The two key equity benchmarks, Sensex and Nifty, on Wednesday opened with strong gains, tracking global cues. At 9.45 am, the BSE Sensex rose 152 points to 72,338. On the other hand, the NSE Nifty50 was trading at 21,984, up 55 points.
On the 30-share Sensex platform, SBI, Axis Bank, Bajaj twins, Sun Pharma, Kotak Bank were among the lead gainers. On the down side, Infosys, HCLTech, PowerGrid, Wipro, TechM, Maruti emerged losers. Among specific stocks, Paytm jumped 9 per cent on block deal while Nykaa advanced nearly 4 per cent after it posted doubling of its net profit in Q3 to Rs 17.5 crore versus a year-ago period.
In the broader markets, the BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices jumped 0.8 per cent each.
Sectorwise, Nifty Realty index gained most, up nearly 3 per cent. PSU Bank index was up 2 per cent, while IT pocket held slim losses.
In the previous session on Tuesday, the BSE Sensex settled higher by 455 points at 72,186, while the NSE Nifty50 closed at 21,929, up 158 points.
In the Asian markets, Seoul, and Shanghai were trading in the green zone. Tokyo and Hong Kong were quoted in the negative zone. On the other hand, the US markets ended with gains on Tuesday.
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth Rs 92.52 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.
Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.20 per cent to $78.75 a barrel.
Rupee Rises 2 Paise To 83.03 Against US Dollar
Meanwhile, the Indian rupee gained 2 paise to 83.03 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday supported by positive domestic equities. Moreover, the weakness of the American currency in the overseas market also aided sentiments.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 83.03 against the dollar, registering a gain of 2 paise over its previous close. On Tuesday, the rupee declined marginally by 2 paise to close at 83.05 against the US dollar.
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