Share markets in India ended the day higher having recouped more than half of previous day’s losses, driven by short covering and positive European cues.
At the closing bell, the BSE Sensex closed higher by 107 points. While, the NSE Nifty finished higher by 39 points. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Midcap Index finished up by 0.6% while the S&P BSE Small Cap Index ended up by 1%.
Except Telecom sector, all BSE sectoral indices ended the day in positive zone. Among them, consumer durables index gained the most by 2.3%, followed by realty sector 1.6%, oil & gas sector 1% and metal sector 0.8%.
Overseas, Asian equity markets finished mixed amid lingering concerns about the escalating North Korea crisis. The Shanghai Composite gained 0.14%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 was off 0.63%. Shares in Hong Kong were unchanged with the Hang Seng at 27,741.35. European markets are higher today with shares in Germany leading the region. The DAX is up 0.83% while France’s CAC 40 is up 0.35% and London’s FTSE 100 is up 0.23%.
The rupee was trading at Rs 64.12 against the US$ in the afternoon session. Oil prices were trading at US$ 47.77 at the time of writing.
Bharti Airtel share price hit nearly 2-month low and was the top Sensex loser today. The company shares dropped by2.3% as the Delhi High Court dismissed Vodafone India’s plea asking for more clarity on how the telecom regulator would decide whether to lower the interconnect usage charge (IUC).
Cement stocks were buzzing on the bourses today as the companies have raised the cement prices by up to Rs 27 per 50 kg bag in Mumbai, as per the reports.
The Ramco Cements was the top gainer among these stocks and was trading up by over 4.6%. Among other cement stocks, ACC was up 1.3%, India Cements was up 5.1% while Ultratech Cement was up 2.8%.
