Share Market Update: Domestic benchmark indices BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty extended gains for the third consecutive day after witnessing a chopping trading session on Wednesday. Decent buying was witnessed in stocks of select public sectors including banks and information technology (IT) due to corporate earnings which kept the bourses volatile. After a volatile session, the 30-share index settled 84.60 points or 0.22 per cent higher at 39,215.64. It swung 203 points intra-day, hitting a high of 39,284.73 and a low of 39,081.14. Even the broader NSE Nifty ended 24.90 points or 0.21 per cent up at 11,687.50.

Top gainers in the Sensex pack included SBI, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Kotak Bank, IndusInd Bank, Asian Paints, Infosys and TCS, rising up to 2.31 per cent. On the other hand, Yes Bank was the biggest loser, cracking 5.25 per cent ahead of its Q1 results. ONGC, Maruti, Bajaj Auto, NTPC, Axis Bank and Tata Motors were among the other losers, shedding up to 1.64 per cent.

In the broader market, the S&P BSE MidCap ended at 14,542 levels, down 22 points, or 0.15 per cent. The S&P BSE SmallCap too ended 10 points, or 0.07 per cent lower at 13,716 levels.  Sectorally, public sector banks were the biggest gainers with the Nifty PSU Bank index closing 1.36 per cent higher.

This was followed by gains in FMCG sector which was trading 0.81 per cent higher and IT sector which was up by 0.53 per cent. The Nifty Auto index was the top laggard with the index settling over 1 per cent lower. Elsewhere in Asia, Shanghai Composite Index, Hang Seng, Kospi and Nikkei ended in the red.

Equities in Europe were trading on a mixed note in their respective early sessions. On the currency front, the Indian rupee depreciated 10 paise to 68.81 against the US dollar (intra-day).  Meanwhile, the global oil benchmark Brent crude futures was trading 0.71 per cent higher at USD 64.81 per barrel.