12 percent higher than Monday's close of 17,026.67 points.
 
Around the same time, the S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), too was trading in the positive at 5,108.3 points, up 1.07 percent.
 
Mid-to-small capitalised company scrips were also in favour with buyers, with the BSE midcap index trading 1.57 percent higher and the BSE smallcap index moving up 1.61 percent. The market breadth was positive, with 1,694 stocks advancing, 810 declining and 84 remaining unchanged.
 
Among gainers at this time on the Sensex were M&M, up 4.74 percent at Rs.958.75; Sterlite, up 3.94 percent at Rs.840.80; Tata Motors, up 3.68 percent at Rs.570.05, and Jai Prakash Associates, up 3.5 percent at Rs.248.70.

There were only five losers at this time -- Reliance Communications, down 4 percent at Rs.237.90; Bharti Airtel, down 3.11 percent at Rs.339.90; Grasim, down 0.53 percent at Rs.2,405; ACC, down 0.39 percent at Rs.793.20, and HDFC Bank, down 0.11 percent at Rs.1,698.55.

Other Asian markets were trading strong. The primary index of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hang Seng, was ruling 348.69 points or 1.62 percent higher at 21,816.05 points. The Kospi, benchmark index of the Korean Stock Exchange, was in the green as well at 1,649.09 points, up 20.16 points or 1.24 percent.

At the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the composite index was ruling 1.26 percent up at 2,973.24 points. However, the Nikkei, a key index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed 16.35 points or 0.16 percent lower at 10,060.21 points.