Sensex closes 72 points higher, paring intra-day gains

The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,082.26 points, closed at 20,117.38 points, up 72.2 points or 0.36 percent, from its previous close at 20,045.18 points.

The Sensex had moved up 222 points to touch an intra-day high of 20,267.98 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty ended at 6,030.5 points, up 0.2 percent.

Broader markets too ended much below the day's highs, with the BSE midcap index closing 0.33 percent up and the BSE smallcap index 0.13 percent higher.

The market breadth was mixed with 1,495 scrips advancing, compared to 1,475 stocks declining and 127 remaining unchanged.

Metal, consumer durables and realty stocks saw gains. Selling was seen in some FMCG stocks.

The major gainers on the Sensex were Hindalco industries, up 3.33 percent at Rs.197.25; Sterlite Indutries, up 3.16 percent at Rs.177.80; Tata Steel, up 2.57 percent at Rs.645.65, and NTPC, up 2.51 percent at Rs.214.50.

Among the losers were HDFC Bank, down 2.11 percent at Rs.2,492.95; Hindustan Unilever, down 1.94 percent at Rs.308.55; HDFC, down 0.57 percent at Rs.727.80, and Infosys, down 0.5 percent at Rs.3,025.45.

Major Asian markets too were trading higher, enthused by news of a surge in US capital goods orders, indicating that the economic recovery in the world's largest economy is gaining strength.

The Japan's Nikkei closed 1.39 percent higher at 9,603.14 points.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended one percent up at 22,340.84 points, while the Chinese Shanghai Composite index closed 1.41 percent higher.
European bourses were ruling quiet.

At closing bell here, the FTSE 100 was trading at 5,599.22 points, almost unchanged from its previous close.

The German DAX was ruling 0.12 percent up at 6,305.96 points and the French CAC 40 was trading 0.15 percent higher at 3,788.12 points.