Sensex up 131 pts on global cues

Sentiments were also bolstered by robust auto sales, higher cement shipments and strong September quarter GDP data.

The 30-share BSE Sensex rose 131.41 points, or 0.76 per cent, to 17,329.68 points in early trade with most of the sectoral indices trading in positive zone.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index, Nifty, rose 39.75 points, or 0.77 per cent, to 5,161.75 points.

Brokers said market sentiments were bullish on the back of continued buying by foreign funds on strong global cues and better-than-expected GDP data for September quarter. Also, the good sales figures for November posted by the auto industry and higher despatches by the cement makers pepped up the market mood. The GDP for the second quarter of this fiscal stood at 7.9 per cent.

Stocks of country's most-valued firm RIL gained 0.26 per cent at Rs 1,100.70. Among auto stocks, Tata Motors surged 2.25 per cent to Rs 716.50 and Maruti Suzuki 1.79 per cent to Rs 1,616.50. Other gainers were Sterlite Industries up by 1.02 per cent to Rs 894 and Tata Steel 1.09 per cent to Rs 588.35.

In morning trade, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.17 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei gained 0.38 per cent. The US Dow Jones Industrial Average had ended 1.23 per cent higher yesterday